Timberwovles Fans Rejoicing

[Gil Dobie]

Congrats to the Wolves for getting a basketball person in this position. Congrats to Fllip Saunders who replces David Kahn. David Kahn blundered his way out of a job, along with the injury bug. Kahn drafted Jonny Flynn over Steph Curry, alienating Kevin Love, etc, etc.

Link (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/9236287/david-kahn-president-basketball-operations-minnesota-timberwolves)


The Minnesota Timberwolves have named Flip Saunders as the team's new president of basketball operations.

Saunders confirmed to ESPN on Thursday night that he had signed a long-term deal while also getting a minority ownership stake in the team.

With Saunders as a part-owner, longtime owner Glen Taylor is expected to take the team off the market, sources said. He had been looking for a buyer who would keep the team in Minneapolis.

The "godfather"-style deal with Saunders, who coached the Wolves from 1995 to 2006, is similar to the arrangement Pat Riley has with the Miami Heat.

The team tumbled out of the playoff picture, but hopes were high at the start of this season when Kahn added Andrei Kirilenko, Chase Budinger, Alexey Shved and Dante Cunningham to the mix. Then Love broke his hand just before the regular season started and broke it again in January, limiting the Olympian to 18 games for the season. Rubio returned from his knee injury in mid-December but didn't regain his old form until February, Budinger missed more than three months with a knee injury and Kahn's gamble on Brandon Roy proved to be ill-fated. Kirilenko, Nikola Pekovic and J.J. Barea also missed stretches because of injuries, and the Wolves finished 31-51.

Most of Kahn's biggest missteps came in the draft. He chose Jonny Flynn over Stephen Curry in 2009 with the sixth overall pick, traded a pick that Denver used to take Ty Lawson and chose swingman Wesley Johnson fourth overall in 2010. Only two of the 10 draft picks the Timberwolves made in his four years -- Rubio and 2011 No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams -- are on the roster.

[blueballs]

Rumors had the Wolves interested in Stan Van Gundy. As a Magic charter season tix holder, I can tell you that SVG is a very good coach and will instantly improve the team because he can coach defense and expects his team to play hard.

There might be some light at the end of the tunnel for the Wolves yet...

[Gil Dobie]

Rumors had the Wolves interested in Stan Van Gundy. As a Magic charter season tix holder, I can tell you that SVG is a very good coach and will instantly improve the team because he can coach defense and expects his team to play hard.

There might be some light at the end of the tunnel for the Wolves yet...

Stan would be a great choice. I have heard the Wolves are waiting on Rick Adelman's decision for next year. A lot depends on his wife's health. Adelman also has 2 sons working for Minnesota.

[darell1976]

I just hope this team gets back on track. I remember back when they first started with Pooh Richardson and Tyrone Corbin and JR Rider then the team looked up with Kevin Garnett. Off to Boston he went and the Wolves hasn't been that good. We need someone, something, to get this team on track.

[Professor Chaos]

The Wolves will always be an NBA also ran. That's the way the league likes it, they need their big markets in New York, LA, Boston, and Miami to be successful and they couldn't care less about the little guys like the Minnesotas and Milwaukees of the league. They're just there to provide the big boys with easy wins and high end developed talent.

It's sad that in the last 30 years there have been only 8 franchises to win an NBA title. That's why I'll stick with college basketball.

[Laker]

It's sad that in the last 30 years there have been only 8 franchises to win an NBA title. That's why I'll stick with college basketball.

I usually rejoice in any sport when a new team wins a title for the first time. Growing up watching UCLA win the basketball title every year was no fun for me. Now that we have a lot of teams in the college game that could win it is much more interesting.

[Gil Dobie]

I usually rejoice in any sport when a new team wins a title for the first time. Growing up watching UCLA win the basketball title every year was no fun for me. Now that we have a lot of teams in the college game that could win it is much more interesting.

More teams can win, but it's been BCS conference teams since 1990 with UNLV, and 4 total non-BCS champs in the last 50 years.

[Gil Dobie]

The Wolves will always be an NBA also ran. That's the way the league likes it, they need their big markets in New York, LA, Boston, and Miami to be successful and they couldn't care less about the little guys like the Minnesotas and Milwaukees of the league. They're just there to provide the big boys with easy wins and high end developed talent.

It's sad that in the last 30 years there have been only 8 franchises to win an NBA title. That's why I'll stick with college basketball.

David Stern policy, as it is being reported, he advised Glen Taylor to hire David Kahn.

Stern also took away 5 #1 picks of the Wolves because of Glen Taylors tampering with Joe Smith. That pretty much killed the franchise for many years. Yes it's Taylor's fault for tampering, but Stern's punishment killed basketball interest in Minnesota.

[blueballs]

The Wolves will always be an NBA also ran. That's the way the league likes it, they need their big markets in New York, LA, Boston, and Miami to be successful and they couldn't care less about the little guys like the Minnesotas and Milwaukees of the league. They're just there to provide the big boys with easy wins and high end developed talent.

It's sad that in the last 30 years there have been only 8 franchises to win an NBA title. That's why I'll stick with college basketball.

If that is the case how do you explain the Spurs from 1999-present? And the constant state of suck that was NY since Ewing passed his prime until last year?

I agree with you to an extent.... but Portland had a shot at Jordan and took Sam Bowie. Portland also had a shot at Durant and took Oden, and I could name countless other blunders that smaller markets have made. How do you explain Orlando in 2001, having salary cap room for two max contracts, signing McGrady (good signing at the time) but doing a sign and trade with Detroit that sent Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups to Detroit for an injured Grant Hill? And don't forget, that was after they fired Doc Rivers the year before. That blunder gift wrapped a championship to Detroit in 2004.

Could it be that the bigger market teams had better management? Like Miami with Riley? Boston with Auerbach's legacy (Ainge)? Buss in LA? Reinsdorf's group in Chigago? And that the great management (POP) in SA is the reason for that dynasty?

[blueballs]

Stan would be a great choice. I have heard the Wolves are waiting on Rick Adelman's decision for next year. A lot depends on his wife's health. Adelman also has 2 sons working for Minnesota.

I have an old HS teammate who played for Adelman in Portland during their two runs to the finals and was an asst to him at Sacramento and loves him. Adelman is a good coach, a players coach, and has took teams to the precipice of titles, but I'd take SVG at this point.

SVG is a GREAT defensive coach, and he rides his players to max effort. He's always prepared, and is a good in game coach- especially offensively in the last two minutes. The only negative on SVG is that his style grates on players because he rides them to play hard and that makes for a short shelf life.

[JALMOND]

If that is the case how do you explain the Spurs from 1999-present? And the constant state of suck that was NY since Ewing passed his prime until last year?

I agree with you to an extent.... but Portland had a shot at Jordan and took Sam Bowie. Portland also had a shot at Durant and took Oden, and I could name countless other blunders that smaller markets have made. How do you explain Orlando in 2001, having salary cap room for two max contracts, signing McGrady (good signing at the time) but doing a sign and trade with Detroit that sent Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups to Detroit for an injured Grant Hill? And don't forget, that was after they fired Doc Rivers the year before. That blunder gift wrapped a championship to Detroit in 2004.

Could it be that the bigger market teams had better management? Like Miami with Riley? Boston with Auerbach's legacy (Ainge)? Buss in LA? Reinsdorf's group in Chigago? And that the great management (POP) in SA is the reason for that dynasty?

If the Blazers knew then what they know now, things would have been different, for sure. 28 other NBA owners at the time would have made the same "blunder" the Blazers did in taking Oden over Durant. Durant's workout here was a home run, but Oden was being touted as the next Bill Russell. I would have put our Big 3 of Oden, Roy and Aldridge (with role players Batum and Matthews in there as well) up against any NBA team, big or small market. You cannot foresee injuries and what impact they would have on a team at the time you are drafting a player. You draft on the idea of what that person can bring to your team. If that career is diminished due to injury, I don't see that as a "blunder".

[IBleedYellow]

I really hope that Rick comes back. He seemed to have the entire team there liking him. If they wouldn't have been bit by the injury bug they could have rocked some teams this year. Just look what they did to OKC earlier this year without Kevin Love.