Timberwolves fire head coach

[Ryche]

http://www.startribune.com/511/story/955112.html

The management of this team is absolutely pathetic.

[miami_fan]

Someone may want to let Kevin McHale know that Isiah has an insurmountable lead for the worst HOF player to turn front executive in the NBA. There is really no need to make any attempts to try and catch up at this point.

[Groundhog]

It's clearly the coach's fault that the GM has proved utterly incapable of surrounding one of the best players in the game with guys that compliment his skills.

Just this past offseason they sign a PG coming off a big contract year which saw him jack up endless treys on a bad team, and then, *SHOCK*, his production halves with the Timberwolves, and this is probably the biggest offseason signing the team has made in god knows how long.

Outside of that they have Mark 'can't rebound for shit' Blount in the middle, Trenton Hassell (who would be about an 8th man on any respectable NBA team, or a possible D specialist on a team that had another 2 or 3 more good players than the TWolves), and somehow Mark Madsen, another guy who would struggle to hit the court on a good team, keeps finding minutes as well.

The one thing that they TWolves have done OK at in the past few seasons is drafting - when they've had any picks to draft with, that is. Foye looks like a keeper (though personally I'd have stuck with Roy), and Craig Smith was a steal. McCants was also impressive at times last season.

Fire the GM, and try and find someone that can put a team on the floor that can compete in a deep Western conference.

[miami_fan]

Let's not forget that he fired the best coach in team history without having a better option available. How long can a guy live off the fact that he drafted KG?

[mckerney]

Fire the GM, and try and find someone that can put a team on the floor that can compete in a deep Western conference.

Glen Taylor has said that the job is McHale's as long as he wants it, and there doesn't seem to be any signs that would lead anyone to believe that's not the truth.

I don't like this move, and like has been said there's very little blame for the teams current situation to be placed on Casey. Since he got the job he's been given Marco Jaric, Mark Blount (who as an incredible soft center is not at all the type of player needed next to Garnett, but other than a useless Eddie Griffin is the only center on the roster), the absolutely worthless Ricky Davis who should never play for the Timberwolves again, and a first round pick was given up for Marcus Banks who went on to leave the team in what was called the worst offseason signing this year. You can't help feel bad for Casey and the way this worked out for him.

[mckerney]

Let's not forget that he fired the best coach in team history without having a better option available. How long can a guy live off the fact that he <s>drafted KG</s> took the fall for Taylor on the Joe Smith deal?

Fixed.

[miami_fan]

Fixed.

So there is a tell-all book coming if he gets fired?

[bulletsponge]

So there is a tell-all book coming if he gets fired?

it wont be about GM'ing, cause he doesnt know anything about it :p

[Ryche]

McHale has also given up future first round draft picks for Marko Jaric and Marcus Banks.

The kicker though is this recent article: http://citypages.com/databank/27/1352/article14842.asp

The best part of the article is this from the owner talking about McHale:

But Kevin was very realistic up front in saying, Okay, I'm growing a family. I earned my money already. I have some priorities, this isn't like I'm doing this for money now. So you understand, and he says, You know, I love to hunt. I love to fish. I love some other things. I mean, he was always up-front with all of those things. He didn't want to do basketball and give up those other things in his life. So it's not like he said, I'm going to work 80 hours a week, or 70, or 45 hours a week.

Not willing to work even 45 hours a week running an NBA team?

[miami_fan]

McHale has also given up future first round draft picks for Marko Jaric and Marcus Banks.

The kicker though is this recent article: http://citypages.com/databank/27/1352/article14842.asp

The best part of the article is this from the owner talking about McHale:


Not willing to work even 45 hours a week running an NBA team?

Okay I can't be too critical of him then. Even I don't like to play GM (in TPB 2005) for 45 hours a week:rolleyes:

[JonInMiddleGA]

Not willing to work even 45 hours a week running an NBA team?

Hmm ... thinking about this for a moment, if he's staffed & delegated properly, I'm not sure that there's 45 hours of actual work per week year 'round that is there for him to do.

[Wonder Bear]

McHale really needs to look into trading KG this year. Garnett deserves a legitimate shot at a title and it's clear that they're not going to be a serious contender in the West for a few more years. Garnett's as good as gone after next year regardless.

[miami_fan]

McHale really needs to look into trading KG this year. Garnett deserves a legitimate shot at a title and it's clear that they're not going to be a serious contender in the West for a few more years. Garnett's as good as gone after next year regardless.


I would not trust him with the responsibility of trading KG.

[Young Drachma]

I think Isiah has drafted better than McHale could've dreamed of, even if it's over the span of three teams.

[BishopMVP]

Mark Blount (who as an incredible soft center is not at all the type of player needed next to Garnett), the absolutely worthless Ricky Davis who should never play for the Timberwolves again, and a first round pick was given up for Marcus Banks who went on to leave the team in what was called the worst offseason signing this year.Y'all can have Wally back for a first or two. Or Wally, Al Jefferson and a couple firsts for KG.

[Ryche]

Y'all can have Wally back for a first or two. Or Wally, Al Jefferson and a couple firsts for KG.

One theft from the Wolves wasn't enough for you? We don't have any first round picks to trade because Boston already has one of them.

[BishopMVP]

One theft from the Wolves wasn't enough for you? We don't have any first round picks to trade because Boston already has one of them....and the Clippers ... and Joe Smith.

We actually might not get a 1 from what I read

Aside from our own picks, the Celtics are likely entitled to receive a future first-round pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Due to a league rule prohibiting teams from ever placing themselves in a situation where two consecutive future first-round picks have been traded away, the Celtics cannot receive the first round pick the Timberwolves owe from the Ricky Davis/Wally Szczerbiak trade until two years after the Timberwolves send a pick to the Clippers (from the Sam Cassell/Marko Jaric trade). However, because the Clippers trade involved top 10 "protection," Minnesota only has to send the pick to the Clippers if the pick falls outside the top 10 picks in the draft. Therefore, in future years, Celtics fans should be rooting for Minnesota to win (when, of course, they're not playing against the Celtics) until the Timberwolves finish a season out of the bottom ten, and send their pick to the Clippers. Two years after this occurs, the Timberwolves will send their first-round pick to the Celtics, subject to some "protection" which decreases annually after the first year in which we could receive the pick.*
The situation is further complicated by a league rule that prevents any deals being made involving drafts more than 7 drafts into the future; as a result the Celtics cannot receive Minnesota's pick after the 2012 draft, since the Ricky/Wally trade was made before the 2006 draft. Therefore, if the Timberwolves do not send a pick to the Clippers by the end of the 2010 draft, the Celtics will be unable to receive the Timberwolves' first-round pick in 2012, and will instead receive a second-round pick in 2012.
* For those die-hard draft fans who want all the details, here's how the protection on this pick works: If the Timberwolves send a pick to the Clippers in 2007, we receive the Timberwolves' pick in 2009 if it falls outside of the top 14, in 2010 if it falls outside of the top 5, in 2011 if it falls outside of the top 3, or in 2012 unconditionally. If the Timberwolves send a pick to the Clippers in 2008, we receive the Timberwolves' pick in 2010 if it falls outside of the top 14, in 2011 if it falls outside of the top 5, or in 2012 unconditionally. If the Timberwolves send a pick to the Clippers in 2009, we receive the Timberwolves' pick in 2011 if it falls outside the top 14, or in 2012 unconditionally. Finally, if the Timberwolves send a pick to the Clippers in 2010, we receive the Timberwolves' pick in 2012 unconditionally.

[BishopMVP]

Dola, and Olowakandi, Dwayne Jones and Wally all suck. I personally despise Wally and wouldn't want him on my team at any price (something I think I have in common with KG - didn't he punch out Wally at practice and break his jaw?)

[Ryche]

Yeah, KG and Wally never got along too well, which was part of the reason he was dealt. And Olowakandi and Jones are, well, who they are. Blount has been playing well for the Timberwolves this year at least. I think everyone is shocked by that. And Davis has been an inconsistent headcase. Maybe he'll like the new coach better.

It will be interesting to see how the Timberwolves play under the new coach. I'm really not expecting see much of a change, so maybe they slip into the playoffs with a record around .500.

[BishopMVP]

Yeah, KG and Wally never got along too well, which was part of the reason he was dealt. And Olowakandi and Jones are, well, who they are. Blount has been playing well for the Timberwolves this year at least. I think everyone is shocked by that. And Davis has been an inconsistent headcase. Maybe he'll like the new coach better.Blount can shoot, but doesn't rebound. He had one of these stretches every season where he gave you hope (hence why he got the $40 million deal.) Davis is, well, who you think he is.