thedoper wrote:Dont you dare badmouth JR. He just came at the wrong time when POT was evil and illegal.
... and when sports bar managers at MOA were chicks who couldn't handle a few swift kicks in the back...
The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles.
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AbeVigodaLive
- Posts: 9957
- Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2013 12:00 am
Re: The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles.
... and when sports bar managers at MOA were chicks who couldn't handle a few swift kicks in the back...
Re: The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles.
AbeVigodaLive wrote:thedoper wrote:Dont you dare badmouth JR. He just came at the wrong time when POT was evil and illegal.
... and when sports bar managers at MOA were chicks who couldn't handle a few swift kicks in the back...
Details details....yeah thats awful
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AbeVigodaLive
- Posts: 9957
- Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2013 12:00 am
Re: The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles.
In true Robson fashion... the prose is a bit over the top... but the sentiment hits home:
"Those who have been riding with the Wolves throughout their bleak and barren history up here on the frozen tundra are adept at hop-scotching between cynicism and gullibility. By now they have developed an emotional immunity to the toxic muck as they pan it for specks of fool's gold. By now it has become uncomfortably close to apathy."
"Those who have been riding with the Wolves throughout their bleak and barren history up here on the frozen tundra are adept at hop-scotching between cynicism and gullibility. By now they have developed an emotional immunity to the toxic muck as they pan it for specks of fool's gold. By now it has become uncomfortably close to apathy."
Re: The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles.
More, MORE, MOARRRR!!!!!!! Please sir, may I have another?
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Wolvesfan21
- Posts: 3701
- Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2017 12:00 am
Re: The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles.
We're just a bunch of sadistic bastards.
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AbeVigodaLive
- Posts: 9957
- Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2013 12:00 am
Re: The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles.
"He had about nine broken pipes and about 42 flat tires."
- Coach Bill Blair talking about star player, JR Rider. (And Blair coached the team for 102 games)
Isaiah "JR" Rider was part of the next wave of superstar UNLV player, arriving on campus months after Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony left for the NBA. When Anderson Hunt jumped (and failed) at the chance to make the NBA, legendary coach and suspected criminal, Jerry Tarkanian, gave the keys to a young, mercurial freshman, JR Rider.
21 ppg as a freshman. 29 ppg as a sophomore. Rider was ready to get paid for playing basketball... ok, ok... he was ready to get paid MORE for playing basketball.
With prized rookie Christian Laettner leading the way, the Wolves improved to only 63 losses in 1993. Unfortunately, that made them only the 2nd worst team. Even more unfortunate, the Wolves continued to showcase its uncanny ability to drop in a random luck lottery draft. The Wolves dropped to #5 via ping pong balls.
No https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/webbech01.htmlChris Webber. No https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hardaan01.htmlAnfernee Hardaway. No Jamal Mashburn. For good or bad, no 7'6" https://exnba.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/tumblr_noxbdsh1EK1sdydefo1_400.gifShawn Bradley either. Instead, the Wolves made the right pick (at #5) and picked up the uber-talented Rider. Despite the disappointment in dropping in the draft again, there was excitement for Rider.
He signed for 7 years/$25.5M... making him the highest paid guy on the team, even higher than Laettner from the previous season. So what could go wrong with a bad team paying its two young unproven stars more than everybody else?
Shirley, you jest. We know how this story always ends! But at least now we can look back fondly at its humble beginnings.
__________
Rider was expected to be a volume scorer in the pros. He was also expected to be a bit of a headache.
And he didn't disappoint -- he was several hours late to his very first practice.
But don't worry, the team had Sidney Lowe (discussed already!) to guide him and young pups. Things would be just fine. And they were... the Wolves got even better with the two young stars. Two straight years of tangible on-court improvements!
The Wolves improved to only 62 losses.
Rider made the All NBA Rookie team. 16.6 ppg / 4 reb / 3 ast / 47% / 36% / 81%... those numbers were enough to get people excited -- and to overlook issues like several missed practices (at least once when he claimed the pipes burst), mediocre efforts and absolutely no impact on wins and losses. And... this is very important... he https://66.media.tumblr.com/f0ac033af6b5246f0a7d4f8a343be7a7/tumblr_opnmzmTV6r1sdydefo1_400.gifvwon the dunk contest! Nothing is more important than a dunk contest. Nothing. Minnesota had a star. Or, something. They also had an issue.
In March 1994, Rider was supposed to sign some autographs at the Mall of America sports bar. But he didn't show. You see... it was his birthday! Nobody works on their birthday. Eventually though, he relented. He arrived to sign autographs. When chastised by the manager for keeping the kids waiting in line for hours... he swore at her. When told by the woman to leave... he kicked her. When she threatened to call security... he kicked her again.
When asked about the incident and subsequent settlement, his attorney opined: "He's a gentleman. I never found J.R. Rider to be anything but a total gentleman."
The Wolves did what we'd expect them to do... they blamed the old coach, brought in a new coach and gave JR Rider control of the team! Rider upped his scoring to 20.3 ppg... but his efficiency and rebounding waned.
And his issues mounted. He was insubordinate with Wolves brass. He was routinely late. Or simply missed games. He screwed up his probation from the assault. Spent a night in jail. Etc.
The Wolves improved again -- to only 61 losses.
Year 3 brought about more of the same, only the Wolves had a few signs of change brewing... Laettner was traded midway through the season. And Gugliotta brought in midway through the previous season in a trade for rookie 4th pick in the draft Donyell Marshall, looked like a pretty solid NBA player. Hometown hero, Kevin McHale, was now in charge. And... Oh... yeah... one more thing happened. The Wolves drafted a teenager named Kevin Garnett.
By this time, it was clear what Rider could provide on the court... and who he was off of it. Another 20 ppg campaign was overshadowed by uneven play, excuses and rumors of off-court excesses. McHale saw that Garnett was the future of the franchise... not JR Rider.
So the Wolves traded their top scorer to Portland, mostly for spare parts... mostly to keep him away from prized PF, Kevin Garnett. But why would they dare do such a thing?
Before the trade was even finalized, Rider was arrested for driving with tinted windows, marijuana possession and an illegal cellphone that charged somebody else's account. Oh, and he was driving with a convicted drug dealer and rapist.
__________
As I typed that sentence... another momentous trade in Wolves history just happened. Andrew Wiggins was traded. I guess that's a good stopping point here. Not because Wiggins is remotely the jerk Rider is. He's been a pretty swell guy for the past 6 seasons. But like Rider... it was obvious to every member of the team and the organization and the fanbase... that a change of scenery was needed.
Next up: Stephon Marbury!
- Coach Bill Blair talking about star player, JR Rider. (And Blair coached the team for 102 games)
Isaiah "JR" Rider was part of the next wave of superstar UNLV player, arriving on campus months after Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony left for the NBA. When Anderson Hunt jumped (and failed) at the chance to make the NBA, legendary coach and suspected criminal, Jerry Tarkanian, gave the keys to a young, mercurial freshman, JR Rider.
21 ppg as a freshman. 29 ppg as a sophomore. Rider was ready to get paid for playing basketball... ok, ok... he was ready to get paid MORE for playing basketball.
With prized rookie Christian Laettner leading the way, the Wolves improved to only 63 losses in 1993. Unfortunately, that made them only the 2nd worst team. Even more unfortunate, the Wolves continued to showcase its uncanny ability to drop in a random luck lottery draft. The Wolves dropped to #5 via ping pong balls.
No https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/webbech01.htmlChris Webber. No https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hardaan01.htmlAnfernee Hardaway. No Jamal Mashburn. For good or bad, no 7'6" https://exnba.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/tumblr_noxbdsh1EK1sdydefo1_400.gifShawn Bradley either. Instead, the Wolves made the right pick (at #5) and picked up the uber-talented Rider. Despite the disappointment in dropping in the draft again, there was excitement for Rider.
He signed for 7 years/$25.5M... making him the highest paid guy on the team, even higher than Laettner from the previous season. So what could go wrong with a bad team paying its two young unproven stars more than everybody else?
Shirley, you jest. We know how this story always ends! But at least now we can look back fondly at its humble beginnings.
__________
Rider was expected to be a volume scorer in the pros. He was also expected to be a bit of a headache.
And he didn't disappoint -- he was several hours late to his very first practice.
But don't worry, the team had Sidney Lowe (discussed already!) to guide him and young pups. Things would be just fine. And they were... the Wolves got even better with the two young stars. Two straight years of tangible on-court improvements!
The Wolves improved to only 62 losses.
Rider made the All NBA Rookie team. 16.6 ppg / 4 reb / 3 ast / 47% / 36% / 81%... those numbers were enough to get people excited -- and to overlook issues like several missed practices (at least once when he claimed the pipes burst), mediocre efforts and absolutely no impact on wins and losses. And... this is very important... he https://66.media.tumblr.com/f0ac033af6b5246f0a7d4f8a343be7a7/tumblr_opnmzmTV6r1sdydefo1_400.gifvwon the dunk contest! Nothing is more important than a dunk contest. Nothing. Minnesota had a star. Or, something. They also had an issue.
In March 1994, Rider was supposed to sign some autographs at the Mall of America sports bar. But he didn't show. You see... it was his birthday! Nobody works on their birthday. Eventually though, he relented. He arrived to sign autographs. When chastised by the manager for keeping the kids waiting in line for hours... he swore at her. When told by the woman to leave... he kicked her. When she threatened to call security... he kicked her again.
When asked about the incident and subsequent settlement, his attorney opined: "He's a gentleman. I never found J.R. Rider to be anything but a total gentleman."
The Wolves did what we'd expect them to do... they blamed the old coach, brought in a new coach and gave JR Rider control of the team! Rider upped his scoring to 20.3 ppg... but his efficiency and rebounding waned.
And his issues mounted. He was insubordinate with Wolves brass. He was routinely late. Or simply missed games. He screwed up his probation from the assault. Spent a night in jail. Etc.
The Wolves improved again -- to only 61 losses.
Year 3 brought about more of the same, only the Wolves had a few signs of change brewing... Laettner was traded midway through the season. And Gugliotta brought in midway through the previous season in a trade for rookie 4th pick in the draft Donyell Marshall, looked like a pretty solid NBA player. Hometown hero, Kevin McHale, was now in charge. And... Oh... yeah... one more thing happened. The Wolves drafted a teenager named Kevin Garnett.
By this time, it was clear what Rider could provide on the court... and who he was off of it. Another 20 ppg campaign was overshadowed by uneven play, excuses and rumors of off-court excesses. McHale saw that Garnett was the future of the franchise... not JR Rider.
So the Wolves traded their top scorer to Portland, mostly for spare parts... mostly to keep him away from prized PF, Kevin Garnett. But why would they dare do such a thing?
Before the trade was even finalized, Rider was arrested for driving with tinted windows, marijuana possession and an illegal cellphone that charged somebody else's account. Oh, and he was driving with a convicted drug dealer and rapist.
__________
As I typed that sentence... another momentous trade in Wolves history just happened. Andrew Wiggins was traded. I guess that's a good stopping point here. Not because Wiggins is remotely the jerk Rider is. He's been a pretty swell guy for the past 6 seasons. But like Rider... it was obvious to every member of the team and the organization and the fanbase... that a change of scenery was needed.
Next up: Stephon Marbury!
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AbeVigodaLive
- Posts: 9957
- Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2013 12:00 am
Re: The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles.
"The magic word -- money. I'd rather hear 'no' than not ask and have some other guy come along and get some. You know what I mean? If you don't ask, you don't get."
- Stephon Marbury, 1991 (14 years old)
In the 1995 book, "https://www.amazon.com/Last-Shot-Streets-Basketball-Dreams/dp/0618446710The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams," author Darcy Frey introduces the world to a young Coney Island phenom, Steph Marbury. While chronicling some of his older teammates and their quest to reach the NCAA... Steph Marbury is hilariously featured as a precocious soon-to-be freshman who arrives to pickup games ... riding a Big Wheel with a sucker in his mouth ... only to dominate once in the game.
Eventually, his access to Marbury was taken away when the young, struggling author refused to compensate the Marbury family. And that leads us to today's episode of "The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles."
__________________
Stephon Marbury hit the college basketball scene later in 1995... playing only one season before declaring for the https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1996.htmlLOADED 1996 NBA draft. The Wolves were picking #5 after a 56-loss season. But there was hope...
1) The turmoil around the Timberwolves on/off https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-16-sp-4715-story.htmlrelocation to New Orleans was over.
2) The risky Garnett pick turned out to look brilliant the 2nd half of the season. Garnett was legit.
3) Isaiah Rider was soon out the door.
The Wolves' fortunes were turning... for the first time in the history of the franchise, fans dared to dream that the team could be successful. And the draft did nothing to dissuade them. Here's a https://www.si.com/vault/1996/06/24/214380/jackie-macmullans-draft-picksdraft preview from Jackie MacMullen. Here's the takeaway from it... "...this pick -- and Marbury -- could wind up being the Timberwolves'. Marbury, who is close to Minnesota's Kevin Garnett, hopes so."
Everybody knew GM, Kevin McHale, was hot for Marbury. There were rumors of all sort of trades for the Wolves to move up. But when teams passed on Marbury... the Bucks were the trading partner at #4. The Wolves traded #5 pick, Ray Allen, (and a 1st) for Marbury. (The Wolves would get that pick back years later in another trade.)
How was the trade viewed at the time?
"At Bradley Center, the team's headquarters, fans chanted 'No Trade! No Trade!' once both Marbury and Allen were picked. When the deal was announced with Bucks GM Mike Dunleavy and new coach Chris Ford on a stage in the arena, the crowd booed loudly."
Meanwhile, https://i.pinimg.com/originals/65/04/ee/6504eea1a4adf696e43449b9ba91fbb2.jpgGarnett + Marbury were quickly compared favorably to other duos like Stockton/Malone + Payton/Kemp. The Wolves made the playoffs for the first time in Marbury's rookie season. Even though they were swept vs. the Rockets... the duo received high praise from Charles Barkley in his postgame on-court interview.
The Wolves did even better in year 2 (despite losing leading scorer Tom Gugliotta for the 2nd half of the season). They even took the heavily favored Seattle Supersonics to a deciding game where Kevin Garnett (playing C) had https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199805020SEA.htmlone of the worst closeout games for a star player in NBA history. Marbury wasn't much better. But all was ok... they had youngsters Garnett + Marbury + All Star Tom Gugliotta.
They were almost universally declared the team on the rise. They seemed to complement each other perfectly. Garnett was so versatile, so unselfish, so talented. And Marbury was so mercurial and dynamic. Garnett didn't care if he got the last shot... Marbury had to have the last shot. It was "perfect." Almost. Things started to unravel anyway.
Gugliotta was a free agent. And he didn't like Marbury: "Flip Saunders says Gugliotta had told Minnesota he would re-sign with the Timberwolves-if they agreed to trade Marbury."
Well, that wasn't gonna happen. But fair enough. The Wolves would obviously keep Marbury. So they brought in Joe Smith (illegally... but you're gonna have to wait for that doozy)... and things were expected to keep progressing. Only... that's when everything careened off the rails.
____________________________________
Reread the quote at the top. "The magic word -- money."
Money ruined everything. And bad timing.
1) Garnett signed his monster $126M deal at the beginning of 1998. Owners were unhappy. Even lesser players, like Juwon Howard who signed for 7 yr/$103M were getting paid too much. So the 1999 lockout happened. And the owners won... which ended up making the Wolves the biggest losers.
2) Under the new rules, the most the Wolves could offer Marbury was $71M. This was a problem immediately. The Wolves competition not having to pay its top player(s) nearly as much against the cap also was a long-term problem. Consider Tim Duncan arrived two years later... played just as long... and made $100M+ less than Garnett. Those teams had more room for more good players. Bad luck. Bad timing.
3) And bad people. Marbury's family was notorious for meddling and getting involved in his career. His mom once bounded down from the crowd to tend to her son's sprained ankle. The story of Marbury being the last hope for a family who failed to strike it rich with three previous sons' quests for the NBA... was well documented. They wanted their money! They wanted Garnett money.
Sanders: "I think they're good friends, but Stephon indicated he had a tough time (with) the money KG was making, and when he signed his contract they'd still have the largest discrepancy as far as my 71 to his 126, and he just felt it was going to be very difficult for him, and he felt he was on equal terms."
Marbury refused the MAX deal. Again. And again. Then, he said he'd only resign in either New Jersey or New York, so he could get back closer to home and his family. The Wolves were ultimately forced to break up their ascending duo... so Marbury could be the richest guy on a terrible Nets team. With his focus clearly not on winning... the Nets never won with Marbury -- but made the NBA Finals immediately after trading him for Jason Kidd.
As for the Wolves, they completed a complicated trade that brought them Terrell Brandon from Milwaukee. In the many-player deal, the Wolves also got a 1st rd pick they'd later use on Wally Szczerbiak. It wasn't a terrible haul, especially considering how Marbury's career panned out.
But damn... if only... Marbury wasn't a petulant child.
To this day, we hear about how terrible of a trade Marbury/Allen was. But that's hindsight. Very few thought of it that way at the time. Garnett + Marbury were working. It as a great fit. It would take Kevin McHale several years before he finally re-realized https://media1.tenor.com/images/587998df432e4b0cb8c962e0f4d2af90/tenor.gif?itemid=7572008the type of player Garnett needed most next to him. But that's another story for another time, too.
Until then. https://i.gyazo.com/2bc361746abf64f3b62d7aba6183db00.gifWe can only wonder what if it wasn't always only about money.
- Stephon Marbury, 1991 (14 years old)
In the 1995 book, "https://www.amazon.com/Last-Shot-Streets-Basketball-Dreams/dp/0618446710The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams," author Darcy Frey introduces the world to a young Coney Island phenom, Steph Marbury. While chronicling some of his older teammates and their quest to reach the NCAA... Steph Marbury is hilariously featured as a precocious soon-to-be freshman who arrives to pickup games ... riding a Big Wheel with a sucker in his mouth ... only to dominate once in the game.
Eventually, his access to Marbury was taken away when the young, struggling author refused to compensate the Marbury family. And that leads us to today's episode of "The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles."
__________________
Stephon Marbury hit the college basketball scene later in 1995... playing only one season before declaring for the https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1996.htmlLOADED 1996 NBA draft. The Wolves were picking #5 after a 56-loss season. But there was hope...
1) The turmoil around the Timberwolves on/off https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-16-sp-4715-story.htmlrelocation to New Orleans was over.
2) The risky Garnett pick turned out to look brilliant the 2nd half of the season. Garnett was legit.
3) Isaiah Rider was soon out the door.
The Wolves' fortunes were turning... for the first time in the history of the franchise, fans dared to dream that the team could be successful. And the draft did nothing to dissuade them. Here's a https://www.si.com/vault/1996/06/24/214380/jackie-macmullans-draft-picksdraft preview from Jackie MacMullen. Here's the takeaway from it... "...this pick -- and Marbury -- could wind up being the Timberwolves'. Marbury, who is close to Minnesota's Kevin Garnett, hopes so."
Everybody knew GM, Kevin McHale, was hot for Marbury. There were rumors of all sort of trades for the Wolves to move up. But when teams passed on Marbury... the Bucks were the trading partner at #4. The Wolves traded #5 pick, Ray Allen, (and a 1st) for Marbury. (The Wolves would get that pick back years later in another trade.)
How was the trade viewed at the time?
"At Bradley Center, the team's headquarters, fans chanted 'No Trade! No Trade!' once both Marbury and Allen were picked. When the deal was announced with Bucks GM Mike Dunleavy and new coach Chris Ford on a stage in the arena, the crowd booed loudly."
Meanwhile, https://i.pinimg.com/originals/65/04/ee/6504eea1a4adf696e43449b9ba91fbb2.jpgGarnett + Marbury were quickly compared favorably to other duos like Stockton/Malone + Payton/Kemp. The Wolves made the playoffs for the first time in Marbury's rookie season. Even though they were swept vs. the Rockets... the duo received high praise from Charles Barkley in his postgame on-court interview.
The Wolves did even better in year 2 (despite losing leading scorer Tom Gugliotta for the 2nd half of the season). They even took the heavily favored Seattle Supersonics to a deciding game where Kevin Garnett (playing C) had https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199805020SEA.htmlone of the worst closeout games for a star player in NBA history. Marbury wasn't much better. But all was ok... they had youngsters Garnett + Marbury + All Star Tom Gugliotta.
They were almost universally declared the team on the rise. They seemed to complement each other perfectly. Garnett was so versatile, so unselfish, so talented. And Marbury was so mercurial and dynamic. Garnett didn't care if he got the last shot... Marbury had to have the last shot. It was "perfect." Almost. Things started to unravel anyway.
Gugliotta was a free agent. And he didn't like Marbury: "Flip Saunders says Gugliotta had told Minnesota he would re-sign with the Timberwolves-if they agreed to trade Marbury."
Well, that wasn't gonna happen. But fair enough. The Wolves would obviously keep Marbury. So they brought in Joe Smith (illegally... but you're gonna have to wait for that doozy)... and things were expected to keep progressing. Only... that's when everything careened off the rails.
____________________________________
Reread the quote at the top. "The magic word -- money."
Money ruined everything. And bad timing.
1) Garnett signed his monster $126M deal at the beginning of 1998. Owners were unhappy. Even lesser players, like Juwon Howard who signed for 7 yr/$103M were getting paid too much. So the 1999 lockout happened. And the owners won... which ended up making the Wolves the biggest losers.
2) Under the new rules, the most the Wolves could offer Marbury was $71M. This was a problem immediately. The Wolves competition not having to pay its top player(s) nearly as much against the cap also was a long-term problem. Consider Tim Duncan arrived two years later... played just as long... and made $100M+ less than Garnett. Those teams had more room for more good players. Bad luck. Bad timing.
3) And bad people. Marbury's family was notorious for meddling and getting involved in his career. His mom once bounded down from the crowd to tend to her son's sprained ankle. The story of Marbury being the last hope for a family who failed to strike it rich with three previous sons' quests for the NBA... was well documented. They wanted their money! They wanted Garnett money.
Sanders: "I think they're good friends, but Stephon indicated he had a tough time (with) the money KG was making, and when he signed his contract they'd still have the largest discrepancy as far as my 71 to his 126, and he just felt it was going to be very difficult for him, and he felt he was on equal terms."
Marbury refused the MAX deal. Again. And again. Then, he said he'd only resign in either New Jersey or New York, so he could get back closer to home and his family. The Wolves were ultimately forced to break up their ascending duo... so Marbury could be the richest guy on a terrible Nets team. With his focus clearly not on winning... the Nets never won with Marbury -- but made the NBA Finals immediately after trading him for Jason Kidd.
As for the Wolves, they completed a complicated trade that brought them Terrell Brandon from Milwaukee. In the many-player deal, the Wolves also got a 1st rd pick they'd later use on Wally Szczerbiak. It wasn't a terrible haul, especially considering how Marbury's career panned out.
But damn... if only... Marbury wasn't a petulant child.
To this day, we hear about how terrible of a trade Marbury/Allen was. But that's hindsight. Very few thought of it that way at the time. Garnett + Marbury were working. It as a great fit. It would take Kevin McHale several years before he finally re-realized https://media1.tenor.com/images/587998df432e4b0cb8c962e0f4d2af90/tenor.gif?itemid=7572008the type of player Garnett needed most next to him. But that's another story for another time, too.
Until then. https://i.gyazo.com/2bc361746abf64f3b62d7aba6183db00.gifWe can only wonder what if it wasn't always only about money.
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BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]
- Posts: 3290
- Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2013 12:00 am
Re: The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles.
Good stuff Abe. Thanks for the heartache.
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AbeVigodaLive
- Posts: 9957
- Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2013 12:00 am
Re: The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles.
"There are eight to 10 teams that do this all the time. They're just good at it. We're bad."
- Kevin McHale
Only one team in the history of the NBA was punished for illegally signing a free agent deal... losing (5*) 1st round draft picks in the process. All during a period where the Wolves had the league's highest plaid player (and one of its very best) on the roster... but couldn't make it out of the 1st round of the playoffs.
___________________________
https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/3/1-joe-smith-and-joe-smith-nathaniel-s-butler.jpgJoe Smith was the #1 pick in a pretty loaded 1995 draft, which included Kevin Garnett. By 1998, however, he had already showed signs of regression. His efficiency had dropped... and the team around him kept getting worse. 36 wins as a rook to 30 wins... to 19 wins... To be fair, Latrell Sprewell strangling the head coach was a big https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/pj-carlesimo-warriors-vault.jpgpart of the problem.
After turning down an $80M extension... and saying he wouldn't resign, Smith was traded to the 76ers midway through his 3rd season.
But Smith couldn't even crack the stating lineup for a 51-loss 76ers team. After the season, he became a free agent. He was only 23, so he was still a coveted player. ("He just needed more time. He's so young!" We know about this mantra well.)
Remember the guy who spurned $80M... he signed in Minnesota for $1.75M for one year. It didn't seem to make sense. In fact, it was a paycut... he made $3.2M on his rookie deal. But nobody seemed to bat an eye.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithjo02.htmlThe first season was "fine" with the Wolves finishing .500 amid the Marbury hoopla. Smith averaged 13/8... as his numbers dropped for the 2nd straight season. He was "resigned" that summer again for $2.1M, a slight raise. His numbers dropped... AGAIN. He was a 10/6 guy mostly coming off the bench. Again... "fine."
Then, everything went terribly terribly wrong.
Andrew Miller and Eric Fleischer were agents and partners. Until they weren't... the business split wasn't amicable and they ended up in court. Documents were uncovered... including https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSguJ8iXgQAE7qI9xqU1SBTOgocQ4sg_UOi8lE00AxguEUrH1Nlsome interesting ones about Joe Smith.
Apparently, the reward for signing Joe Smith to three separate 1-year contracts worth a combined $6.35M... was a 6 year, $86M contract. It was all in print. Now granted... in true Wolves style... even though the first contracts were odd... they weren't as crazy as suddenly giving a guy who gets worse EVERY year and doesn't even start $14M+ for 6 years!
Smith's contract was voided. He lost his Bird rights. Taylor and McHale were suspended. The team was fined $3.5M... and they had to forfeit FIVE straight first round picks.
___________
A year after signing in Detroit for only $2.25M... and shooting a career low 40.3% and averaging only 12 ppg... the Wolves inexplicably took Joe Smith back and https://media.tenor.com/images/634062f1b0e2fe399839ef18d77bea1f/tenor.gifmore than DOUBLED his salary to $34M over 6 seasons. Despite him regressing as a player... the Wolves still signed him into his 30s and doubled his money.
Joe Smith was later traded in a larger deal for Sam Cassell... that was the best thing he ever did for the franchise. He finished four seasons with the team averaging 10 ppg and 6 reb. Was it worth 5* first round picks? Let's imagine the impact...
___________
2000: The Wolves would have drafted #18. Quentin Richardson was taken with that pick. Other notables: Magloire (19), Peterson (21), Stevenson (23), Madsen (29), Jaric (30), Redd (43), Najera (38). Yes. Some of those guys were later acquired for actual assets that hurt the team. Najera was a huge part of knocking the Wolves out of the playoffs in a couple seasons...
2001: The Wolves would have drafted #16 or #17. Notables: Zach Randolph (19), Haywood (20), Gerald Wallace (25), Tony Parker (28), Trenton Hassell (29).
2002: The Wolves would have drafted #23. The Pistons took Tayshaun Prince with the pick. Notables: Salmons (26), Boozer (35), Barnes (46).
2004: The Wolves would have drafted 29th after getting out of the 1st rd for the first time ever. Notables: Varejo, Duhon and Ariza.
2003: Remember * from earlier? The Wolves got one draft pick back. They used this pick. I still count it as a lost pick. Let's go on an adventure...
________________
LeBron James was hailed as The King as early as 2002. He dominated the basketball world as the 2003 draft approached. He was so big that he was solely responsible for the Wolves shockingly taking https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSviHrCVH8qzKekAcOn3xn7ISnUIbbMYVx-KmM_u-dxQ76ZAP2ONdudi Ebi with the #26 pick in the draft.
In a summer matchup... James destroyed Ebi... but Ebi "competed" and that was enough for Kevin McHale to dig the potential promise of the EXTREMELY RAW high schooler. The Wolves passed on a few notables to land Ebi: Perkins (27), Howard (29), Walton (32), Blake (38), Pachulia (42), Mo Williams, Kyle Korver, James Jones...
This is where I get into my own personal scouting report -- Ndudi Ebi was the worst pro basketball player I've ever seen. Now, now... hear me out. I have proof. I watched him. He was TERRIBLE.
People will point to Game #82 of the 2005 season (including Ebi) as proof he wasn't terrible. He had 18 points and 8 rebounds! But we're Wolves fans. If we know one thing... it's meaningless stats in meaningless games.
The Spurs were 59 - 23 that season. They had locked up the #2 seed. The Wolves were out of the playoffs after arguably the most disappointing season in team history. Flip Saunders was fired. Sprewell's family was hungry. Etc.
Ebi played 27 of his 86 career NBA minutes. I remember the game. It was like watching one of those clips on YouTube of the one kid who never plays but gets in the game and hits a shot and everybody goes apeshit. That was Ndudi Ebi in an NBA game.
After the season, the Wolves thought so "highly" of Ebi that they petitioned to send him to the D-League despite the league prohibiting guys in their 3rd year from playing. It was denied. So they cut him.
Choice Ebi quotes:
"I've been playing against NBA players since I was 15 years old. I'm an NBA player. I'm not a developmental league player, period."
- Shortly before being cut by Wolves... and before he was picked up by Dallas for $90k in 2006... then cut almost immediately never to see an NBA court again.
In 2009: "If I want to be in the NBA, then I'm going to be in the NBA," Ebi said. "It's when I choose to."... shortly after being cut from a team in Puerto Rico... one year after he said he mutually parted ways with a third-rate team in Italy.
Ok guy. Nice to have seen you play that one magical game #82.
- Kevin McHale
Only one team in the history of the NBA was punished for illegally signing a free agent deal... losing (5*) 1st round draft picks in the process. All during a period where the Wolves had the league's highest plaid player (and one of its very best) on the roster... but couldn't make it out of the 1st round of the playoffs.
___________________________
https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/3/1-joe-smith-and-joe-smith-nathaniel-s-butler.jpgJoe Smith was the #1 pick in a pretty loaded 1995 draft, which included Kevin Garnett. By 1998, however, he had already showed signs of regression. His efficiency had dropped... and the team around him kept getting worse. 36 wins as a rook to 30 wins... to 19 wins... To be fair, Latrell Sprewell strangling the head coach was a big https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/pj-carlesimo-warriors-vault.jpgpart of the problem.
After turning down an $80M extension... and saying he wouldn't resign, Smith was traded to the 76ers midway through his 3rd season.
But Smith couldn't even crack the stating lineup for a 51-loss 76ers team. After the season, he became a free agent. He was only 23, so he was still a coveted player. ("He just needed more time. He's so young!" We know about this mantra well.)
Remember the guy who spurned $80M... he signed in Minnesota for $1.75M for one year. It didn't seem to make sense. In fact, it was a paycut... he made $3.2M on his rookie deal. But nobody seemed to bat an eye.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithjo02.htmlThe first season was "fine" with the Wolves finishing .500 amid the Marbury hoopla. Smith averaged 13/8... as his numbers dropped for the 2nd straight season. He was "resigned" that summer again for $2.1M, a slight raise. His numbers dropped... AGAIN. He was a 10/6 guy mostly coming off the bench. Again... "fine."
Then, everything went terribly terribly wrong.
Andrew Miller and Eric Fleischer were agents and partners. Until they weren't... the business split wasn't amicable and they ended up in court. Documents were uncovered... including https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSguJ8iXgQAE7qI9xqU1SBTOgocQ4sg_UOi8lE00AxguEUrH1Nlsome interesting ones about Joe Smith.
Apparently, the reward for signing Joe Smith to three separate 1-year contracts worth a combined $6.35M... was a 6 year, $86M contract. It was all in print. Now granted... in true Wolves style... even though the first contracts were odd... they weren't as crazy as suddenly giving a guy who gets worse EVERY year and doesn't even start $14M+ for 6 years!
Smith's contract was voided. He lost his Bird rights. Taylor and McHale were suspended. The team was fined $3.5M... and they had to forfeit FIVE straight first round picks.
___________
A year after signing in Detroit for only $2.25M... and shooting a career low 40.3% and averaging only 12 ppg... the Wolves inexplicably took Joe Smith back and https://media.tenor.com/images/634062f1b0e2fe399839ef18d77bea1f/tenor.gifmore than DOUBLED his salary to $34M over 6 seasons. Despite him regressing as a player... the Wolves still signed him into his 30s and doubled his money.
Joe Smith was later traded in a larger deal for Sam Cassell... that was the best thing he ever did for the franchise. He finished four seasons with the team averaging 10 ppg and 6 reb. Was it worth 5* first round picks? Let's imagine the impact...
___________
2000: The Wolves would have drafted #18. Quentin Richardson was taken with that pick. Other notables: Magloire (19), Peterson (21), Stevenson (23), Madsen (29), Jaric (30), Redd (43), Najera (38). Yes. Some of those guys were later acquired for actual assets that hurt the team. Najera was a huge part of knocking the Wolves out of the playoffs in a couple seasons...
2001: The Wolves would have drafted #16 or #17. Notables: Zach Randolph (19), Haywood (20), Gerald Wallace (25), Tony Parker (28), Trenton Hassell (29).
2002: The Wolves would have drafted #23. The Pistons took Tayshaun Prince with the pick. Notables: Salmons (26), Boozer (35), Barnes (46).
2004: The Wolves would have drafted 29th after getting out of the 1st rd for the first time ever. Notables: Varejo, Duhon and Ariza.
2003: Remember * from earlier? The Wolves got one draft pick back. They used this pick. I still count it as a lost pick. Let's go on an adventure...
________________
LeBron James was hailed as The King as early as 2002. He dominated the basketball world as the 2003 draft approached. He was so big that he was solely responsible for the Wolves shockingly taking https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSviHrCVH8qzKekAcOn3xn7ISnUIbbMYVx-KmM_u-dxQ76ZAP2ONdudi Ebi with the #26 pick in the draft.
In a summer matchup... James destroyed Ebi... but Ebi "competed" and that was enough for Kevin McHale to dig the potential promise of the EXTREMELY RAW high schooler. The Wolves passed on a few notables to land Ebi: Perkins (27), Howard (29), Walton (32), Blake (38), Pachulia (42), Mo Williams, Kyle Korver, James Jones...
This is where I get into my own personal scouting report -- Ndudi Ebi was the worst pro basketball player I've ever seen. Now, now... hear me out. I have proof. I watched him. He was TERRIBLE.
People will point to Game #82 of the 2005 season (including Ebi) as proof he wasn't terrible. He had 18 points and 8 rebounds! But we're Wolves fans. If we know one thing... it's meaningless stats in meaningless games.
The Spurs were 59 - 23 that season. They had locked up the #2 seed. The Wolves were out of the playoffs after arguably the most disappointing season in team history. Flip Saunders was fired. Sprewell's family was hungry. Etc.
Ebi played 27 of his 86 career NBA minutes. I remember the game. It was like watching one of those clips on YouTube of the one kid who never plays but gets in the game and hits a shot and everybody goes apeshit. That was Ndudi Ebi in an NBA game.
After the season, the Wolves thought so "highly" of Ebi that they petitioned to send him to the D-League despite the league prohibiting guys in their 3rd year from playing. It was denied. So they cut him.
Choice Ebi quotes:
"I've been playing against NBA players since I was 15 years old. I'm an NBA player. I'm not a developmental league player, period."
- Shortly before being cut by Wolves... and before he was picked up by Dallas for $90k in 2006... then cut almost immediately never to see an NBA court again.
In 2009: "If I want to be in the NBA, then I'm going to be in the NBA," Ebi said. "It's when I choose to."... shortly after being cut from a team in Puerto Rico... one year after he said he mutually parted ways with a third-rate team in Italy.
Ok guy. Nice to have seen you play that one magical game #82.
Re: The Wolves are Cursed Chronicles.
AbeVigodaLive wrote:"There are eight to 10 teams that do this all the time. They're just good at it. We're bad."
- Kevin McHale
Only one team in the history of the NBA was punished for illegally signing a free agent deal... losing (5*) 1st round draft picks in the process. All during a period where the Wolves had the league's highest plaid player (and one of its very best) on the roster... but couldn't make it out of the 1st round of the playoffs.
___________________________
https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/3/1-joe-smith-and-joe-smith-nathaniel-s-butler.jpgJoe Smith was the #1 pick in a pretty loaded 1995 draft, which included Kevin Garnett. By 1998, however, he had already showed signs of regression. His efficiency had dropped... and the team around him kept getting worse. 36 wins as a rook to 30 wins... to 19 wins... To be fair, Latrell Sprewell strangling the head coach was a big https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/pj-carlesimo-warriors-vault.jpgpart of the problem.
After turning down an $80M extension... and saying he wouldn't resign, Smith was traded to the 76ers midway through his 3rd season.
But Smith couldn't even crack the stating lineup for a 51-loss 76ers team. After the season, he became a free agent. He was only 23, so he was still a coveted player.
Remember the guy who spurned $80M... he signed in Minnesota for $1.75M for one year. It didn't seem to make sense. In fact, it was a paycut... he made $3.2M on his rookie deal. But nobody seemed to bat an eye.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithjo02.htmlThe first season was "fine" with the Wolves finishing .500 amid the Marbury hoopla. Smith averaged 13/8... as his numbers dropped for the 2nd straight season. He was "resigned" that summer again for $2.1M, a slight raise. His numbers dropped... AGAIN. He was a 10/6 guy mostly coming off the bench. Again... "fine."
Then, everything went terribly terribly wrong.
Andrew Miller and Eric Fleischer were agents and partners. Until they weren't... the business split wasn't amicable and they ended up in court. Documents were uncovered... including https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSguJ8iXgQAE7qI9xqU1SBTOgocQ4sg_UOi8lE00AxguEUrH1Nlsome interesting ones about Joe Smith.
Apparently, the reward for signing Joe Smith to three separate 1-year contracts worth a combined $6.35M... was a 6 year, $86M contract. It was all in print. Now granted... in true Wolves style... even though the first contracts were odd... they weren't as crazy as suddenly giving a guy who gets worse EVERY year and doesn't even start $14M+ for 6 years!
Smith's contract was voided. He lost his Bird rights. Taylor and McHale were suspended. The team was fined $3.5M... and they had to forfeit FIVE straight first round picks.
___________
A year after signing in Detroit for only $2.25M... and shooting a career low 40.3% and averaging only 12 ppg... the Wolves inexplicably took Joe Smith back and https://media.tenor.com/images/634062f1b0e2fe399839ef18d77bea1f/tenor.gifmore than DOUBLED his salary to $34M over 6 seasons. Despite him regressing as a player... the Wolves still signed him into his 30s and doubled his money.
Joe Smith was later traded in a larger deal for Sam Cassell... that was the best thing he ever did for the franchise. He finished four seasons with the team averaging 10 ppg and 6 reb. Was it worth 5* first round picks? Let's imagine the impact...
___________
2000: The Wolves would have drafted #18. Quentin Richardson was taken with that pick. Other notables: Magloire (19), Peterson (21), Stevenson (23), Madsen (29), Jaric (30), Redd (43), Najera (38). Yes. Some of those guys were later acquired for actual assets that hurt the team. Najera was a huge part of knocking the Wolves out of the playoffs in a couple seasons...
2001: The Wolves would have drafted #16 or #17. Notables: Zach Randolph (19), Haywood (20), Gerald Wallace (25), Tony Parker (28), Trenton Hassell (29).
2002: The Wolves would have drafted #23. The Pistons took Tayshaun Prince with the pick. Notables: Salmons (26), Boozer (35), Barnes (46).
2003: Remember * from earlier? The Wolves got one draft pick back. They used this pick. I still count it as a lost pick. Let's go on an adventure...
________________
LeBron James was hailed as The King as early as 2002. He dominated the basketball world as the 2003 draft approached. He was so big that he was solely responsible for the Wolves shockingly taking https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSviHrCVH8qzKekAcOn3xn7ISnUIbbMYVx-KmM_u-dxQ76ZAP2ONdudi Ebi with the #26 pick in the draft.
In a summer matchup... James destroyed Ebi... but Ebi "competed" and that was enough for Kevin McHale to dig the potential promise of the EXTREMELY RAW high schooler. The Wolves passed on a few notables to land Ebi: Perkins (27), Howard (29), Walton (32), Blake (38), Pachulia (42), Mo Williams, Kyle Korver, James Jones...
This is where I get into my own personal scouting report -- Ndudi Ebi was the worst pro basketball player I've ever seen. Now, now... hear me out. I have proof. I watched him. He was TERRIBLE.
People will point to Game #82 of the 2005 season (including Ebi) as proof he wasn't terrible. He had 18 points and 8 rebounds! But we're Wolves fans. If we know one thing... it's meaningless stats in meaningless games.
The Spurs were 59 - 23 that season. They had locked up the #2 seed. The Wolves were out of the playoffs after arguably the most disappointing season in team history. Flip Saunders was fired. Sprewell's family was hungry. Etc.
Ebi played 27 of his 86 career NBA minutes. I remember the game. It was like watching one of those clips on YouTube of the one kid who never plays but gets in the game and hits a shot and everybody goes apeshit. That was Ndudi Ebi in an NBA game.
After the season, the Wolves thought so "highly" of Ebi that they petitioned to send him to the D-League despite the league prohibiting guys in their 3rd year from playing. It was denied. So they cut him.
Choice Ebi quotes:
"I've been playing against NBA players since I was 15 years old. I'm an NBA player. I'm not a developmental league player, period."
- Shortly before being cut by Wolves... picked up by Dallas for $90k in 2006... then cut almost immediately never to see an NBA court again.
In 2009: "If I want to be in the NBA, then I'm going to be in the NBA," Ebi said. "It's when I choose to."... shortly after being cut from a team in Puerto Rico... one year after he said he mutually parted ways with a third-rate team in Italy.
Ok guy. Nice to have seen you play that one magical game #82.
You are slipping Abe. Rosas was an assistant coach for Ebi's HS team.
But seriously the ones I have read of these are well done. Maybe you can write a book someday as these biographies of sports franchises are getting popular now. That's actually not a joke...weirdly I might buy it. Those eulogy's you did for Wiggins and Dieng would need to be included. When is this thing coming out on amazon? I always need stuff to tell my family to get for me for birthday and Christmas.