Upcoming season

[60WinTim]

at the 1:03 mark I see Luke Ridnour. Is he coming back?

Word is he decided to take this year off so he couldn't be traded again...

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

You guys are really terrible at identifying best highlights...clearly the most exciting part of this video, and most important to the Wolves success this year, is everything that happens between the 2 minute mark and 2:05...the future!

All joking aside, my favorite clip is at 32 seconds...the intensity of KG and Wiggins as their eyes scan the floor on defense. If Towns learns NBA defense quickly, a defensive team of Rubio, Wiggins, Prince, KG and Towns could be a nice lead-protecting unit at end of games.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

http://www.minnpost.com/sports/2015/09/timberwolves-season-uncertainty

Robson's latest epistle will please the pessimists on this board...it's largely downbeat. I have to agree with two factors he cites which could hold this squad back:

1) NBA players are usually in their prime in their late 20s to early 30s after 5 or so years of NBA experience...the Wolves have only 2 such players, Pek and Rubio, and Pek's status is unknown. Or as Robson brilliantly describes it "a bifurcation of nephews and mentor uncles more than a band of brothers". Ouch!

2) A last-second replacement coach with a strong personality having to meld a team that just hasn't played much together.

After the dopamine rush of the Timbertrolls highlight video, this article was a major downer. But I have to admit it's well-written, as usual, and accurately lays out the uncertainties facing the Wolves. I expect we will wait until a week or so before the Laker opener to start our prediction thread, but I have to admit Robson may have knocked me down about 5 wins.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Pek update from Doogie: "Pek has finally progressed to doing some light stuff on the court". That seems more positive than the last report we heard.

Pek update from my friend who lives near him downtown at the Carlyle (I'm not positive, but Pek may have bought Love's condo a year ago): "Pek looks great...no visible limp at all. Looks like he's ready to go."

FWIW.

[Monster]

http://www.minnpost.com/sports/2015/09/timberwolves-season-uncertainty

Robson's latest epistle will please the pessimists on this board...it's largely downbeat. I have to agree with two factors he cites which could hold this squad back:

1) NBA players are usually in their prime in their late 20s to early 30s after 5 or so years of NBA experience...the Wolves have only 2 such players, Pek and Rubio, and Pek's status is unknown. Or as Robson brilliantly describes it "a bifurcation of nephews and mentor uncles more than a band of brothers". Ouch!

2) A last-second replacement coach with a strong personality having to meld a team that just hasn't played much together.

After the dopamine rush of the Timbertrolls highlight video, this article was a major downer. But I have to admit it's well-written, as usual, and accurately lays out the uncertainties facing the Wolves. I expect we will wait until a week or so before the Laker opener to start our prediction thread, but I have to admit Robson may have knocked me down about 5 wins.

That only knocked you down 5 wins? Wow you really are an optimist. Lol

I thought the article has a bit of a different perspective as he usually does. I don't think it's as much of a downer as it is some reality. Mitchell as a coach might be a good thing for this team. A guy that gets guys to play hands vets respect enough and then later down the road you bring in the guy that take you to the next level. We have seen that type of thing happen with lots of other franchises. The problem is that with Flip's health we have no idea what will happen next things are even more unclear and Sam has ties to this franchise and Glen so... Who knows what will happen. At this point I am excited to sit back and enjoy the ride and hope Flip gets healthy period I don't care how long it takes.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

http://www.minnpost.com/sports/2015/09/timberwolves-season-uncertainty

Robson's latest epistle will please the pessimists on this board...it's largely downbeat. I have to agree with two factors he cites which could hold this squad back:

1) NBA players are usually in their prime in their late 20s to early 30s after 5 or so years of NBA experience...the Wolves have only 2 such players, Pek and Rubio, and Pek's status is unknown. Or as Robson brilliantly describes it "a bifurcation of nephews and mentor uncles more than a band of brothers". Ouch!

2) A last-second replacement coach with a strong personality having to meld a team that just hasn't played much together.

After the dopamine rush of the Timbertrolls highlight video, this article was a major downer. But I have to admit it's well-written, as usual, and accurately lays out the uncertainties facing the Wolves. I expect we will wait until a week or so before the Laker opener to start our prediction thread, but I have to admit Robson may have knocked me down about 5 wins.

That only knocked you down 5 wins? Wow you really are an optimist. Lol

I thought the article has a bit of a different perspective as he usually does. I don't think it's as much of a downer as it is some reality. Mitchell as a coach might be a good thing for this team. A guy that gets guys to play hands vets respect enough and then later down the road you bring in the guy that take you to the next level. We have seen that type of thing happen with lots of other franchises. The problem is that with Flip's health we have no idea what will happen next things are even more unclear and Sam has ties to this franchise and Glen so... Who knows what will happen. At this point I am excited to sit back and enjoy the ride and hope Flip gets healthy period I don't care how long it takes.

Yeah, I agree that it is more reality than a downer. The lack of players in the prime of their careers is quite unique...it's going to provide a lot of excitement, but also a lot of frustration at times.

Who knows what the Mitchell effect will be? I've posted elsewhere that I am a Mitchell fan, and like the tough love he brings with him. But he's also moving into a very difficult situation, with so much uncertainty. It's sad, but also helpful, that the Wolves are saying Flip's absence will be "months, not weeks", but it would be even better for Sam if things were more defined...and better for the Wolves, I think. Sam has to coach differently if he knows he is there for the season, and not just month-to-month as a placeholder. I'm wishing a speedy recovery for Flip, but also would like to hear Glen make this statement: "We are giving Flip time to recover from his health challenges, and we want him to know that he is our PBO as soon as he pronounces himself ready. But Flip and I have agreed that fighting cancer while handling two Timberwolves job is just too grueling, and today we are announcing that we are removing the interim label from Sam's job description". Flip and Milt can then begin assessing Sam's capabilities and results as head coach, and if not satisfied, immediately begin a search for the right guy.

[Carlos Danger]

http://www.minnpost.com/sports/2015/09/timberwolves-season-uncertainty

Robson's latest epistle will please the pessimists on this board...it's largely downbeat. I have to agree with two factors he cites which could hold this squad back:

1) NBA players are usually in their prime in their late 20s to early 30s after 5 or so years of NBA experience...the Wolves have only 2 such players, Pek and Rubio, and Pek's status is unknown. Or as Robson brilliantly describes it "a bifurcation of nephews and mentor uncles more than a band of brothers". Ouch!

2) A last-second replacement coach with a strong personality having to meld a team that just hasn't played much together.

After the dopamine rush of the Timbertrolls highlight video, this article was a major downer. But I have to admit it's well-written, as usual, and accurately lays out the uncertainties facing the Wolves. I expect we will wait until a week or so before the Laker opener to start our prediction thread, but I have to admit Robson may have knocked me down about 5 wins.

I thought the article started out good/in depth and then quickly ran out of steam. It's like he ran out of time and had to mail it in at the end to make deadline. Regardless...The most interesting factoid for me was this:

"Although he has only been on the job as President of Basketball Operations since May of 2013, Saunders directly acquired 15 of the 18 current members of the team in that 28-month span--and signed the other three to contract extensions."

It gives me a better understanding of why Flip wants to be Owner, GM and Coach. This is his baby. I'm not sure if that's good though. From personal experience, it's normally better to have some checks and balances vs. one guy running it all.

[Monster]

Sam is in a tough position and I do think it's going to be tough but I also think Sam is gonna do what he is gonna do as the head coach. What does he have to lose? It's been reported Glen has had interest in Sam coaching this team long term when Flip was looking but based on Flip talking about other guys even saying he offered the job to JVG at one point makes me think Sam is not the guy Flip has in mind to take over. Sam may know this or maybe not although I would imagine Flip has been up front about what opportunity Sam has beyond his role as an assistant.

Glen obviously has faith in Sam to coach until Flip comes back and that perfectly reasonable. It makes sense with KG back that he gets to be coached by his mentor etc etc. it's a nice story Mitchell a guy who was part of the Wolves rise from worst franchise in the league to help this team develop into something more exciting than what we have seen the past few years. It hasn't been very long since the decision to make Flop take a step back and they are rolling with what they have at this point. I don't think it helps Sam to remove the interm tag because nobody wants to end up firing him if things don't go well and they go another direction at the end of the season.

At this point it's make the best of it and they really don't know what is going to happen with Flip. Like others have said in various threads it's hard to see Flip coming back and coaching this season unless he gets well really fast and just the right circumstances happen. I tend to think Flip's time as HC of this team is over as well. I think Glen is going to put his foot down and ask for Flip to just do one job and hire a coach. I think Flip will probably find that makes sense. Hopefully the team direction is more clear after this season and therefore coaching candidates both more established and young up and comers can be evaluated accordingly.

That's lots of speculation in this post so take it for what it is worth or not worth.

[Monster]

Carlos

That's is a great point that has been made that this is Flip's baby. He has absolutely thrown himself into everything when it comes to this franchise. There are some amazing things he has been able to do in around 2 years. I also think that the coaching thing is he obviously would like to coach all these players but it's also that he hasn't found the guy. Bill ups said he was offered the job JVG and Flip said it was on the table. Guys have turned Flip down for one reason or another or he just didn't like the guy enough to turn over the keys to this baby. I am one of the few fans here or maybe anywhere that thinks Flip has been looking for a coach the last year or more and hasn't found or convinced a guy he really wants to take the job. I am fine with him taking time to get the right guy. I think at some point Flip will have one of the guys on his list or that he adds to his list will be the coach of this team and as I said in an earlier post it's going to be sooner rather than later.