Flip has passed away

[Lipoli390]

I'm back in front of my PC and thought I'd finish sharing my limited but memorable personal experience with Flip. But first I want to emphasize who I'm not. I'm not well-known or particularly connected. I'm just a Wolves fan and season ticket holder like so many others. I have gotten to know some folks in the marketing and fan relations departments. I have a friend who's a close friend of Fred Hoiberg's parents and another friend who knows a couple of the Wolves minority owners and occasionally hangs out with some Wolves players. So I do sometimes get some pretty good information. But if Glen Taylor, Rob Moore, Chris Wright or any of the Wolves assistant coaches heard my name or saw me on the street they'd have no idea who I am. But here's the point. Flip DID know who I was and it's because he reached out to me in a way that I suspect no other head coach or PBO in the Country would have under similar circumstances. Flip had no idea who I was when he read my email, but he reached out to me anyway and ended up treating me like someone he'd known for years.

So as nervous as I was when the hostess seated us at what turned out to be Flip's favorite table at the Loon Café, within a few minutes I felt like I was having lunch with an old friend. We discussed a lot in those 90 minutes together and not surprisingly I can't remember all the details. As the conversation unfolded I was amazed at how candid he was. We talked about my concerns expressed in my email. We talked about the Wolves past and future. And Flip regaled me stories from his past experiences coaching here, in Detroit and in Washington. It was entertaining, educational and a lot of fun. Here are some of my recollections by topic:

1. FLIP'S VISION. Flip started off by sharing with me his vision for the Wolves. Nothing we haven't heard, but it was great to hear it directly from him with each word energized by Flip's joy and passion. He said he came here to change the culture -- to create a winning culture with talented players who loved the game and wanted to be here -- players who would work hard without having to be pushed to work - players who would come together as a family and not just teammates. At that moment I had a glimpse of why players have always liked playing for Flip.

2. 2013 DRAFT. Flip then turned his attention to my email. In obvious reference to my complaint about taking Shabazz instead of McCollum, Flip's first words were, "I want to tell you that Shabazz is going to be a very good player." I didn't expect him to go there that quickly, directly or emphatically. I then asked, "as a bench player, rotation player or starter? His response was immediate and emphatic, "a starter," he said. He then said, "let me tell you why." I can't remember his exact words, but it went something like this: "First, people forget that Shabazz has talent and was talked about not too long ago as one of the top talents in the country." Flip then added, "but that's not the main thing. The reason he's going to be very good is because no one works harder and no one cares more about becoming the best player he can be." He went on to talk about Shabazz's ability to score and rebound -- about his strength and tenacity. The upshot was clear. Flip really liked Shabazz and my email exchanges with Flip following that lunch confirmed that Flip's affection and respect for Shabazz never wavered.

We then talked about McCollum. Flip said he really liked McCollum - thought he may have had the highest basketball IQ in the draft with a great feel for the game on the offensive side of the ball. But the Wolves medical staff was concerned about a foot condition discovered through the medical examines. (It's the condition that ultimately required surgery his rookie season). Flip said he was tempted to take McCollum, but the foot condition combined with the opportunity to get both Shabazz and Dieng convinced him to make the deal.

3. KEVIN LOVE. I asked him point blank if Kevin Love would be a Timberwolf for the 2014 regular season opener. And I recall his response verbatim. He said Dan, I honestly don't know." He then emphasized that he felt very comfortable not trading Kevin and said he would not deal him for anything less than a return that could make us better long term. He related the Love situation to the situation he faced with Marbury the year Steph said he wanted to be traded. Flip said he was the lone voice in the organization at the time who opposed trading Marbury. Flip told me that Marbury came to him and said he just couldn't handle making so much less than KG while simultaneously being responsible for running the show as the team's PG and being the team's go-to scorer. Flip told him he'd be making a mistake if he demanded a trade. Unfortunately for the Wolves and for Steph, Marbury ignored Flip's advice and told McHale he wanted out. Flip's argument for keeping Marbury was that team success would eventually override Marbury's feelings of jealousy. Flip reminded me that, at the time Marbury made his trade demand, the Wolves were leading the Western Conference. Flip envisioned the Wolves contending for a title, causing Marbury's feelings to mellow. But Flip lost the argument internally and the rest is history. Flip's point was that Love's desire to be traded could give way to team success and Flip thought that a healthy Rubio playing with Love and adding a couple complementary pieces with Flip as head coach could turn the Wolves into a playoff contender. So Flip wasn't blowing smoke when he said he wouldn't trade Love for anything short of what he considered equal or better value.

I then asked him what sort of return we might get for Love. Interestingly and surprisingly, the first words out of his mouth were, "I can tell you this. We're not getting Cleveland's #1 pick." Note that my lunch was a little more than 2 weeks before the 2014 draft. Flip confirmed that, at that point, a call to Cleveland inquiring about a possible swap for their #1 pick was the only call he had made regarding a Kevin Love trade. Remember, this was before LeBron James announced his return to Cleveland. I then asked Flip who he would take if he, rather than Cleveland, had the #1 pick. His response was quick: "Wiggins" he said. I asked him about Embiid. His response was surprisingly negative. He said he wouldn't consider taking him. I asked why and he simply said he's a long way away and that he had some serious question marks. I said I liked Parker and Flip said he like him a lot too, but considered Wiggins a better prospect for becoming a great two-way player.

Since Flip considered Wiggins beyond our reach at the time, I asked who he might be interested in pursuing as part of a Love deal. Again, he didn't hesitate: "I like Klay Thompson," he said. He made it clear that he really liked Thompson a lot and emphasized that, in addition to being one of the top 2 or 3 shooters in the League, Thompson was a very underrated defender and very good all-around player. He thought he'd fit well with Ricky. I asked if he would expect more than Thompson in return for Love and he said yes. I mentioned Harrison Barnes. He said he'd want Draymond Green, not Barnes as part of the package. I asked if that was realistic and his response was, "Well, we'll find out." As Flip confirmed in an email exchange with me later that month. the deal was discussed and almost came together.

4. HEAD COACH POSITION. Of course we discussed Flip's decision to appoint himself head coach. On this issue, Flip was pretty defiant. He said he wouldn't hire anyone he didn't consider at least his equal as a head coach. Flip made it clear that he had a lot of confidence in his own coaching ability. He also said, he couldn't know what type of coach to hire until he knew whether Kevin Love would be here. He told me he made an offer to only one candidate -- Tom Izzo. Tom initially said yes and had a flight booked to come here, meet with Glen and sign a contract. But Tom changed his mind and told Flip over the phone that he couldn't walk away from Michigan State and the players he had recruited.

5. 2014 DRAFT. At some point in the conversation, I asked who he would draft with our first round pick from among those likely to be available. To my surprise, he responded without hesitation: "Zach LaVine." I mention that Zach had tested off the charts in the combine's athletic testing and Flip responded by saying that it wasn't just his athleticism. He said he liked Zach's skill set -- very good shooting stroke and good ball-handler. He also praised Zach's character, calling him a gym rat. But he said what impressed him most was Zach's defensive potential. He said he wanted a team of two-way players. Flip pointed out that opposing college players shot 25% while being guarded by Zach. He said he considered Zach a home-run swing and that he didn't believe in using high first round picks to hit singles and doubles. I asked who he'd take if Zach was off the board. Again, he didn't hesitate and said, "Stauskas." He loved his offensive potential, but considered Zach the better two-way prospect.

I've left a lot out, including some of Flip's stories from his previous coaching gigs. But I just wanted to share these few highlights from my conversation.

Before that lunch, I had reservations about Flip as PBO. Afterwards, I had no reservations at all. My conversation with Flip showed me why Flip was so highly regarded around the League for his basketball acumen. But I was even more impressed by the depth of Flip's analysis, his use of analytics and the fact that he left no stone unturned. His basketball mind was matched by an equally impressive work ethic. Add to all that, Flip's passion, tenacity and humanity. The sum total was a really special guy whose passing leaves a gigantic void in the Wolves' organization and in our community. And it's left me personally with an empty feeling I can't explain.

At the end of our lunch, Flip gave me a gold Timberwolves coin -- something he said he'd given to other fans he'd met since becoming PBO. He told me what he told the others -- that if we ran into each other and I didn't have the coin with me, I'd have to buy him a beer. But if I did have the coin with me, he said he'd buy me a beer. I exchanged a number of emails with Flip since then and we planned to get together for lunch this September before training camp. Then fate intervened in the worst way possible before we ever had the chance for another lunch. And I never did get to have that beer with Flip. Honestly it wouldn't have mattered to me who paid, although I'm guessing Flip would have paid in either case because that's the kind of guy he was. All I know is that the next time I have a beer, I'm going to raise my glass to Flip and toast the man who made me, a simple fan, feel like I mattered -- like a friend or even like a member of his extended family. God bless you, Flip Saunders. May you rest in peace and look down with pride on the wonderful legacy you've left.

[60WinTim]

Thanks for sharing, Lip. That is special.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Beautiful story, Lip. Thank you for sharing that.

[WolfDownUnder [enjin:13884163]]

I can't match Lip, but this is my Flip story from 2001 in Brisbane, Australia:

I was a 20-year-old journalism student who scored a job working in the Goodwill Games press centre. Team USA had a bunch of young blokes playing for them like Marion, O'Neal, Szczerbiak, Martin and Davis. I was part of a team who had to interview players and coaches, get quotable quotes and issue them to wire services so overseas journos could cover the games.

Flip was Team USA coach and he did one presser and one presser only - after the gold medal game that saw the US win over a Brazil team that featured a super young Nene and Varejao. It was an awesome game, but anyway ...

There's a big media scrum after the game with 'real' journos asking Flip questions about the future of these up and coming NBA guns. I was totally starstruck, but after a while I finally took the plunge from the back of the scrum and asked: "What's your plans for the Wolves this season and what do you expect?"

Flip frowned at first - he looked confused and I totally shit myself thinking I was out of line - but then he moved his arms to the side and said: "Who asked that?" I raised my hand sheepishly and Flip explained that Wally was the shooter he was looking for, and Joe Smith would return and help KG down low.

My Wolves question brought the presser to an abrupt end, and at that moment Flip walked over to me, shook my hand and said: "I really appreciated that question." He then gave me his Team USA wrist band and I asked him to autograph my notepad. I can honestly say it's one of the moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

[bleedspeed]

Great posts by WDU and Lip.

interesting that you brought Wally up. I have not seen any recounts from him or Cassell. I think it is going to be tough on the Wolves early going. I wouldn't be surprised to see a turn back the clock game from KG early on. I think he is taking it much harder then anyone on the team. I heard McHale might not make it back for the funeral. I think if he doesn't that will be something he will regret forever.

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Great stories guys. I was a little starstruck when I saw him a few people ahead of me in line at Williams Arena in the late 90's for a Gopher game. Thought maybe an NBA coach would have some more private arrangements but nope, he was just a fan that night like everyone else, waiting in line in the cold.

[Monster]

Great posts by WDU and Lip.

interesting that you brought Wally up. I have not seen any recounts from him or Cassell. I think it is going to be tough on the Wolves early going. I wouldn't be surprised to see a turn back the clock game from KG early on. I think he is taking it much harder then anyone on the team. I heard McHale might not make it back for the funeral. I think if he doesn't that will be something he will regret forever.

Wally was on WCCO yesterday I think it was with Chad Hartman.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Great posts by WDU and Lip.

interesting that you brought Wally up. I have not seen any recounts from him or Cassell. I think it is going to be tough on the Wolves early going. I wouldn't be surprised to see a turn back the clock game from KG early on. I think he is taking it much harder then anyone on the team. I heard McHale might not make it back for the funeral. I think if he doesn't that will be something he will regret forever.

As close friends as Saunders and McHale were at times, McHale has gained unique perspective on death and battling grief in the past couple of years. In one way, he could help Saunders family a bit with that. In another, he might think he's just another face in an enormous overwhelming horde... and decide to speak to them privately at a later time.

[Monster]

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories.

I think a major theme I take from everything I hear about Flip was people and relationships mattered to him. That's inspired me to put that as a higher priority in my life. It's too easy to lose sight of it and I have more done that than I would like to admit at times. Thanks Flip.

[bleedspeed]

As close friends as Saunders and McHale were at times, McHale has gained unique perspective on death and battling grief in the past couple of years. In one way, he could help Saunders family a bit with that. In another, he might think he's just another face in an enormous overwhelming horde... and decide to speak to them privately at a later time.

Everyone is different. Having been on both sides of this I have different view on it and how important it is to be there for the moment. I would actually think the grief would change one, but some people don't deal with it. They lock it up and avoid it.

I didn't listen to all of Chad Hartman's segment. I did notice the story Chad shared about one time in Houston was removed.

It would have been interesting to hear what Wally had to say. I think they had a good relationship just with the way Flip talked about him. I think they didn't see eye to eye all of the time, but had mutual respect.