This year is mercifully over for the Minnesota Timberwolves. This will be a miserable summer for me. It will be odd watching the playoffs without Kevin Garnett this year. Just watching an ad in the paper featuring all the playoff team jerseys being sold at the NBA store in NYC and not seeing the Timberwolves jersey in that ad really pisses me off. This was embrassing all year. It was a frustrating experience watching this team lose night after night and not playing hard. There were agendas that hurted the team this year and it cost this franchise a very good coach and now possible the GM. I had high expectations. I thought they were going to win 72 games and the championship. I really did. Unfortunately, things went bad all year. It started with Latrell and Sam Cassell whining about their contracts. That set a bad tone and those two did not play hard for four months. It snowballed from there as they got a darn good coach in Flip Saunders fired in the process. What went wrong? Age, injuries, lack of chemistry, lack of desire, and complacency hurted the Timberwovles. The players aged this year as you saw Sam and Latrell's legs gave up on them. Losing Sam Cassell for a period of time really hurted the team as you can see. Now Sam is playing well. I have to hope that it's good enough to get him traded so the Timberwolves can have some value for him. Lack of chemistry was evident as some players were not happy with their roles and minutes. I think guys did not want to play hard to start the season. Players thought this would be a piece of cake and that they just had to show up. It didn't turn out that way. It's a shame this type of garbage got Flip Saunders fired. Players did not do their jobs. Kevin McHale did a good job as a coach. I am very happy with what he did. I wouldn't mind seeing him back as a coach. As a GM though, forget it. I don't want him back as a GM. I think that part he has to move on. I expect McHale to be gone as he will walk away for good. It's for the best for him and this franchise. Wolves went as far as they could with McHale. It's time for a new vision and new ideas. I like to see a GM who knows how to draft, make trades, and build a team. I also like to get a darn good coach. I think Paul Silas would make a great GM and coach. He knows talent and vision. He knows who will play hard to his image. He is the guy I endorse as a GM and coach. There has to be lot of changes. They gotta get younger for sure. I am ready to dump Wally, Fred Hoiberg, Sam Cassell, Michael Olowokandi, and everyone. It's time for a change. I think everyone should go. I will be stunned if Mark and Eddie Griffin is coming next year for the Timberwolves. Griffin hasn't done much to get a very lucrative contract. Let some other team have him. This offseason is a big offseason for the Timberwolves. Either the new GM and coach will take us to the next level or make us fall back for the next few years. It was a great run the last few weeks. The guy played hard and did the best they could. They won. Unfortunately, Denver and Memphis kept winning. Those two teams deserve to be in the playoffs. Timberwolves got what they deserve. As a Timberwolves fan, I am praying as hell that they win the lottery or get at least the top five pick. That is the only way this season was salvagable. This will be a very long summer for T-Wolves fans and the organization.
Right now, we're looking at the fourteenth pick. I agree, I think we should ship house on our roster. Cassell, Sprewell, Olowakandi and Szczerbiak. I wouldn't have said let Szczerbiak go a couple weeks ago, but his comments after the New Orleans game pissed me off. "Trade me or start me. I think a new location would be an exciting, fresh, new start." Selfish. He probably would have started next year anyway, but with that attitude, I now want him gone. I think we should explore that trade that had been rumored along time ago. We should send Szczerbiak to New York for Kurt Thomas. New York is in love with Szczerbiak, and I think they would give up Thomas in a heartbeat. It would give us some actual talent at center, something the Organazation has never had. I am going to make a whole new off-season plan, contrary to my Around the Forum debut. I had time to re-think over a lot of stuff, and I see some more stuff that needs to be done.
It wouldn't suprise me if commisioner Stern opens the envelope and then reveals the Timberwolves logo as the very first envelope that he opens. I had no problem with what Wally said. He said it out of frustration. Besides he would be starting with the departure of Latrell. Trenton and Wally could be in the lineup next year. I want Wally gone only because we can get rid of his salary not to mention I am tired of his teammates giving him a cold shoulder as I witness in New Jersey when the Wolves came to town. I want everyone gone sans KG, Mark, and Fred. I doubt that trades will happen. Who would want our guys? KG is the only trade bait and Wally may have some value. KG is not going anywhere.
That is another strong reason Szczerbiak might be gone. No matter how much he says he doesn't make the decisions, Garnett has a strong say in what goes down. He and Szczerbiak have never got along, and a lot of the other teammates don't like him either.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Pure:</div><div class="quote_post">That is another strong reason Szczerbiak might be gone. No matter how much he says he doesn't make the decisions, Garnett has a strong say in what goes down. He and Szczerbiak have never got along, and a lot of the other teammates don't like him either.</div> I was at the Wolves games in NJ and I noticed Wally was so far apart from his teammates. It seems Wally is not well-liked from what I saw hence why he opened his mouth. Timberwolves will get rid of him, but which team wants him especially with his salary.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Timberwolf:</div><div class="quote_post">I was at the Wolves games in NJ and I noticed Wally was so far apart from his teammates. It seems Wally is not well-liked from what I saw hence why he opened his mouth. Timberwolves will get rid of him, but which team wants him especially with his salary.</div> The Knicks come to mind. Isiah Thomas has no problem absorbing high priced salaries, and he's been supporting the notion of Wally wanting to play at MSG. The Knicks have some assets this upcoming season including two first round picks, two expiring contracts, and some tough nosed power forwards in Malik Rose, JYD, and Kurt Thomas. They also have Marbury, who played great with KG when he first came to the league. Cassell + Wally for Marbury works salary wise. After the Knicks season ended, Marbury shouldered the blame and said he needs to play more like the MVP Steve Nash. A change of scenery might be just what Marbury needed and the excitement he can bring might be exactly what the TWolves need to get hungry again.
Isiah is not trading Marbury at least for this year and if he trades Marbury, someone needs to knock his socks off, shapecity. Wally and Sammy will not knock Isiah's socks off even if Wally is from Long Island. Plus I am not sure if Marbury is going to help us. I am not a fan of his or his game. Marbury has made so many enemies wherever he goes whether it's the Timberwolves, Nets, Suns, and now the Knicks. No thanks. Wolves can do better by drafting a PG.
