Bobcats 121, Wolves 119
Posted on April 8th, 2008 – 10:39 PMBy Jerry Zgoda
The Wolves are firming up the third-best chance in the NBA draft lottery after losing their fifth consecutive game on Tuesday in Charlotte. Trailing by 18 points in the second quarter and by five in the final minute, the Wolves had two chances to lead or tie in the final 1.4 seconds, but squandered both: Randy Foye’s pass for Al Jefferson on a pick-and-roll was behind the big guy and went off his hands out of bounds with 1.4 seconds left. They still had life and the ball back with .7 seconds left, but Jefferson’s baseline jumper hit the front of the rim and bounded away.
Wolves coach Randy Wittman called upon veteran Greg Buckner — remember him? — to play 31 minutes, his most since Nov. 9 at the Los Angeles against the Lakers. It was a message to a young team — and specifically to Rashad McCants — about professionalism and preparedness. McCants played three minutes in the first quarter, committed two fouls in that time and didn’t play again in his return home to North Carolina while Wittman rode Buckner to the exclusion of McCants and Kirk Snyder (who played five minutes).
Wittman said Buckner’s play was the only reason the Wolves had a chance to win.
“(Buckner) came off the bench and hadn’t played in six months,” said Al Jefferson, who scored 28 of his 40 points (that matched a career high set Jan. 27 against New Jersey) after halftime. “I had to step my game up because my teammates were doing a helluva job. I just had to get going. I’m a scorer. That’s what I do. There should be no excuse why I’m turning the ball over or missing some shots.”
The Wolves flew home after the game and face Chris Paul and the Western-leading New Orleans Hornets — losers at home to Utah on Tuesday — tonight at Target Center.
If the Hornets hang on to win the West, Paul is my pick to win the league MVP, with Kevin Garnett a close second, following by Kobe and LeBron.
59 Responses to "Bobcats 121, Wolves 119"
McCants= LOSER
[…] unknown wrote an interesting post today on Bobcats 121, Wolves 119Here’s a quick excerptThe Wolves are firming up the third-best chance in the NBA draft lottery after losing their fifth consecutive game on Tuesday in Charlotte. […]
Timberwolves owner, players, coaches, GM, fans=LOSERS.
I think the worst the Wolves would finish in the lottery is a tie for 3rd. The Knicks won last night so they are now 3 games ahead of the Wolves. The Sonics are still only a game behind the Wolves so hopefully they can get another win or two and the Wolves can finish the season on a 9 game losing streak.
So being professional means not picking up two quick fouls? ya ok that makes alot of sense. But i guess thats why Whittman has never been a winning coach and never will be a winning coach.
twinsfan: given his history of defense, yes it does. hopefully this will light a fire under his arse. bench him until he plays defense, take him out as soon as his guy scores or he misses a rotation.
that will get it thru pretty damn quick.
I think we all can agree that Rashad can be a little moody if things aren’t going his way. I think he is going to be one of those guys that just needs a change of scenery and right mix of players and he could be a solid NBA player. He is never going to be a 20 point per game scorer or an All-Star but if he changes his outlook a little and catches on with the right team I think he could be a great 6th man for a lot of teams.
Rashad is all about McCants, not about the McWolves.
When in the world is McHale going to be fired, resign, or just shuffle the mortal coil so this team can have a chance at not sucking?
hey BC…keep bitching and saying the same crap. i’m sure its working.
seriously.
What do you guys think McCants trade value is right now? I could see them packaging him and one of the second round picks to move back up into the bottom of the first round.
I do not mean that as a threat towards McHale. Just wanting him out of the job ASAP, and I’m certainly not going to be sad when he’s gone on any level of gone.
Arenal,
How old are you Arenal?
Jama,
If we traded McCants with one of our second round picks Kevin McHale could ruin another 1st round pick around the 23-28 range.
That’s not a huge upgrade considering the pick we’d have to trade is the first pick of the 2nd round. So McCants and the 31st pick for the 25th pick or so maybe? But we’d also have to take on another player’s contract wouldn’t we?
Arenal, we have gone over this how many times? Kevin McHale is the worst GM in basketball now that Isaiah Thomas is going to be fired as the headcoach and has already been releaved of duty as the GM for the Knicks.
Other than Matt Millen of the Detroit Lions in the NFL there isn’t another GM that is nearly in McHale’s class of failure.
Why must you always try to defend him?
He should have been black listed from the NBA after the Joe Smith fiasco. There is no way that on any other team in the NBA that he wouldh’t have been fired, and they’d have Kevin McHale VOODOO DOLL night at the arena.
Hell I would pay the 40 bucks a ticket to go to that night.
If you go with that crap about how the team was before him… they were a god damn expansion tema before him… expansion teams don’t do well. If you talk about the luck in where the draft pick falls crap it won’t work.
Joe Smith
Ndi Ebi
Olewakandi
getting Ricky Cancer Davis
And Mark allergic ot the paint Blount
the team having to buy out losers like Theo Rattliff, and Troy Hudson.
Funny keeping Hudson now, the isureance would have paid for his contract now that he’s been forced out of the league.
This team has one starting player for sure, and two very solid backups in Foye and Gomes. It has a 3 point specialist off the bench in McCants that telegraphs his every move, and is terribly selfish. It’s 2nd best Big man is 6′7 and gets dominated by starters so he can’t even help our best player.
Trading away Garnett, Trading away Wally Szerbziak, trading away Sam Cassell
Drafting idiots like Rick Rickert, and the two 2nd round draft picks from two years ago besides Craig Smith that he just pissed away.
This management is diseased and we need a cure pretty damn fast or it will be another wasted year!
JERRY. We need you to put together a scathing, damning, and attention getting message to the Triune Failure that until the regime changes they have no hope of getting fans in the stand.
Wittman’s winning percentage has gotten worse every single year he’s been allowed to coach in the NBA.
WE fired Flip with a record 1 game under .500, nad we fired Casey (because he was black) with a record of .500 in his second season after McHale traded away half his roster in the middle of his first season!
The problem has been with McHale all along, and Wittman, and the Country Club as Danny B calls them needs to be closed down for good. We need new blood.
I’ve got about 38 dollars in cash in my wallet right now. That should buy me controling insterest in this team if we went by their value, and their value to the community right now.
The freaking LaCrosse team is more important to Minnesota than the Timberwolves thanks to McHale, Wittman and Taylor. Can’t fire the owner, but the other two fools have to go.
Write it man. please for the love of basketball Help do the public good!
Realize that if the Wolves do good, you might sell more papers which ensures the paycheck… so attack attack attack!
Every time I come to this blog, it’s BC writing post after post of lengthy, pointless ramblings. Get a life man.
McHale is not a good GM…we know that. Move on. Your “points” get more diluted every time you say the same thing over and over. If you hate the team so much, why do you constantly come back to this blog?
I would not trade McCants because i think he is a pretty good player and can definitely help out on this team. And also because Rashad is my favorite player!!! but seriously though yes he does have an attitude problem but so many guys do in the NBA its ridiculous. I think Rashad and the rest of these young guys could really benefit from have a coach that has some authority and they will listen to. Whittman is not that guy.
Regarding McHale, no one can dispute that he’s made some solid moves this year. Mike James for Juwon Howard. Ricky Davis and Mark Blount for a pick and A. Walker. Drafting Brewer (though you could dispute that). Gerald Green out. KG for Jefferson (probably the best he could have done). That doesn’t change one unforgivable fact:
When Kevin Garnett was 23 years old, the Wolves had a nucleus of Garnett, Joe Smith, Terrell Brandon, Malik Sealy, Bobby Jackson and Rasho Nesterovich. Rather than realizing that the West, with Shaq at the summit of his power, was absolutely unconquerable with a nucleus of players who mirrored Garnett’s tendencies rather than complimented them, McHale stuck to the plan so rigidly that he signed JOE SMITH to an illegal contract. Not only did that show his incompetence at seeing the big picture (i.e. this crew won’t cut it; blow the whole thing up and start over), it handicapped any possibility of building through the draft or through trades involving draft picks for the five years leading up to Garnett’s prime. The time to blow the team up is BEFORE Garnett reaches his potential, not during. Instead, McHale wasted the early years of Garnett’s career with a failed plan made worse by illicit activity, then started making roll-the-dice moves (Hudson signing; Sczerbiak trade; Cassell and Sprewell signings) that had no plan other than “hopefully this will work out”. Violating the rules so stupidly with the Smith fiasco should have been reason enough to can him. Given that the idiotic rule violation didn’t even serve any tangible benefit to the team - WERE THEY EVEN TO HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT -makes his continued employment utterly absurd.
Admittedly, this is all hindsight bias. But it’s his job to see these things. A failed plan in and of itself isn’t complete reason to can a GM. Nor is a questionable move. A rule violation of such magnitude is, especially when it’s tied into a failed plan and results in making bonehead moves in an attempt to recover.
We had an all-time top 50 player for 12 years, and have 1 conference championship appearance (a loss…) to show for it. Indefensible. Laughable. Pathetic.
Whatever’s free.
So what you are saying is that because I hate the GM I’m not allowed to be a fan of the team?
You’re saying that I should just shut up and live with the fact that he’s worthless, and never voice my opinion?
Because even though I’m right, you’re tired of hearing about it?
YOU GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!
This is the Timberwolves blog, and I am talking about the wolves, and I’ve been a fan since that stupid ass was playing for the Boston, and we beat them here for our first big time win as a franchise. He was an awesome announcer when we had him here with Kevin Harlon.
So I’m beating a dead horse… if the dead horse were Kevin McHale… I’d kick until my legs were too tired to move.
I don’t remember you coming on here and commenting when I had a mock draft list I put up, or anything else..
You come up with something else for me to talk about Timberwolves related.
That’s fine that you are a fan and that you don’t like McHale. It just gets really old and annoying to come to this blog and see you write the same thing every time. How about writing a couple of posts that don’t involve McHale, Wittman, or Taylor. Like you did a week or so ago with your player listings, it is much more fun to look at the positives right now because the negatives have been the same for the last 3 years.
I agree that giving up the 31st pick and McCants to move up 5 or 6 spots isn’t worth it but if they could trade that 33rd or 34th pick with McCants and get back inside the top 20 and get a guy they really like, I don’t think it would be a bad idea. It could be addition by subtraction.
Yep, jama about sums it up.
McCants with 23 points tonight! Alright!! and also a good loss boys! im sure glad our smart coach didnt play Rashad much last night or else we might of won that game.
Jama,
If we can get the 18-20th pick Then I’m for it because at this point it looks like Roy Hibbert would be available, and with the Wolves style of ball, I think he could be a great addition. If we get the 3rd pick I think we would go with Bayless, and then go with Hibbert, or Thareet with a pick around 20.
See I can talk about other thinks than those three. I’m just trying to rile the media into putting some pressure on the thing because I can scream till I’m blue in the face, but no one listens. Maybe if the Media makes it a big stink we can get some kind of ground swell?
Hibbert Richard (Maddog)
Jefferson *DJ White
Gomes Brewer
Foye Buckner
Bayless Jaric
*I think that could be a good 31st pick
Not sure I would bring back Smith, Snyder, or Telfair. I would not mind having all three of them back, but not at over inflated prices.
nbadraft.net has OJ MAYO going third to the Wolves, 6′9 PF Joey Doresey 31st and Asik a 7′0 center from Europe going 34th
Beasley, Rose, Bayless, Lopez, Mayo, and Gallinari are the top 6 in that order on Hoopshype.com.
NBAdraft.net has it
Rose, Beasley, Mayo, Bayless, Lopez, Gallinari
Collegehhopsnet.com has it
Beasley, Rose, Gordan, Mayo, Lopez, Batum (with Bayless 7th)
NBAdraftpress.com press talent (whatever that means)
1. Michael Beasley (F) Kansas State
2. Derrick Rose (PG) Memphis
3. O.J. Mayo (G) USC
4. Donte Greene (SF) Syracuse
5. Chase Budinger (SG) Arizona
6. Blake Griffin (PF) Oklahoma
Mock is Rose, Beasley, Lopez, (it shows Beasley 4th as well) for some reason, Bayless, and then McGee
….
BC- no DJ White! we already have a player that can do what he does, thats the Rhino!
Twinsfan.
Craig Smith is going to be a restricted free agent, and probably want about 3-5 million a year, and he’s not worth that kind of money to the Timberwolves who are going to need to put a stop to over spending on mediocre ball players when we are going to need to OVER PAY to get a star here in a year or two.
I’m with Jama in the idea of trading McCants if we can. Trading the 34th pick and McCants can move us up to the 20-22 spot in the draft we can pick up Hibbert or Thareet, or another big man.
Maybe some sort of Sign and trade with Telfair and Smith would work?
Telfair will go to the Nets or to the Knicks. I can see Smith being the backup in Atlanta, Memphis, or Charolette.
I would not trade McCants because thats my guy!! but really i dont think they will trade McCants. i wouldnt mind seeing the Rhino leave tho if we could find a replacement, the same with Telfair. and hopefully Bassy’s replacement is Derrick Rose!!
Twinsfan.
If we can get Beasley or Rose I really think that it could change the whole luck of this fanchise, but they still have to overcome the Bumbling block, I mean stumbling block that is Wolves management, and I’m not sure if that is possible.
I don’t mind McCants, but if we can trade up to get another top 20 pick and can pick up a Center this team has to do that because if we get Rose McCants loses bigtime minutes with the offseason growth of Brewer (I’m hoping), and Foye probably being the starting 2 guard.
McCants really needs to work on his team, and he needs to remember that if he’s going to be a ball hog that the best place to be is going to the hole, and resting at the foul line. That’s how the great ones have done it forever.
I think that’s one of the biggest reasons why KG was so burned out in his time here. No one on the team especially not him did anything to get to the foul line more. That would have been more of a time him to catch a bit of a breather. Jefferson is a bit better in that aspect, but he is going to have to bust his ass in the offseason to repeat this year, and bust it harder to improve.
Jefferson, Beasley, Gomes, McCants/Brewer, Foye
Jefferson, Gomes, Brewer, Foye, Rose
Jefferson, Gomes, Brewer, Foye, Bayless
Jefferson, Gomes, Brewer, Mayo, Foye
Lopez, Jefferson, Gomes, Brewer/McCants, Foye
That is my top 5, and all have holes, and still promote a lack of depth, so I think either way we end up a lottery team in 2008-2009 as well, and I don’t say that as a negative… just looking at pure talent… it’s not enough.
BC- is there any free agents that we might have a chance at signing for next year? I haven’t really looked at who is going to be a free agent next year besides Arenas, Antwan Jamison, Brand and Maggette but we are not going to get any of those guys.
I don’t see any way that Telfair signs with the Nets. I know he is from NY but the Nets already have 2 PG’s that are better than Telfair in Devin Harris and Marcus Williams.
Twinsfan32- I don’t see the Wolves signing any Free Agents that are going to make a big difference. For one the Wolves aren’t going to have much cap space. I would like to see them go after a guy like Gordan Giricek, they need a guy that can knock down the open 3, plus Giricek has some height unlike McCants. My main issue with McCants is that he doesn’t play defense, so basically he is a streaky shooter and nothing else. If his shot is off he is 100% worthless.
McCants is one of the only wolves players that can creat his own shot. The wolves need him…..Wake up people!
sportsjunkie
I agree that right now McCants is one of the only ones. I am hoping that is going to change with this next draft. That being said I think he has worn out his welcome with this coaching staff and with some of his teammates. Nobody should deny the fact that Rashad is talented I just think he needs a serious wake up call and I don’t think he will get that in MN. Once KG left McCants became almost a cancer on this team.
With the 31st and 34th picks maybe they can package something.
I think they are best letting Telfair, Smith and Snyder go via free agency unless they can get them CHEAP.
Maddog might have some limited value as he’s dirt cheap.
Walker may have some value for a team that is trying to dump some cap.
As for free agents. I have to look at hte full list, but if you put them by letter grades… a-z… I would guess we we wouldn’t be in the S-T range of free agents… maybe they resign Doleac or another big man that is just a veteran body, but I am not sure.
I liked the Girecek idea… He might be too expensive for this team though.
We are looking at 2 1st round picks next year, and 2 1st round picks the year after that provided we aren’t in the playoffs, and if we get a decent GM and a decent Coach I think this team is 2 years from having a shot at the playoffs. 3 years from having a chance at being decent.
So we do get 2 1st round picks this year? is that the celtics pick?
twinsfan
The Wolves only have one first round pick this year. They get the Celtics First round pick next year. They also get the Heat’s first round pick when they make the playoffs. I think that pick is lottery protected.
Does anyone know when the Wolves have to give up their pick to the Clippers? I know it’s lottery protected this year but I thought next year it was not protected or maybe top 3 protected. Does anyone know the exact wording on that Jaric trade?
1ST ROUND PICKS COMING AND GOING
Los Angeles Clippers receive Minnesota’s 2008 first-round pick (top 10 protected through 2011 and unprotected after)
Minnesota receives Miami’s 2008 first round pick (lottery protected in 2008, top 10 in 2009, top 6 in 2010, beyond: unprotected.
Minnesota receives Boston’s 2009 first round pick (top 3 protected)
SECOND ROUND PICKS
Detroit receives Minnesota’s 2008 or 2009 second round pick MINNESOTA’S OPTION
Minnesota receives Miami’s 2008 second-round pick.
Minnesota receives Houstoni’s 2010 second-round pick
Now that Walker will have only the one year left on his contract if he will be worth something to someone to help them clear cap room?
I think Andre Kirelinko would be perfect for this team if we took Rose. Then we could trade Walker, Rashad McCants and the 31st pick to the Jazz for. The Jazz would then pick up either Hibbert or (if he declares) Mr. college basketball from North Carolina lol), and use Walker and McCants off the bench as their 6th and 7th players.
You all are treating McCants like a JR Rider cancerous type of a player. Yes, he is moody and doesn’t play the best defense, BUT, he is a streaky great type of player that help the t-wolves….Personally, I think his little outburst two games away was an act that allowed the team to lose the game. He and the team want to draft the best player and know where they stand in the pecking order….
If you all want to talk about getting rid of anyone, let it be Brewer….
P.S. BC you are cheap….let the t-wolves spend alittle of Glen’s $$$
I agree sportsjunkie, i think Rashad can help this team with his great scoring ability coming off the bench as the 6th man. I like Brewer’s defensive ability if he can get a lot stronger but man he is a horrible shooter!! Al Thornton sure would look good in a Twolves jersey.
And BC there is no way Jerry Sloan would want Rashad on his team. If you dont play defense on the Jazz, you usually dont get any playing time. I would like to have Kirelinko on the twolves though.
Al Thornton is McCants at the small forward position — he can score, but no defense. What the Wolves need are players who can competently play both offense and defense, not a bunch of one-off specialists. I like the chances of Brewer becoming function offensively more than the chances of Thornton becoming a decent defender.
I like the chances of McCants being able to defense, better than Brewer scoring more than 8 points a game..
sportsjunkie: its much easier to improve offense than defense. you want to get better at offense–here’s a ball, there is a gym, here is summer. hello 500 shots/day.
defense is all about guts, balls, and mentality. some don’t have it and never will. tough to teach that. I’ll take a defensive player w/promise over an offensive player w/the same promise.
Brewer over Thorton anyday. Thorton will never improve his defense…watch. Brewer will get better on offense..watch.
Brewer will score before McCants defends. watch.
If Brewer improves his shooting, his offensive game will improve dramatically because it will open up more options for him. Teams can sag off of him today, which negates his athletic ability to drive the ball.
I don’t expect Brewer will ever be a 20 point scorer, but he shouldn’t have to be, given this team already has Jefferson, Foye and McCants, plus presumably a good player being added in this year’s draft. If Brewer can score 10-12 a night and play good defense he will be extremely valuable to this team.
The area I think Brewer can really improve on his his rebounding. Once he gains the 20 or so pounds he needs to add he should be able to bang underneath a little more. He has had some great rebounding games this year and that is at 160 lbs. Once he gets around 200 lbs. it should take some pressure off of Al under the basket.
I agree w/Sean. Brewer will be a 8-14pt per game, 6-8rbnd, 2assists, 3steals, 2blocks…holding the other team’s stud below his avg player for the wolves. which is what they need.
other teams best player gets brewer unless that player is a 4/5. He is the Pippen prototype. Long, athletic, smarts, determination. He’ll do a bit of everything…pretty well.
Having a capable perimeter defender at the 3 is paramount when you consider that the current options at guard are all below average defensively.
I agree with both of you. That doesn’t happen very often.
Brewer better start hitting the weight room if hes going to be holding the other teams stud to below his average.
What a horrible win for the Wolves tonight. I can’t believe the Magic choked that game away. Doesn’t Gomes know he is suppose to miss those Free Throws in that situation?
Brilliant! Way to go Coach! The players did their job… the GM and Coach are clueless. Why win your way out of improving for next year? (draft)
Two words; Madsen & Doleac.
The players have proven that they will compete next year. Now, give them a chance to add one great player.
haha that was a terrible win for us!!
Yeah its funny to watch them and hope they play well yet hope they lose. I also thought Gomes would miss aleast one free throw. I hope games next year mean something. I hate to just hope for more pingpong balls….
P.S. I was impressed Brewer scored in double digits…
Okay, I’m a little more under control now that the Grizzlies beat the Heat last night, that should all but lock up the 3rd highest chances of getting a top 2 pick.
If there is a god, the Heat will get the 5th pick and the owner will force Riley to endure the entire season or force him to resign, at which the media will blast him as a pansy. His HOF speech will be tarnished as will be his legacy. Coach who tanked, still lost the draft, and then quit.
Brewer will be alright. He’ll surprise next season as will Foye, AJ, Rhino…barring injuries they will all be working. and often.
Hey Arenal…did u forget to mention McCants…
No, McCants won’t surprise anyone. He’ll be the exact same kid next year as he was this year. good shooter, not much else.
