Wolves end up 22-60. Boy, was that fun.

Well, in my old age, I’ve forgotten to post a conversation that GH and I had about the Wolves at about the 60 game mark or 3/4 the way through the season. I don’t know how well it’s worn over the last week or so, given the foot in mouth statements by Glen Taylor, [...]

Better late than never, right? GreekHouse and I had a conversation about the Wolves via e-mail regarding the Wolves first half of the season. Then, we scrapped it when they started to play better and started over. By the time we got this done, they stopped playing better. Heh. Anyway, [...]

GreekHouse and I had a little conversation over the past few days regarding the Timberwolves at about the quarter point of the season.

I am going to be gone this evening and so I'm delaying posting of The Nation Has Problems until tomorrow. Also, I haven't written it yet.
Instead, I thought I would pose a different kind of question to The Nation. Ratliff was included in the Garnett trade almost entirely on the basis of expiring [...]

Some thoughts on tonight's opening night loss to the Denver Nuggets.
It's early, but Al Jefferson showed some signs that he's a player. He moves to the center of the lane well with the ball and he has an extremely quick jump hook. He's not KG or anything, but he's a good player. [...]

I still remember when it hit me. I was sitting at my computer last season, looking at the Twolves payroll on hoopeshype.com and getting depressed over how terrible it looked. I had a revelation.  It was one of those moments of total clarity.  The Wolves will never win a championship with Garnett. [...]

This is a story of my basketball life. It is a story of how I have become accustomed to losing. It is a story of how I have been conditioned to be a Timberwolves fan. Warning, it is long and rambling.

I mentioned this when it was a rumor in the Cup of Coffee, but the Wolves have dealt Rickey Davis and Mark Blount to the Miami Heat for Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, Wayne Simien, a future first round pick (It is lottery-protected in 2008, protected through the No. 10 selection in 2009, through the No. [...]

The Timberwolves have traded Trenton Hassell to the Dallas Mavericks straight up for Greg Buckner. Buckner makes about a million less than Hassell, but at 31 is three years older and his contract runs through 2011, one year longer than Hassell's.
This is a head scratcher for sure, and the explanation offered by Kevin McHale [...]

Just thought I'd take the T-Wolves temperature out there. Yeah, the season doesn't start for over a month and it doesn't start in earnest for about three months. And yeah, there's not much chance of a playoff run (okay, there's zero chance of a playoff run). I was thinking, though, that I [...]

Yes, I have crawled out of my rock over here in Utah. Despite my total lack of posts and responses, I have been regularly reading.
The latest update over at ESPN has prompted me to actually post.
Im sure quite a few of you are like me and totally agree with what Santana says in the [...]

It should never have come to this.

ESPN reports that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is preparing to trade Garnett.
It appears that Wolves management -- McHale and owner Glen Taylor -- is prepared for the first time to make a deal that would end the Garnett Era in Minneapolis after 12 seasons. Taylor, according to Wolves sources, has informed Garnett directly of that [...]

ESPN is reporting that Mike James for Juwan Howard is a done deal.
An announcement of the trade's completion could be made as early as this week, according to NBA front-office sources.
The holdup stems from the possibility that another player or two could be added to the deal, sources say. The teams, though, have verbally agreed [...]

Strib:
It's up to Randy Foye to change two decades of bad NBA lottery luck.
Foye, who just finished his rookie season with the Timberwolves, will represent the team at the NBA draft lottery Tuesday night in Secaucus, N.J.
"Since I live so close I decided to go there and represent the team," said Foye, who went to [...]

Like the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures,
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we? could we? [...]

The Minnesota Timberwolves have announced that they have traded Kevin Garnett to the New York Knicks for Stephon Marbury. VP Kevin McHale announced the trade this morning -- ending his search for a point guard on this big man dominated team. The trade was particularly satisfying to McHale because he only needed to [...]

Wolves blow a 25 point lead and lose. At home. Against the Sonics. Without Ray Allen.

1. It's Saturday morning and I'm brewing a pot of coffee. The pregnant wife is sleeping and we've got a big day ahead of us. We are going out with our realtor to look at some houses. We've been living in an apartment and I've been living in an apartment since [...]

Link (sub. req.)
The fact he was left off the rookie team so they could add Adam Morrison -- perhaps the single most ineffective rookie in the league so far -- speaks volumes about the pharmaceutical consumption habits of the voters. Or at the very least, it speaks to the power of the almighty points-per-game stat.
Per-minute, [...]

Randy Foye was arrested early Monday morning for disorderly conduct after being involved in a fight outside a gas station.
Apparently, Foye was in a fight with three other people, whom he knew. A late night drunken brawl among friends? Perhaps. Mr. Foye has now found out that those kinds of incidents wind [...]

Top Jimmy:
McHale's willingness to fire coaches when players mutiny and Garnett's unwillingness to publicly reprimand recalcitrant teammates leave Wittman on globally warmed ice.
This article is about Mr. Ricky Davis, the under-achieving headache that is just one of a myriad of problems at 600 First Avenue North. Davis has been a problem everywhere he's been. [...]

Top Jimmy:
In fact, [Kevin McHale]'s no longer even first in line for taking blame. That honor now belongs to Taylor, the genial but obtuse owner.
Taylor has allowed McHale, perhaps one of the three worst sports executives in the nation, to fire two coaches in three seasons. McHale has done so during seasons hamstrung by players [...]

Chris Sheridan on the Dwane Casey firing (subscription required):
Casey had to know that he was failing to meet the owner's expectations after (Timberwolves owner Glen) Taylor told him and his staff that he felt the team was strong enough to reach the Western Conference finals.
Sure, Kevin McHale is ridiculously incompetent. But, the true problem [...]

Well, Ol' Patrick missed it by 10 games. The Wolves have fired Dwane Casey after 40 games. Randy Wittman takes over as interim coach.
I find this to be a distasteful situation. I've documented many times and everybody knows that it is Kevin McHale (or, more accurately, Glen Taylor) who is to blame [...]

Hey people, Geoff here. SBG gave me writer access when we met up last fall and I've yet to take advantage.
First off, unless the game goes into quadruple overtime (actually it may take 5 OT) don't look for the Jazz to put up 130+.
Minnesota is a tough matchup for the Jazz. IMHO one [...]

Strib:
The Wolves have been talking with the Detroit Pistons about a deal that could send Jaric to Motown, with one of several big men -- Nazr Mohammed, Antonio McDyess or Dale Davis -- heading to Minnesota.
Do we have to send a #1, too?
Think of it. Sam Cassell and a #1 for a backup big [...]

Kevin Garnett got his 10,000th rebound on Saturday night as the Wolves won for the ninth time in 12 games, 109-98 over New Jersey. The Wolves outscored the Nets 37-21 in the fourth quarter. KG had 12 of those points.
KG tallied 32 points and 14 rebounds on the night to go along with [...]

Kevin Garnett hit a shot at the buzzer in overtime to lead the Wolves to a 104-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. After starting slow (no points in the first quarter), the Big Ticket warmed up and produced the typical line: 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists.
If you have been watching, KG looks [...]

Chris Sheridan of ESPN speculates that Dwane Casey is the fourth most likely coach to get axed next.
The current four-game homestand is crucial to Casey's future, and the Wolves' OT victory over San Antonio on Wednesday night was huge. But any kind of a sustained slide back below .500 lowers Casey's odds.
Maybe a better coach [...]

A while back, Reusse wrote a column making fun of the other newspaper in town for their speculation that the Wolves might trade for Allen Iverson.

One minor ingredient was missing from this dramatic presentation.

Reporting.

I watched most of the T-Wolves game last night and it was almost a huge giveaway. But, the Wolves got a basket by Randy Foye in the closing seconds to win by 2, 100-98. The Wolves blew a 25 point lead over the Chicago Bulls, but held on in the end.
Ugh.
Not a good [...]

It's early and my darling wife is sleeping about 10 feet away. I'm in my father-in-law's basement, and I'm pretty sure that next time I'm bringing an air mattress. I dread the thought of sleeping on that hide-a-bed the next two nights.
Last night the Timberwolves won in Indiana in a game that wasn't [...]

Not only is Allen Iverson not coming to Minnesota, but he's reportedly going to the chief rival in our division, Denver. AI to Denver for Andre Miller, Joe Smith(!), and two number 1s this year. Smith is an expiring contract ($7 million). Miller has $19.2 million left over the next two seasons.
Philly [...]

I like both of these guys. I'd like it a lot more, though, if they would switch uniforms.

I think it's highly unlikely that AI will end up in a T-Wolves uniform. I can't imagine that Philly would say, hey, this is the best offer we can get. But, oh boy, if the Wolves could steal Iverson -- and it would be a steal considering what the Wolves have to offer. [...]

Marc Stein's rumor mongering on the impending AI trade:
I keep hearing that the Wolves have the player Philly wants most for Iverson: Villanova alumnus Randy Foye.
Not clear is how they can complete this deal with zero first-round picks to offer the Sixers and only unfavorable contracts to add to Foye, Ricky Davis and Eddie Griffin [...]

The Wolves went to Chicago and drilled the Bulls Saturday night, winning 91-81. It was a very impressive win for the T-Wolves. On Friday night, the Wolves rode an 80 point outburst by KG, Mike James, and Ricky Davis. Tonight, it was a different process, but a similar result.
KG lead the way [...]

Talk amongst yourselves. Here are some topics.

SI has a new power poll ranking NBA players. Number 5 is KG.
Kevin Garnett
If someone was to present to you a roster that included Mark Blount, Mike James and Ricky Davis in its starting lineup, alongside a rotation that featured heavy minutes for Troy Hudson, you'd probably [...]

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Utah Jazz on Friday night to pull even at 9-9 on the season. The T-Wolves have won six of nine and they got another inspired performance from Kevin Garnett tonight.
KG scored 31 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out just one assist, but added two steals and three blocks. [...]

I've heard a lot of talk about Adam Morrison as ROY. I'm not buying it and I stand by my assessment of him pre-draft as a bust. John Hollinger weighs in:
Morrison is a 6-9 forward playing 35 minutes a night, and yet he's grabbed three offensive rebounds the entire season. While I'd expect [...]

I turned on the Timberwolves game on Wednesday night and I saw probably the most exciting couple of minutes of T-Wolves basketball that I’ve seen in some time. The Wolves got a great win against a very good Houston team and my dour mood on the club brightened a little. Sometimes the game [...]

I wonder why I'm bothering to write or even think about the Timberwolves.
To be fair, it's not like I've written much about the Timberwolves at all this year. I've posted a game log for most games, which has generated almost zero interest, even from myself. I've paid less attention to this year's team [...]

In progress. Eddie Griffin sucks.

I had a conference call with a client late last night (different time zone) and I missed the Wolves game. Oh well. Actually, it wasn't that late and the game was on (fourth quarter) as I left work. I walked by WCCO and saw Dark Star hustling from the lounge at the [...]

I'm not exactly inspired these days on the WGOM front. I've got a few irons in the fire, but I thought I'd check in.
The Wolves lost in Dallas, but made a huge fourth quarter push to get back in the game. They were down 20 in this game but tied it up with [...]

Smells like a loss, but if this turns into a win, my won't the interest level shoot up?

Coming to you live from SBG World Headquarters in beautiful Eagan, MN, it's your morning Cup of Coffee with SBG! We made it back from the van Pelts' and we are now home with the cats. Last night, we went over to Sis's place and visited with Sis and family as well as [...]

Last night, KG reached 9700 rebounds for his career.
Tonight's game pits the Wolves against a good young team with a cagey old leader in SamIAM Cassell. I mentioned the Baby Bulls the other day. Just think if the Bulls had held onto Elton Brand instead of trading him for Tyson Chandler. Wow, [...]

Still coming to you from the father-in-law's basement. We are heading back to SBG World Headquarters today. We've had a good visit. The van Pelts have enjoyed seeing the little bump on the front of their daughter. This is their first grandchild. It'll be either number 11 or 12 on [...]

The Wolves travel to OK City to play their second game of the year against the NOK Hornets. The Hornets won on a buzzer beater (so Hornet like) in Minneapolis last week and look to remain undefeated at home.
Here's the tale of the tape:
W-L PF PA [...]

Since the NBA began keeping track of steals and blocked shots in 1973, a player has reached 100 steals and blocks in the same season 51 times. KG has done it 8 times, third behind Hakeem Olajuwon and Julis Erving, with 12 each. KG's not a premier shot blocker and I think that's [...]

• Another thing to blame on Bob Knight. Isiah Thomas:
"If I had it to do all over again, I'd never, ever want to play for any other coach other than him. There'd be no way in hell I'd be president of the Knicks had I not played at Indiana."
• [...]

LeBron James is almost too good to be true. He's still 21 years old and already he has 6,536 points, 1635 rebounds, and 1615 assists. He's also logged a gargantuan (for his age) 10,201 minutes on the floor. If he stays healthy and plays till he's about 40, he'll be the league's [...]

• If you remember correctly, there was some speculation last off season about a Hunter for Cano and Wang trade. I think it was the Yankees who were balking at that one. Who among us doesn't wish that we could go in the way-back machine and throw in a prospect in to sweeten that [...]

• The T-Wolves win in a laugher last night over Portland. The Wolves blew out to an early lead and coasted the rest of the game. Nice win for the hometown squad.
• I added a plugin last night on the left hand column that includes the top commenters here at SBG. I'm number one! [...]

Must win this one to stop the bleeding. This is also an open discussion on KG, the player.
T-Wolves Win!

On Saturday night the Wolves lost again, this time at home to an Orlando team that lost on Friday in Indiana. The Wolves had three days off since their loss in Los Angeles, which one would think would give the Wolves an advantage. However, the Magic stuck it to the Wolves early and [...]

Grant Hill is in the last year of his contract. Imagine if Detroit, instead of Orlando, had signed him. No championship for the Pistons.
Wolves Lose

It's just one game of course, but beat LA is a perennial cry. I'm not optimistic.
Wolves Lose

Game 3 of a four game Western trip. This will be a tough game for the Wolves. Brad Miller is out for the Kings and considering the sinkhole that is the center position for the Wolves, it doesn't hurt to have Miller out. I'd try out Eddie Griffin if Shareef-Abdur Rahim is [...]

It's early in the season, but that Saturday night loss in Portland was a discouraging loss. It's tough to win on the road in the NBA. Even good teams rarely win much over 50% or so of their road games (of course, it does happen that some teams play better than that). [...]

Now, this is a game that the Wolves need to win. True, the Wolves are coming off of a back-to-back with a tough game last night in Denver. But, the T-Blazers were in Golden State last night and got beat by 13 against Nellie's crew. Plus, the T-Blazers stink. The Wolves [...]

The Timberwolves went into Denver on Friday night and beat the Nuggets 112-109. I watched about the first 15-20 minutes of game time, before falling asleep and carrying my carcass off to bed. I woke up this morning and went to the web to see that KG lead his team to victory, scoring [...]