Yesterday the Minnesota Timberwolves decided to let go there coach of two years: Kurt Rambis after a tumultuous two seasons that resulted in a 32-132 record. 

As such, the Timberwolves are again on the coaching hunt and names have begun to surface recently.

The first of course being Bernie Bickerstaff.  We’ve had a few different stories on Bernie, but that idea can basically be scrapped.  The idea was that the Wolves would hire Bernie and keep his son J.B. (already an assistant in Minnesota), in hopes that after a few years Bernie would throw the reins to his son, however news broke today that J.B. Bickerstaff had accepted an assistant coaching job with the Houston Rockets under Kevin McHale.

Now, yet another name has surfaced.  Don Nelson-formerly of the Golden State Warriors (before he was basically forced out, then they hired Keith Smart—fired him this summer and now analyst Mark Jackson is the new Warriors head coach).  Don Nelson is reportedly showing interest in this Timberwolves roster that is loaded with young talent.  There are a few big questions on Don Nelson.  1.) Is he the right fit?  Anyone who has won the most games as a coach in NBA history should be the right fit for any team…right?  Well, the bigger question is—at 71 years of age, is Nelson the right coach for such a young inexperienced team?  2.) How much money is Nelson going to demand?  Glen Taylor is already having to shell out the remaining salary on the remaining 2 years of Rambis’ contract, so the thought is—they’ll likely look for a cheaper option…unfortunately!

Nelson became the most winningest coach in NBA history late in the 09-10 season and has an overall record of 1,335-1,063 (.557) as he’s coached in Milwaukee, New York, Dallas and of course Golden State—which links him to two current Minnesota players—Anthony Tolliver & Anthony Randolph who both spent a year with Nelson before he was let go.

Of course Don Nelson isn’t the only veteran coach the Timberwolves could/should look into—Rick Adelman (formerly of the Rockets), Larry Brown (formerly of the Charlotte Bobcats—was fired earlier in the 2010-11 season) and Jerry Sloan (formerly of the Utah Jazz and currently retired in the midst of the 2010-11 season). 

The sad truth is that David Kahn will make a move that he’ll love as he leaves the entire organization and fan base left, scratching our heads.  Beaming with pride he’ll introduce him and puzzled we’ll continue to question why Glen Taylor lets him call the shots…

That’s all for now, the coaching list is likely to grow in the coming weeks and we’ll be here to bring you all the updates as it’s likely there won’t be much else TWolves news to discuss.  Thanks for reading and check back daily for all TWolves news and updates.  GO WOLVES!

2010-11 NBA Season: Various Minnesota Timberwolves Photos Part 1 of 2

2010-11 NBA Season: Minnesota Timberwolves Reserve Power Forward Anthony Randolph

On April 12th 2011, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune made Wolves President of Operations David Kahn—a checklist of what he (Zgoda) feels need to be done this offseason for the Wolves to be successful in the future.  Below you can find the original link to the article, but today we’re going to look at Zgoda’s five checkpoints and see how David Kahn has done/is doing.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/119742374.html

1. DETERMINE COACH KURT RAMBIS’ FUTURE—Well, let’s see, this article was written almost 4 months ago and we still do have affirmation on the future of Rambis.  However—the situation with Rambis is, the Wolves are keeping him through the lockout, simply because it’ll be much cheaper than firing Kurt—negotiating a buyout—and hiring a new coach.  David Kahn, however, should’ve had this situation resolved in the month of April OR May!  It’s dragged on, and it’ll keep dragging on! (0/1)
2. SIGN RICKY RUBIO—David Kahn finally got his man.  After two years of visits, persuasion and coaxing, Ricky Rubio is finally going to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves and he’s certainly created a lot of hype and buzz—but can he live up to those expectations?  It may take a while to find out as the NBA Lockout could wipe out part of OR the entire NBA season!  (1/2)
3. PURSUE VETERAN LEADERSHIP—Zgoda mentions the Wolves trying to acquire Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns.  I think we know the Suns aren’t going to trade their former MVP for anyone on the Wolves roster and he’s extremely ‘tight’ in that organization, if he wants out—the Suns are going to ask him where he’d be willing to go—guaranteed Minnesota wouldn’t be on that short list.  However, with the Lockout, free agency hasn’t been able to begin and as such it makes it quite difficult for the Wolves to pursue veterans for their squad with that going on.  However, the Wolves have acquired one new piece.  Big man Brad Miller was sent to Minnesota in a draft night deal that sent Jonny Flynn to Houston.  Kahn did acquire on veteran, however, this isn’t the all-star center he was back in his Sac-Town days and he’s nearing the end of his career, with some injuries the past few, I’ll go out on a limb here and say he won’t contribute much. (1.25/3)
4. WAIT—Zgoda is pleading for Kahn to wait to sign Kevin Love to an extension until after a new labor agreement is reached.  Well, good news, the labor agreement is being negotiated right now and it’d be impossible for the Wolves to offer Love an extension—so Kahn wins this one, however it’ll be a matter of how much he pays Love—what he’s offered, when it comes time.  Zgoda also says WAIT on offering Anthony Randolph and Michael Beasley extensions, until they get another year to ‘prove their worth’.  (2.25/4)
5. SAY GOODBYE—to PG Jonny Flynn.  Zgoda—AND EVERYONE ELSE—knew that Jonny Flynn wouldn’t be back with Minnesota as they’ve been looking to trade him ever since the weeks leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline, earlier this year.  Jonny Flynn has been traded to the Houston Rockets and there’s a chance he may be traded again (once the new labor agreement is negotiated).  (3.25/5)

Not to bad Mr. Kahn 3.25/5 and we still have plenty of offseason left.  However, the way you’ve handled this coaching decision and the way you’ve treated Kurt Rambis (no matter how many games we lost with him the last two seasons) is simply inexcusable!  Many people would say—too bad Kahn won’t fire himself, another couple slipups like this and hopefully Glen Taylor will show him the door.  Until then, we’re stuck with him (really though, the ONLY reason I don’t like him is because of the way he’s dealt with Kurt Rambis—I can’t imagine having a guy like that (someone who loves to have his “hand on the button”) be my boss).

Thanks for reading and remember to stay tuned all year round for your up-to-date TWolves news, information and updates.  GO WOLVES!

The new-look Minnesota Timberwolves, workout-Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams, Malcolm Lee, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, Anthony Randolph, Wesley Johnson and Martell Webster at the TWolves practice facility!

The heads of Minnesota TWolves fans are still spinning as they attempt to decipher who exactly the Wolves drafted and who will be playing in a TWolves uniform next season. I’ll do my best to clear the air, if anyone is still left dazed and confused.

First off, the easy one, with the #2 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Arizona forward Derrick Williams. Williams will be thrown in with the bevy of forwards the Wolves already posses—Michael Beasley, Martell Webster, Wesley Johnson, Lazar Hayward, Kevin Love, Anthony Randolph & Anthony Tolliver. Tonight, David Kahn made clear to the media that Derrick Williams will be playing for the Wolves next season and that Michael Beasley ‘supported’ the Wolves selecting Williams. With that being said, Williams could still be moved for a GREAT offer, but it would take some/a special player(s) in return. Furthermore, Michael Beasley could be on the move, though David Kahn stated that Beasley isn’t going anywhere…time will tell.

After the #2 pick things got INCREDIBLY murky for the Wolves.

The next pick Minnesota had was #20 which they acquired before the draft via the Memphis Grizzlies. With the 20th overall pick, the TWolves selected Donatas Motiejunas…though he won’t be a Minnesota Timberwolf. The Minnesota Timberwolves then turned around and sold his rights to Houston, along with Jonny Flynn for Rockets big man-Brad Miller as well as the 23rd & 57th pick(s).

That’s right Wolves fans, Jonny Flynn has played his last game for the Minnesota Timberwolves—though, he may not even play for his new team: the Houston Rockets, as they’re reportedly already looking to move Flynn (the idea being that they shed Miller’s $9M contract for Flynn’s $3M contract).

Then came the Wolves 23rd pick, which they had just acquired from the Rockets. With the 23rd overall pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected…Nikola Mirotic…for the Chicago Bulls! That’s right, Mirotic’s rights were promptly sent to the Bulls for their 28th & 43rd overall picks in the draft.

With that, the Wolves’ next pick was at 28 where they selected…Norris Cole…for the Miami Heat! AGAIN, the Wolves moved the pick to Miami and in return, received the 31st overall pick in the draft as well as a future 2nd rounder and cash considerations. How did the Heat have the 31st pick in the draft you may ask?! Oh, that’s right, it was sent to Miami from Minnesota in the Michael Beasley deal!

All right, the Wolves next pick was then the 31st overall. If you haven’t realized yet, the Wolves have now selected at 2, 20, 23 & 28 and so far have just new rookie on their roster: #2 overall pick: Derrick Williams! With the 31st overall pick, the TWolves selected…Bojan Bogdanovic…for the New Jersey Nets! Is anyone else sensing a pattern? That’s right, the Wolves selected this pick for the New Jersey Nets and in return received…cash considerations.

At this point you may be wondering: “Why do the Wolves keep trading away all their picks for $.” Well, if you’d been on Twitter, the rumor circulating would’ve been, that, since Kurt Rambis had been fired, the Wolves had to finance his buyout because the minority owners didn’t want to pay for it! David Kahn quickly refuted those rumors while talking to the media, but because most fans refer to Kahn as a “Little Weasel”, does that make you want to trust him? Does the way he dragged out the Rambis situation and treated Kurt extremely unprofessionally, make you want to trust him?

Anyway, back to the draft. The Wolves then selected 43rd. This was a pick acquired from Chicago via the Utah Jazz, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected UCLA guard Malcolm Lee…for the…Minnesota Timberwolves. Wait, is that right?…THAT’S RIGHT! David Kahn took and intends to keep Malcolm Lee.

Finally, with the last pick in the draft for the Minnesota Timberwolves the Wolves had the 57th pick. This was acquired in an alternate trade. The Blazers and the Mavericks swapped some picks/players-Rudy Fernandez went to Dallas, the Blazers got the 57th pick and the 26th pick (Jordan Hamilton). Then they sent Hamilton along with Andre Miller to the Nuggets for point guard Raymond Felton! All Wolves fans need to know, we got the 57th pick and with it…Tanguy Ngombo a forward from Qatar. Pete Philo—a scout for the Wolves reported has seen him play more than once and is very high on him. Though Ngombo will stay overseas for a year or two. I, myself have never heard of him, so I had to do a bit of research and rather than regurgitate what I found, follow the link below for an excellent story as well as video highlights of the Wolves’ newest international player.

http://www.asiabasketballupdate.com/1/post/2011/06/targuy-ngombo-qatars-nba-hopeful.html

A small sidenote: the trades that I’ve discussed above are those pertaining to the Minnesota Timberwolves, there were more trades that took place, but I’ve only listed the ones that are relevant to Minnesota!

Well, hopefully we’ve helped to clear the air! I’ll be around as always providing you with daily updates on TWolves news & information. Any questions, comments or concerns about tonight’s draft or anything TWolves feel free to message me or find me on Twitter: @donnycersado27 for clarification. Thanks for reading, GO WOLVES and GOOD NIGHT!

Today sources revealed that the Cleveland Cavaliers have decided on selecting Kyrie Irving with the 1st overall pick in Thursday’s draft (6/23).  As such it would now seem the Minnesota Timberwolves are a lock to take Derrick Williams with the #2 pick.

As such Michael Beasley trade rumors would seem to heat up again, HOWEVER, the ESPNs Ric Bucher states that the Timberwolves don’t plan on moving Beasley OR Randolph as a result.

Of course the Wolves could still go in a different direction with the #2 pick: the most obvious being: Enes Kanter.  The Turkish back-to-the-basket big man that would fill a need at center.  However, the word is the Wolves are looking for young athletic players that can run the floor with their point guard: Ricky Rubio, next season.

As such, the earlier reports that Michael Beasley or Anthony Randolph could be moved as a result of the Wolves drafting Williams are refuted…for now.

In an interview with Wolves editor/writer Jonah Ballow on June 16th after Williams worked out for the Wolves, he said that he’d love to have Ricky, Wes, Beas and himself on the floor at the same time, spreading the floor, with an incredibly versatile and lethal scoring lineup, putting K-Love at the 5 in that scenario, the Wolves would certainly be ‘going small’ and giving up a lot on the defensive end, however, it’s obviously not a starting lineup and obviously an offensive lineup.

With the draft now just days away, the debate on who the Wolves can nearly conclude.  Who do you think the Wolves should take with the #2 pick?  #20?

That’s all for now, stay tuned as there’ll be a lot of TWolves news, information and updates this week.  Remember to visit daily for updates all year round!  Thanks for reading and GO WOLVES!

Minnesota Timberwolves Highlights from the 2010-11 Season

During Derrick Williams’ session with the media yesterday (5/19), he made it abundantly clear that he was and will be a “3” (small forward) in the NBA, not a “4” (power forward).  That’s the position he feels he is best suited for and he backed that up by saying, “Whoever picks me will find that out.  I’m just a lot more skilled than people think I am.

In a tweet by Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, Zgoda commented that the one thing Williams didn’t lack was confidence.  

Williams feels he’s the best player in the draft and he has his sights set on the Rookie of the Year Award.  ”I’m not cocky or anything, but that’s the main focus right now, to win the Rookie of the Year.”

After interviewing with the TWolves brass, Williams declared that the Wolves have a chance to select this year’s best player with the draft’s second pick next month.  

Williams has had two successful years at the collegiate level and is ready to take his talents to the NBA.  In a year he’s gone from possible first-round pick, to one of the draft’s top two players.  The question is, will he be a “Wolf”?

With the “logjam” of forwards on the TWolves roster: (Beasley, Webster, Hayward, Love, Randolph and Tolliver), Williams will likely not be a “Timberwolf” next season.  As noted before, the Timberwolves are in trade talks about moving the #2 pick and it’s believed if they don’t move the pick, they may take Turkish big man Enes Kanter at #2.

Stay tuned for all the up-to-date Timberwolves news and information all offseason long.  Thanks for reading and GO WOLVES!

Some of Anthony Randolph’s 2010-11 Season Highlights

There is no word yet, but indications have been strong ever since David Kahn’s end of the year press conference, just before the Wolves’ last game of the season, that 2nd-year Head Coach Kurt Rambis would be, most likely, let go this offseason.  Two-years into a 4-year deal he signed with the Wolves, Kurt Rambis has successfully accomplished the feat of being the worst coach in franchise history.  I’m not just saying that though!!  By his 32-132 overall record.  That’s right, it became official about mid-season, Kurt Rambis is the worst coach in franchise history (record-wise at least).

Needless to say, there is a very good chance the Wolves won’t be bringing him back.

Owner Glen Taylor has told David Kahn and his front office staff to gather information and evaluations of Rambis’ & the Wolves last two seasons, for him to look over, before Kahn and himself make a final decision.  

Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune feels quite strongly that Kurt Rambis won’t be courtside for the Wolves next season and he feels that the decision needs to be made sooner rather than later, so the Wolves can acclimate a new coach and have him ready by the Draft this summer.  

Zgoda brought up a good point in his article (found here: http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/120214289.html ).  He talked about the CBA and the $ situation that could present a problem for the Wolves.  Basically, is Taylor going to want to fire Rambis, but still have to pay him as well as a new coach in a season that may be shortened OR may not even happen!

Either way, we’ll take a look at some of the potential coaches the Timberwolves could look to interview, hopefully soon, assuming that Rambis is indeed fired.  Which, if you go to almost any TWolves fan site, where comments can be posted, seems to be the general theme!

Furthermore, the fact that when asked, the Timberwolves players didn’t stand up for their new coach.  At least most of them didn’t.  Of course in the midst of a 17-win season and en-route to the worst record in the NBA who can blame ‘em?  I CAN!  I’ve always felt the coaches get the most fault for the lackluster play of their team, but when a team thrives, who gets the glory?  It’s certainly not the NBA coach who spends every waking hour going through hours of film, coaching and working with 15 different personalities, all the while trying to get them to buy into his system.  Let’s face it, these 65 losses this season and the other 67 last season aren’t all on Rambis, at least that’s how I feel!  It’s the players fault, it’s GM David Kahn’s fault (when the Wolves drafted Rubio and Flynn in the same draft, before hiring Rambis who had no need for either of those point guards! and, yes Coach Rambis.  In a 17-win season, there’s plenty of blame to go around!

However, when asked Kevin Love, “beat around the bush” and said he wouldn’t mind if Rambis stayed, he also said that he wouldn’t mind a change.  We know they don’t have the greatest relationship and if it’s going to take a new coach to keep Love happy and in Minnesota, long-term, that alone would seem worth it!  Wesley Johnson also said a change wouldn’t be bad, that the Wolves players could handle it, citing when Anthony Randolph came over in the latter stages of the season, how the team was able to adjust.  In earlier interviews toward the end of the year, Martell Webster, Anthony Tolliver and Kevin Love have all stated, in some way, that they didn’t believe that all the Timberwolves’ players were buying into his system.  However, there was one player, that I know of, that stood up for his coach: Michael Beasley.  The first-year Timberwolf backed his coach and hoped Kurt would be staying beyond this season.

Although Rambis does have some support; very little, I think we can all agree that there are certainly some names out there that could possibly be had as new coaches.  Below are just a few of the available candidates.

Rick Adelman: He just was “fired” as the Rockets’ head coach.  Now at 65/6 no one is going to confuse him from that young guy sitting on the Miami pine, but he still feels he can coach in this League and will certainly be looking for work in the future.  But, really, is Adelman going to want to come to this train wreck (it hurts me to say: train wreck, but what else do you call a 17-win season that ended with a 15-game losing streak?!)?  Adelman would certainly be a valuable assest to the Wolves bench.  His knowledge and wisdom as well as his approach with players and his system have been effective in the past, but ultimately, chances are slim he’ll want anything to do with the Wolves…

Mike Brown: Former Coach of the Year, Former Coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.  I mean, he was fired from the Cavaliers, they hired Byron Scott and suddenly the Cavs went from a 65-win team to a 65-loss team!  OH, wait a minute, I nearly forgot LeBron James bolted hometown Cleveland!  No, but really, the year Mike Brown won Coach of the Year, I remember laughing about it because, really could the Cavs have won 45 games that year if you replaced LeBron with, let’s say…Jason Kapono (that’s obviously an extreme example), quick answer: NO!  I don’t know much about his system or how well he can build a team, because you know watching those Cavs the past few years (not this year!) that they always seemed to have a strong chemistry on and I assume off the court (excluding of course Delonte and LeBron’s mother :/).  I have heard from a few people that they would like to see Brown as the Wolves new head coach.  It seems to me, that he should certainly get an interview and be a strong suitor for the position, beyond that, I really don’t know!

Jeff Van Gundy: The former New York Knicks and former Houston Rockets coach and current NBA analyst could certainly be a target for the Wolves this offseason.  Van Gundy has expressed interest in returning to coaching in an interview with Bill Simmons in 2009.  He’s got a 748-430 overall record in his career.

Jim O’Brien: He was fired from the Pacers earlier this year, but he is one of the more/most unlikely options.  O’Brien isn’t a great coach and isn’t known as a players coach either.  O’Brien’s relationships with his players and the Pacers were struggling as a result.  I wouldn’t expect the Wolves to make him an offer or any team in the near future will make him an offer.

Frank Vogel: Frank Vogel is currently the head coach for the Indiana Pacers.  He is the current interim coach since O’Brien’s firing.  Word is, that at the end of the playoffs for the Pacers, Vogel will be a potential candidate for the long-term job, however chances are good that the Pacers won’t be bringing him back, unless the Pacers have a big upset over the Bulls.

Mike Dunleavy: Dunleavy was the Clippers coach before he was fired and was replaced by Vinny Del Negro.  The chances of Dunleavy ever getting another coaching gig is and should be slim.  He’s not a great coach and hopefully, if Rambis is indeed let go, is someone that will not be considered, but he’s certainly an option.

Jerry Sloan: Sloan has said in reports that he would consider a return to the pine, while other reports suggest he wouldn’t even consider any offers, as he’s happily retired.  I don’t think the Wolves would be a location for the 69-year-old.  I don’t see Sloan wanting to be a part of this young, still struggling squad.  However, hopefully he’s someone the Wolves at least try and get in contact with.

Kelvin Sampson: Since 2008 Sampson has been an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks.  This was a name that got brought up in a Star Tribune article earlier in the year, when there was initial word that Rambis may not be back with the TWolves next season.  Since the 80s he was a coach for various college teams: Montana Tech, Washington State, Oklahoma & Indiana.  If Rambis gets the boot, I’d expect Sampson to be one of the Wolves’ top candidates.

Lawrence Frank: The former-New Jersey Nets head coach and current Boston Celtics assistant is another potential candidate.  Like a lot of the coaches in this list he’ll be on the radar of a lot of the coach-seeking teams: Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers & Detroit Pistons.  Lawrence Frank is a solid coach despite being the coach of the Nets when they won just 12 games a season ago.

John Kuester: There is little doubt by anyone that John Kuester will indeed be fired this offseason.  John Kuester has not had a good career in Detroit missing the playoffs the last two seasons and sour relationships with his players on and off the court.  The fact, however, is that Kuester will be available.  If the TWolves even consider him, they’ll be making a HUGE mistake.

Keith Smart: There have been no official announcements yet, but chances seem likely that the rookie coach Smart will not be back with the Warriors next season.  Chances are good he’ll catch on with another team as an assistant coach again, but chances are slim the TWolves will consider the current Warriors coach.

Mike Woodson: Former Atlanta Hawks coach Woodson is a talented coach that led the Hawks to multiple playoff appearances after rebuilding the team from a number of lousy seasons.  This has been a big target of the Houston Rockets recently, but I hope the Timberwolves will seriously consider Woodson.

Larry Brown: Former Charlotte Bobcats coach Brown has stated that he is most interested in returning to college coaching, but he’ll certainly be an option for the Wolves.  Larry Brown shouldn’t be a top candidate for the Wolves though, Brown has been notorious for trading away the players he simply doesn’t like (Tyson Chandler, Jason Richardson etc.) the last thing the Wolves need is a coach that’s going to come in and try and blow up the roster.

Kevin McHale: The former Timberwolves coach and current TNT NBA analyst seems like an extremely unlikely hire.  Call me crazy, but I don’t see the Wolves re-hiring the guy they fired just two seasons ago.  However, you never know, he does have a strong relationship with All-Star Kevin Love, so it’s certainly still a possibility.

Patrick Ewing: The all-star Knicks center and current Magic assistant has long been vocal about wanting the opportunity to get a head coaching gig.  He should certainly be on the short list for the Wolves as a possible hire.  He could really help to further develop the Timberwolves big men: Love, Beasley, Randolph, Milicic, Pekovic, Tolliver etc.

Eddie Jordan: Former 76ers and Wizards coach seems like another unlikely hire for the Wolves, but like a lot of these guys…he’s available.  He was fired after just a season with the 76ers, obviously the guy they got this past summer (Doug Collins) has made the most of his team (7th seed in the East).  Jordan should and most likely not a possibility for our Wolves.

Brian Shaw: The current Los Angeles Lakers assistant and likely replacement for Phil Jackson this offseason.  Brian Shaw wouldn’t be an ideal hire whatsoever.  It would make not sense whatsoever, because he’s “cut from the same cloth” as Rambis as a former Jackson assistant, running the triangle.  

Mike Budenholzer: The current San Antonio Spurs assistant is a potential “get” for the Wolves.  Budenholzer is a good assistant working under a great coach: Gregg Poppovich.  Under Pop, Budenholzer has learned quite a bit, Budenholzer has also been a candidate for the Rockets.

Don Nelson: Former Golden State Warriors coach was fired just before the start of the 10-11 season.  In a recent report Nelson has said he will listen to any offer that comes his way.  His relationships with a couple of the current Timberwolves’ players could be a good or bad thing (I don’t know their relationships with each other): Anthony Tolliver & Anthony Randolph.  I could see him being a serious candidate if Rambis is indeed let go.

Bill Laimbeer, David Wohl, John Blair-Bickerstaff, Reggie Theus: The current set of Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coaches.  I doubt that any of these men will get serious consideration.  Bill Laimbeer’s name has come up a few times, but chances are slim that the former Detroit Shock (WNBA) head coach will get an offer.  He’s continually expressed desire to be a head coach.  As for the other three guys, if the Wolves decide to fire Rambis, I’d expect them to “clean house” with his assistants (especially considering the new coach would hire a new set of assistants).

As I said before, there’s no indication at this time as to whether or not Rambis will indeed be fired, but if he is, there’s your list of possible coaching options.  Updates will be available on this site if there’s any word on Rambis’ future with the Wolves.  Until then, thanks for reading and GO WOLVES!

The Minnesota Timberwolves season is over.  It mercilessly came to an end a week ago in a 121-102 loss to the Houston Rockets.  With that, today we’re taking a look at our roster and handing out a few awards of our own, specifically for the Timberwolves!

First off, the Most Valuable Player for the Wolves this season.  This one’s a no brainer, the Wolves’ MVP=Kevin Love.  A first-time all-star, set a new record for consecutive double-doubles since the ABA/NBA merger (53), lead the league in total rebounds and rebounds per game and is the likely candidate for Most Improved Player of the Year!  Love expanded his game this year with the three-point shot and with Big Al out of the picture, Love got a bump in minutes and his production skyrocketed.  He lead the Wolves and the League in rebounds and rebounds per game as well as leading the Wolves in points per game.  Kevin Love is your Timberwolves MVP!

Most Improved Player: This is also a no-brainer.  The likely candidate to win the League MIP is Kevin Love, the winner of the Wolves MIP is…KEVIN LOVE!  With a bump in minutes came a big bump in his stats as well as his popularity in Minnesota and in the League!

Most Disappointing Player: Any Timberwolves fan could name this one right off the bat, it was and is without a doubt the second-year guard Jonny Flynn.  Offseason hip surgery saw him miss the first part of the season.  Upon his return, we (Wolves fans) had high expectations for Flynn to take over his starting spot from Ridnour and thrive and improve upon his rookie year.  Those high expectations were not met, not even close, disappointing; it was beyond disappointing.  Needless to say with Rubio on his way, Ridnour on the books for another 3 years and a strong chance of Irving being our first pick, I think it’s more than safe to say Flynn has played his last game for the TWolves game.

“Best” Reserve: There are certainly a few more candidates for this one.  The Wolves got great performances from Anthony Randolph, Anthony Tolliver & Martell Webster.  They were certainly the three best reserves on this team, but lets try and weed some of these guys out.  First off, Randolph didn’t join the Wolves till just before the Trade Deadline, so he played less than half a season for the Wolves, although that time was solid I think we can eliminate him.  Both Martell Webster and Anthony Tolliver were down with separate injuries during the season, but both were key contributors for the Wolves.  Martell Webster was in and out with his performance.  Anthony Tolliver wasn’t a big offensive player or really a great defensive player, but every time he got out there he hustle and worked extremely hard.  My “best”/key reserve goes to first-year Timberwolf Anthony Tolliver.

“Mr. Hustle”: No more than 2 sentences ago I gave you my pick for “Mr. Hustle”.  Anthony Tolliver got out there every night and according to almost every Wolves reporter he was the hardest working man on the roster.  In early, out late, a desire to succeed and the determination to put in the time.  Anthony Tolliver is your Timberwolves “Mr. Hustle”!

Those are your award-winners, that’s all for now.  Stay tuned all summer for some updates on your favorite sports team.  We’ll also be bringing you some player biographies, coaching updates, free agent outlooks, CBA updates, draft outlook(s), the Wolves’ biggest needs & we’ll take a look and keep you up to date on what all your favorite Wolves players and what they’re working on this summer.  Stay tuned, until then, thanks for reading and GO WOLVES!!

Minnesota-native Kris Humphries of the New Jersey Nets is a free agent this offseason and he was recently asked in an interview if he would consider signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Humphries had this to say, ” Minnesota’s always close to me, but I don’t think now’s the time.  We got something going in New Jersey, a move to Brooklyn in a new building the year after next season that’s supposed to be the premier arena in the League, and I want to be a part of that.  I hear the courtside seats already are sold out.”

I wouldn’t expect the Wolves to make any offers to the young power forward.  They’ve already got quite a bit of depth at the power forward position: Kevin Love, Anthony Randolph & Anthony Tolliver.