Krista Jahnke/Detroit Free Press on Flip Saunders’ reaction to the deal:
He grinned, rocking on his heels. And he shrugged, as if saying, “Hey, that’s the Timberwolves for you.”
Finally he said, “Not much there.”
“I talked to Randy Wittman on the way in here,” Saunders said,
referring to the Wolves’ head coach. “Their top three scorers from last
year were (Kevin) Garnett, Ricky Davis and Blount. Now all three of
those guys are out. They wanted to have young guys play, and I guess
that’s the direction that they went. They decided to pretty much go
wholesale.”
No, we really just wanted to give the young guys a chance. It opens up
playing time. They were two veterans that were going to play and we’re
going to go young. The first-round pick, we’re stockpiling a lot of
first-round picks, so that was an important part. Walker’s got two
years on his deal, Blount has three on his deal, so you save a year on
that. Doleac and Simien are both done this year. So, it was a financial
deal in some aspects, but more than anything else it was for the
first-round pick and allowing our young guys to develop.
playing time. They were two veterans that were going to play and we’re
going to go young. The first-round pick, we’re stockpiling a lot of
first-round picks, so that was an important part. Walker’s got two
years on his deal, Blount has three on his deal, so you save a year on
that. Doleac and Simien are both done this year. So, it was a financial
deal in some aspects, but more than anything else it was for the
first-round pick and allowing our young guys to develop.
Coach Wittman on the deal:
It’s going to allow the emergence or the ability for the emergence for
some of these guys to step up and see who has leadership ability, and
an understanding for what we’re talking about, that we have to have
cohesiveness in the locker room. You remove two strong personalities
like that, and someone has to show that now.
some of these guys to step up and see who has leadership ability, and
an understanding for what we’re talking about, that we have to have
cohesiveness in the locker room. You remove two strong personalities
like that, and someone has to show that now.
In addition to jettisoning two more veterans, whom Wittman described as
"strong personalities" and whose attitudes have been questioned at
times, the Wolves saved a year on an expensive contract by moving
Blount out and taking Walker in. They also added another first-round
pick, a piece as good as any for a team trying to build a contender
from scratch.
"strong personalities" and whose attitudes have been questioned at
times, the Wolves saved a year on an expensive contract by moving
Blount out and taking Walker in. They also added another first-round
pick, a piece as good as any for a team trying to build a contender
from scratch.
Simien will join the youth movement in Minnesota and should finally get
a chance to show what he is capable of on the court. There have already
been rumblings of contract buyouts for both Doleac and Walker, as
Doleac would find himself behind the surprising Theo Ratliff and Al
Jefferson at center while Walker does not seem to fit in as a "mentor"
to the young Wolves. With 18 players on the roster, it will be
intriguing to see if Minnesota has another trade or two up their sleeve
before opening night.
a chance to show what he is capable of on the court. There have already
been rumblings of contract buyouts for both Doleac and Walker, as
Doleac would find himself behind the surprising Theo Ratliff and Al
Jefferson at center while Walker does not seem to fit in as a "mentor"
to the young Wolves. With 18 players on the roster, it will be
intriguing to see if Minnesota has another trade or two up their sleeve
before opening night.
Basically, Minnesota has completely hit the reset button; the
Timberwolves will have some cap space to sign a free agent or two after
getting rid of the three new guys at some point, they will have a
lottery pick next year after not making the playoffs in 2007-08 and
perhaps they can fight for the eighth spot in 2008-09 en route to
becoming a contender after that–if all goes well with the development
of the young players.
Timberwolves will have some cap space to sign a free agent or two after
getting rid of the three new guys at some point, they will have a
lottery pick next year after not making the playoffs in 2007-08 and
perhaps they can fight for the eighth spot in 2008-09 en route to
becoming a contender after that–if all goes well with the development
of the young players.