Taylor, asked what would happen if McHale makes his decision before the front-office position is filled, said that wouldn’t be an issue.
“He’s not going to,” Taylor said. “I know he won’t.”
Taylor said he has heard recently from some new, qualified candidates but anticipates continuing the process with the current group and quickly resolving his front-office and coaching situations, in that order.
“As of right now, yes,” he said. “Unless this changes for some reason or other. It just seems to me that, rather than get ahead of ourselves, we should get that decision done first as long as there is not a pressing need to make a decision on the coaching right now.”
There is no doubt that Al Jefferson is on his way to a promising career. The forward/center destroyed opposing teams with an array of low-post moves and rebounding domination. After Jefferson’s devastating season-ending knee injury in early February, the Wolves momentum was halted for the remainder of the year. Without the 23.1 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, Minnesota struggled to find consistent scoring options from the post position. The Wolves fell to just 7-25 sans Jefferson. During the offseason, Jefferson will remain in Minnesota to work with the local staff to rehab his surgically repaired knee. Next season offers a new beginning for the team while Big Al may play with chip on his shoulder after an All-Star snub. Jefferson is the cornerstone of the franchise; the record clearly exemplifies the importance of his presence on the court.