The Timberwolves didn’t learn until just two hours before June’s NBA draft that guard Ricky Rubio, whose buyout clause with the DVK Joventut team has him stuck in Spain, probably would be available to them with their No. 5 overall pick.
From Sid Hartman:
The word in NBA circles is that Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis will be the next Timberwolves coach and Mychal Thompson, the former Gophers star and Lakers teammate of Rambis’ who now is a radio broadcaster for the Lakers, has made a strong recommendation. “I talked to David [Kahn] personally and told him you have to go after a guy like Rambis who knows what it takes to win in this league,” Thompson said. “He would take the job if it was offered to him. I know that. He would be a great teacher to guys like Al Jefferson and Kevin Love.”
The Timberwolves lost their first free agent today when point guard Kevin Ollie signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The team philosophy is just as important off the court for Ryan Gomes, Corey Brewer, and assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff. These three men have specific roles during the NBA season that were illustrated during the final stop of the U.S. Bank – Timberwolves Caravan in Duluth.
On Friday afternoon, the Wolves’ helped build a shed for Shala Topping and her 3-year old at the Habitat for Humanity construction site. While lifting the heavy wood frames, the guys fell into their natural roles.
“We had a nice cast, you know,” Gomes explained. “Strong guy was there (Gomes), the not so strong guy (Brewer), and the in-between guy, which was J.B. so we put it together. We are all a team, so we are trying to do things the right way. But I take a lot of credit for being the strength of the operation.”
The shed is located to the right of the new house, which is set to be finished by November. The Habitat for Humanity organization focuses on eliminating poverty housing and homelessness.