Having the “Monday” Wolves news assignment can be a tough gig. Very little happens between Friday and Sunday during the off-season and coming up with good material is difficult. On the flip side, very little happens between Friday and Sunday during the off-season and I can get away with being a slacker. Here’s your “breaking” TWolves News…
How the Timberwolves Measure Up
via Luke Byrnes at Hoops World
The Minnesota Timberwolves officially went into re-building mode when the team traded Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics back in 2007. Unfortunately for T-Wolves fans, the team hasn’t won as many as 25 games in a season since Garnett’s departure and the 15 games Minnesota won last year tied the franchise record for fewest in a season.
President of Basketball Operations David Kahn has overseen a major roster transformation in his short tenure with the team, adding several young, talented players and creating significant salary cap flexibility moving forward.
As HOOPSWORLD’s “How They Measure Up” segment continues, today we look at the Minnesota Timberwolves.
I’m not so sure that Luke has the starting lineup properly pegged with Corey Brewer at SG and Wes Johnson at SF. I think we’re going to see some Webster and Be Easy in the starting lineup off the bat. At least he didn’t turn this into a Minnesota bash-fest.
Anthony Tolliver Wins Decision Spoof Contest
via Andy Hutchins at SBNation
It turns out, that Tolliver’s more than just a three-pointer-jacking big man; he’s got a healthy, self-effacing sense of humor. And if his tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves produces more moments of mirth like this, we’re all winners.
In All Seriousness, Tolliver likes the Wolves
via Jerry Zgoda at the Strib
The Wolves couldn’t stop Tolliver — he scored 34 points for Golden State in an April game at Target Center — so they went out and signed him instead to complete a frontcourt rotation that features Kevin Love at power forward, Darko Milicic and Nikola Pekovic at center and Michael Beasley at both forward spots.
“I think so. … Maybe they said, ‘We need to take a look at this guy,’ ” Tolliver said by phone Friday when asked if that 34-point game might have swayed Wolves coach Kurt Rambis and personnel boss David Kahn.
“I think I’ll fit perfectly,” Tolliver said. “It’s a passing offense, and I love to pass the ball. It’s one of the favorite parts of my game. I think I can do that well … I’ll go wherever Coach tells me. I feel like I have the versatility to play all three [frontcourt] positions.”
Tolliver said he ultimately chose the Wolves over a return to Golden State because of the opportunity being on such a young team presents and because the attention to detail Kahn and assistant GM Tony Ronzone displayed in recruiting him.
Other than the Beasley trade, thisTolliver signing may be the highlight of the off-season for me. I know he’ll probably end up being a role player and may not make a huge difference, but it’s nice to see some humor and positive vibes coming from somebody who willingly chose to come to Minnesota.
And that’s your pretty limted and sorta outdated Timberwolves news for today. It’s tough to find the scoops on Monday morning that haven’t already been discussed over the weekend in our forum. If you haven’t checked the forum out, do yourself a favor and visit it today!