2019 Minnesota Timberwolves Off-Season Thread

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Shama: Wolves Roster Reshuffling Seems Likely

The hiring of new president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas is likely to reshape the roster for next season but perhaps won’t dramatically change the coaching staff. Rosas is a disciple of analytics and three-point shooting advocate as practiced by the Houston Rockets for whom he has worked as a front office executive.

The Wolves attempted 2,357 three point shots last season, the fifth fewest of the NBA’s 30 teams, per Basketball-reference.com. The roster doesn’t have much in the way of three-point marksmen, although center Karl-Anthony Towns is among the better shooting big men in the league.

The expected emphasis on three-point shooting could impact decisions on free agent guards Derrick Rose and Tyus Jones. Neither is known for his three-point game and Jones has struggled with field goal accuracy.

The Rockets have been one of the NBA’s most successful teams in recent years and have done it with a foundation of three-point shooting. Last season the Rockets attempted the most three-point shots in the league (3,721) and were the only club with more three-point shots than two point attempts, per basketball-reference.com.

Interim head coach Ryan Saunders told Sports Headliners awhile ago he is interested in playing an up-tempo style. That seems in his favor as word is awaited on whether Rosas will make him the permanent coach. The Rockets try to get the basketball up the floor quickly and they look for open space to shoot three-pointers.

Saunders’ willingness to communicate and learn also is in his favor for staying on with the Wolves where owner Glen Taylor has expressed his liking for the league’s youngest coach. With Rosas’ input, the assistant coaching staff could certainly change.

Rosas’ hiring is a reminder of how absent this organization has been in making elite personnel moves since its inception 30 years ago. The franchise’s futility (one playoff appearance since 2004 and never a Western Conference championship) is tied to not having an extraordinary talent evaluator leading the basketball front office. While it’s no easy task to hire a talent-finding savant, it can be done—with the Golden State Warriors organization a showcase example.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Howl Wolves!!
 

Jim Souhan said:
If Rosas is the right hire, he’ll prove that winning NBA games in Minnesota is not be as hard as the Wolves have made it look for most of the last 30 years.
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Souhan is almost as good at writing as he is at being fit. Like, really, really fit.
 

STrib: New Timberwolves president Gersson Rosas will have lengthy to-do list

Rosas will now begin the process of making over the Wolves in his image. Some decisions will require his immediate attention. Some will be more long term and come incrementally over multiple seasons. Here’s a list of some of those items:

Future of Layden, Saunders

Ever since the last weeks of the season, the perception around the league is that interim coach Ryan Saunders would be back on a permanent basis thanks to his relationship with Taylor, who also owns the Star Tribune, and the support Saunders has in the locker room from players like Karl-Anthony Towns. Layden’s future was more uncertain given that he was Tom Thibodeau’s hand-picked GM, but Layden also has a good relationship with Taylor. Rosas will need to evaluate whether both will fit into his plans going forward.

The roster and the cap

Rosas inherits a team that doesn’t have a lot of flexibility for next season. The Wolves already have about $109 million committed to eight players, and it could be more if the value of Towns’ contract extension increases if he’s named to an All-NBA team. The projected salary cap next year is $109 million. Rosas may have to find some creative ways to keep the Wolves under the projected $132 million luxury tax. It may mean swinging a deal that might require the Wolves to bite the bullet to send Jeff Teague’s $19 million salary somewhere else next season or the two years and $33.5 million owed to Gorgui Dieng. Or …

Where does Wiggins fit in?

Perhaps the biggest question facing the Wolves on the court. Wiggins has four years left on a max deal he signed in 2017. Last season was his first playing on that contract. His production and efficiency didn’t rise to the level of a maximum player. He averaged 18.1 points per game — but he needed 16.6 field-goal attempts per game to get there. He shot 41% from the field, the lowest of his career. Rosas comes from the Rockets, one of the most analytically minded organizations in the league. Could he get Wiggins to reduce the number of midrange jump shots he takes? Wiggins was 11th in the NBA in midrange attempts and hit just 34.7% of those shots. Is there a trade out there Rosas could find to lessen the burden of Wiggins’ contract, or can he help improve Wiggins’ game, making his contract easier to take?

Long-term development

Rosas earned his stripes in Houston by shaping the Rockets’ pro and college scouting departments. It will be worth monitoring what changes he may implement on that side of the operation. That could begin with this year’s draft, where the Wolves are back in the lottery. The Wolves traditionally haven’t been able to attract big-money free agents. The way they will become competitive again is by molding the talent they acquire either through the draft, trades or lower-tier free agency. Rosas’ background in scouting should give them a chance to find the talent they need to contend again.

http://www.startribune.com/new-timb...rosas-will-have-lengthy-to-do-list/509414321/

Howl Wolves!!
 

STrib: New team president Gersson Rosas impresses Timberwolves with vision for franchise

After the Wolves got done with those interviews Monday, Casson and his team convened Tuesday to discuss which candidates might advance. They had only one name in mind — Gersson Rosas, the former Rockets executive who was offered and accepted the job after he and his wife, Susana, visited with Taylor and his wife, Becky, at their home in Mankato.

“The thing that stood out to me the most,” Casson told the Star Tribune, “was it felt like we were sitting across from somebody that wasn’t interviewing for a president of basketball operations position. It felt like we were sitting across from somebody interviewing for the Timberwolves president of basketball operations position. He came in with a very holistic approach.”

That meant Rosas had an intimate knowledge not just of the roster but of the team’s history, the marketplace, front office. He laid out a vision for how to develop players, on the court and off the court. Rosas no doubt did his research, but his 16 years in the Rockets organization wearing many different hats — from intern to video coordinator to vice president — created a mind and know-how ready to assume this role.

“This feels like not only the type of person we want to go to the next step with but somebody that has an incredible capacity to lead us inside this next chapter of the Timberwolves story, Timberwolves history,” Casson said. “He has a vision for us. He articulated a vision and by all accounts, this is somebody we really believe can execute on that vision.”

Rosas emerged from an initial pool of candidates that included 25 to 30 names, Casson said. That list became four in-person interviews, with Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon, ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups and Nuggets assistant GM Calvin Booth making their way to Minnesota over the past two weeks. Casson said each interview lasted from around 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and featured people from different facets of the organization. At the end of each day, the candidates spoke to Taylor, who also owns the Star Tribune, by phone. Casson said he was impressed with all the candidates and the depth of their preparation and research, but Rosas stood out in part because of how he spoke about collaborating across all departments, how not having blinders when it came to the basketball operations can help the Wolves. That’s something that wasn’t always present under former coach and president Tom Thibodeau.

“He really gravitated toward the spirit of alignment, spoke quite a bit around collaboration and those are really key attributes to any successful leader,” Casson said. “That’s not to take the place of building a championship-caliber team, which is absolutely the priority, but it’s to complement that. We found that in Gersson. He’s dynamic.”

http://www.startribune.com/new-team...erwolves-with-vision-for-franchise/509489122/

Howl Wolves!!
 




BleedGopher said:
per Sid:

• There is no doubt Ryan Saunders will be named Timberwolves coach as a part of Gersson Rosas being named president of basketball operations, but expect other changes in the coaching staff.

http://www.startribune.com/vikings-...pectations-excitement-are-sky-high/509488582/

Howl Wolves!!
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Very disappointing, if true. There is no way that Ryan Saunders is the best person for the job if an honest and thorough evaluation were done. Furthermore, there is no way that Ryan Saunders is one of the 30 best basketball coaches on the planet.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Very disappointing, if true. There is no way that Ryan Saunders is the best person for the job if an honest and thorough evaluation were done. Furthermore, there is no way that Ryan Saunders is one of the 30 best basketball coaches on the planet.
Click to expand...

What KAT wants, Kat gets.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Very disappointing, if true. There is no way that Ryan Saunders is the best person for the job if an honest and thorough evaluation were done. Furthermore, there is no way that Ryan Saunders is one of the 30 best basketball coaches on the planet.
Click to expand...

This is the TWolves.
 



bga1 said:
This is the TWolves.
Click to expand...

That's been the easy comeback, but it was different with Thibs and I thought it was going to be even more different with Rosas. Taylor went outside of the country club and made a legitimately great hire, but it doesn't reflect well on Rosas if his first major decision is to fall into the same trap that has been this franchise's problem since its inception.
 

dpodoll68 said:
That's been the easy comeback, but it was different with Thibs and I thought it was going to be even more different with Rosas. Taylor went outside of the country club and made a legitimately great hire, but it doesn't reflect well on Rosas if his first major decision is to fall into the same trap that has been this franchise's problem since its inception.
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A fish stinks from the head down. Ownership/management is vastly underrated in professional sports, and most industries really. It's easy to think the fate of franchises are almost solely driven by coaching and maybe the GM. And yet some franchises continue to suck year after year after year, despite changes in a lot of key positions.

Some people (owners in particular) just can't help themselves and have to stick their fingers in sh*t where they don't belong.

As far as Rosas, I'm very optimistic about him being able to develop a plan and stick to it; the ONLY very minor concern I've been able to find on him anywhere is that he was largely on the scouting side of things in Houston for most of his time, not that involved in the rest. But hell, 16 years with an organization, you gotta see pretty much everything at that point, right?
 

When Saunders was first named the interim coach I was against keeping him long term. However, as the season played out I became more impressed with him as a coach. I thought the Wolves performed pretty well with a lineup of Towns and mostly scrubs. I think Saunders offense fits well with the players Rosas will bring in.

NBA coaches are the most overrated coaches in professional sports. It's all about accumulating 2-3 star players and putting the pieces around them. The 30 coaches in the NBA are not the 30 best basketball coaches in the world.
 

Shama: Taylor: Interim Coach Has to Sell Himself

In an interview today, owner Glen Taylor said it will be up to new president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas to decide if Ryan Saunders has the interim tag removed from his title as the Minnesota Timberwolves head coach.

Taylor is an admirer of Saunders but said he isn’t telling Rosas who should be the team’s head coach for next season. “He’s got to sit down with Ryan,” Taylor said following a news conference at Target Center where Rosas was introduced as the franchise’s new basketball boss.

Does Saunders have to sell himself? “Sure, he does,” Taylor said. “That’s part of his job, but I am positive Ryan knows what he wants to do, and he will do a good job. So we’ll see how it works out.”

Saunders, 33, is the NBA’s youngest head coach and was promoted to his interim status in January when Tom Thibodeau was fired. Although he had never been a head coach before, he impressed Taylor despite the team not making the playoffs.

“I think that Ryan did a great job based upon the circumstances that he was given,” Taylor said. “It’s hard to really measure him when you have so many of his guys that were injured and stuff.

“But I still watched how he substituted, brought players in, got the most out of some of our young guys and did some really positive things. I haven’t changed in my thinking, and now we’ll see what others think.”

Taylor said that during the interview process Rosas asked what he saw in Saunders. But Taylor didn’t try to prejudice the decision Rosas will need to make in the coming weeks about who his coach will be.

The Wolves missed the playoffs this spring after qualifying for the postseason in 2018 for the first time since 2004. Taylor believes in the personnel already in place. “I haven’t changed my mind. I think we have the talent.

“What he (Rosas) talked about is something I just really believe in too. We’ve got to develop our own players, our draft choices. We’ve got to get those guys to play better.

“I think that’s what he’s got to talk to the coach (about). What plays do you set up? What styles do you do to utilize the skills of your players? …

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Howl Wolves!!
 



Chip: New Timberwolves president Gersson Rosas not subtle about 'modern basketball' agenda

The Timberwolves introduced a new basketball boss on Monday, and while Gersson Rosas didn’t go so far as to poke fun at the team’s style of play under Tom Thibodeau, he mentioned “modern basketball” at least a half-dozen times when discussing his plan.

So read between the lines.

The term “culture” has become so ingrained in the sports world vernacular that every coach and team executive has made it Chapter 1 in their operational manual.

Rosas likely experienced cultural shock when examining the way the Wolves play compared to the team he just left, the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets represent the definition of modern basketball: Pace and space and three-point shooting until your heart’s content, or your arm becomes sore.

Houston launched 3,721 three-pointers this season, easily the most in the NBA. The Timberwolves took 2,357 threes. That represents a staggering difference in philosophy when one team shoots 1,364 more three-pointers than another in one season.

Rosas, the new president of basketball operations, promised not to turn the Wolves into “Houston North,” but he also vowed that changes are coming.

“We want to be strategic, and we want to play to our strengths,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with roster. But I think you’re going to see a lot of similarities in how the modern game is being played.”

There it is, modern game. Code for lots of three-pointers, fast pace and spread the floor with shooters and positionless players.

http://www.startribune.com/new-timb...tle-about-modern-basketball-agenda/509563532/

Howl Wolves!!
 

Rand: New Timberwolves basketball boss Gersson Rosas: 'There's a lot of value here'

A decision on Saunders and Layden could come quickly — perhaps within a few days, with the NBA’s elite prospect camp and draft lottery slated for next week in Chicago.

Building the Wolves’ roster, though, is a process that will play out over a much longer time period. Casson noted the Wolves have some “challenges with flexibility” given that five players — Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague, Gorgui Dieng and Robert Covington — are under contract for more than $100 million combined next season.

Rosas indicated there won’t be any shortcuts, but he also stressed that there are ways the Wolves can improve both from within and from outside the organization.

“I think you’re going to see a different tone from this administration and part of it is going to be we have to maximize every resource — draft, free agency, trades, what we have on the roster in terms of player development,” Rosas said. “We have to be creative. … We have to set ourselves apart by creating the most talented roster we could put together.”

A huge key to the roster is Wiggins, who still has four years and $121 million remaining on his max contract but shot a career-low 41.2% last season.

“I’ve spoken with Andrew. He’s very motivated about this. He’s very excited about it,” Rosas said. “We are going to work him day in and day out, investing with him in every way possible to make him the best player. The reality is this, if I go out on the market to get a player, I’m not going to find a player that’s got a bigger upside than Andrew.”

http://www.startribune.com/gersson-...-to-question-norms-with-everything/509533342/

Howl Wolves!!
 

Hey, if you want a good laugh, listen to Reusse's new podcast on the skor north website. He goes off on a 10-minute rant about the Wolves press event to introduce Rosas. According to Reusse, the whole thing was stage-managed. apparently, they only let certain people ask questions, and in some cases, he claimed the questions and answers were rehearsed.

But mainly, Reusse ripped Rosas and the Wolves for offering no substance - just a bunch of buzz words like "vision" and "collaboration."

As I said, it's pretty damn funny.
 

Reusse: Timberwolves' televised sales pitch: Buzzwords, not the basketball

Rosas was first and threw in a “collaborative,’’ and Taylor, who owns the Star Tribune, tossed in a “culture,’’ but then Casson came along with a stream of buzz words and phrases that would have left Margaret Mett with a busy red pencil and a headache.

Somewhere on the paper, there would have been a grade of D-minus, and with the message, “Make clear what you mean, Ethan.’’

Casson was quick to say on Monday: “We talk about family, we talk about culture, we talk about alignment, we talk about collaboration ...’’

As for the family part, it looked on TV as if Gersson and his wife Susana are going to have their hands full with the pair of 3-year-olds attempting to run amok. Plus,claiming the family angle along with every other athletic enterprise (including those raising that bar to FAMILY, Forget About Me, I Love You) is now such a cliché that it did not cause viewers to pause and say:

“Wow, the Timberwolves will soon be dominant in the NBA after one playoff appearance in 15 years because they have become a family.’’

Culture – blah, blah, blah.

Alignment – with new vehicles, it’s not nearly the problem in the models that young Glen Taylor was driving long ago on the country roads near Comfrey.

Collaborative – reporters and co-workers gave Derek Falvey, in his third season as the Twins’ baseball CEO, such a hard time about his constant use of this one that he now fights himself to avoid saying it in a public forum.

Casson came back from that impressive flurry of four buzz words in one sentence with an interfacing, a 360-degree view, an interface, another collaborative and, finally, a very inclusive.

“Interface – Ethan?’’ Margaret Mett would have written on the margin of this composition. “Does that mean you talked to someone?’’

D-minus, son, and you were lucky to get that.

http://www.startribune.com/timberwo...itch-buzz-words-not-the-basketball/509587172/

Howl Wolves!!
 

Souhan: Biggest challenge for new Timberwolves boss: Unleashing Andrew Wiggins' underdeveloped talent

Why wouldn’t Rosas at least try to make Wiggins better?

Like Wiggins, Harden has spent entire seasons lagging on defense. Harden’s lax defensive play got Kevin McHale fired as Rockets coach. Oklahoma City traded him and Houston had reason to give up on him. Instead, the Rockets invested heavily in helping him become a better player and surrounded him with complementary teammates.

Is Wiggins capable of a Harden-like career surge? I wouldn’t want to bet my future on him. I also wouldn’t want to trade him if there is any chance of him becoming a standout, much less a superstar.

Wiggins fades in fourth quarters and clutch situations. He has failed to develop physically like other lean young players such as Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jimmy Butler, who now display shoulders like bowling balls. Wiggins has failed to develop his three-point shooting, and he seems unbothered by his uninspired play.

It would be unwise to blame anybody other than Wiggins for his faults. He’s played for four different coaches. Most NBA stars return from the summer break with new moves or muscles. Wiggins comes back looking identical to his former self.

Wiggins hasn’t earned a clean slate, but the Wolves would be wise to give him one anyway.

In Rosas and presumed coach Ryan Saunders, Wiggins now works for two people known for their year-round work ethic and desire to connect with players. What would happen if they got Wiggins to dedicate himself in the weight room and take 1,000 three-pointers every day?

Whether they ultimately want to trade or keep Wiggins, the Wolves’ new brain trust would benefit from finding out.

http://www.startribune.com/biggest-...drew-wiggins-underdeveloped-talent/509617592/

Howl Wolves!!
 

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Howl Wolves!!
 

RandBall: Collaboration for Gersson Rosas involves stop at Lynx practice Wednesday

New Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas was spotted Wednesday in the gym at the end of Lynx practice when reporters are allowed to observe, and he chatted with Lynx head coach/general manager Cheryl Reeve for a few minutes afterward.

Reeve said it was actually the second time Rosas has stopped by a Lynx practice; camp just opened Sunday for the Lynx, and Rosas was formally introduced Monday as the Wolves’ new POBO.

“It’s exactly what I expected from him. I think in our time together there is an easy connection. He’s a people person. I say he has a magnetic personality, and he’s going to make himself available,” Reeve said after practice. “This is going to be who he is to everyone, and we probably didn’t have that in the last couple, few years — the relationship between all organizations with the Timberwolves, Lynx and Iowa Wolves. He wants all of that to be a tight group. He doesn’t see them as separate entities.”

Things were certainly not as friendly or collaborative between the Lynx and Wolves during Tom Thibodeau’s tenure as coach and president starting in 2016, though that’s not necessarily to say it negatively impacted either team on the court. Thibodeau got the Wolves to the playoffs in the 2017-18 season for the first time in 14 years. Reeve’s Lynx won their fourth WNBA title in 2017 as well.

Reeve and Rosas both favor a more unified approach and also have a keen interest in the edges that can be gained from analytics. The Lynx, for instance, have a digital tracking system hooked up during their practices that measures and calls out the arc of every shot attempted.

“I want him here. I know he has a job to do, but I like when he comes in. I want him to tell me what he sees,” Reeve said. “We’re always looking for ways to do a little bit better, and obviously coming from Houston you think right away about analytics. He has a pretty strong philosophy. I was able to grab a couple good tidbits over there that we’re going to try to install moving forward.”

http://www.startribune.com/collabor...es-stop-at-lynx-practice-wednesday/509653242/

Howl Wolves!!
 

The Athletic: Value of trust: Why Jim Petersen played a special role in the Gersson Rosas hire

As Ethan Casson assembled the team that would ultimately help choose the Timberwolves’ next president of basketball operations, the team’s CEO went to all parts of the organization for representation in a decision they couldn’t afford to get wrong.

His approach was an unconventional one for NBA circles, involving 10 people in the interview process, and not just for the Wolves employees he selected. Maybe the most unique element of all was Casson’s decision to go outside of the organization to bring some much-needed basketball knowledge and schematic expertise to the group.

His pick may have been outside the organization, but it was still inside the house. Fox Sports North analyst Jim Petersen has been a fixture at Target Center for more than two decades, one of the most respected television analysts in the league and a former longtime assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx.

If anyone across the league looked at Petersen’s...

https://theathletic.com/970470/2019...yed-a-special-role-in-the-gersson-rosas-hire/

Howl Wolves!!
 

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Howl Wolves!!
 


STrib: New Wolves boss Gersson Rosas will make a decision on coach over next 7-10 days

Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas hasn't wasted much time tackling the major decisions he has ahead of him. After spending Monday at his introductory news conference and Tuesday getting to know the organization better, Rosas has spent a lot of time the past three days in detailed conversations with interim coach Ryan Saunders about the future of the head coaching position, a source told the Star Tribune on Friday.

But Rosas hasn't made a final decision on who will be the Wolves coach. He will continue evaluating the situation and reach a decision over the next seven to 10 days, the source said.

Saunders and Rosas met for several hours Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and have gone over all facets of the franchise. Their discussions ranged from personnel to style of play, player development, building an assistant coaching staff, and how to modernize the Wolves offense into an up-tempo, efficient offense. But their conversations haven't just dealt with on- court issues. They have discussed the importance of communication, leadership and how best to succeed in the Minnesota market in collaboration with other aspects of the organization, the source said.

At his introductory news conference, Rosas, who spent 16 years in the Rockets organization, vowed to take a thorough examination of the Wolves and its operations.

"We want to make educated decisions," Rosas said Monday. "One thing I'll bring from Houston is we're going to question the norm with everything that we do. [Owner] Glen [Taylor] wants us to have a world-class organization and I believe we have the resources to build that here. We want a sustainable model that's going to have success."

http://www.startribune.com/new-wolv...ision-on-coach-over-next-7-10-days/509779102/

Howl Wolves!!
 

STrib: Can Wolves find the next big thing in basketball analytics?

At his introductory news conference Monday, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas declared, “We’re going to question the norm with everything that we do.” The Wolves have lagged behind the NBA three-point revolution in recent years.

But the question today isn’t how to catch up to the pack there, since three-point shooting has become the norm. Rather, the question is: What might be the next big thing in NBA analytics that Rosas and the Wolves can unearth and exploit?

First take: Michael Rand

From a purely basketball standpoint, the game seems to be trending toward a positionless model. The Rockets, where Rosas worked for 17 years, employ two Hall of Fame point guards who often share the floor.

Part of what makes the Warriors so good is that they have four starters — Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green — who can handle the ball.

I could envision a future NBA where there basically aren’t any true centers and all five players are expected to be adept at passing, shooting and dribbling.

Chris Hine, Wolves beat writer: Then it’s a good thing the Wolves have a center who’s versatile in Karl-Anthony Towns, if he’s going to become a tall guard in this future NBA. The NBA is already trending in this direction. You hear coaches talk all the time about players needing the ability to guard multiple positions because of this.

The NBA has already nailed down the value of different shots on the floor and where its players need to shoot from in order to score. I think the next big thing is coming up with some way to ensure the mental health and well-being of players. Commissioner Adam Silver recently said a lot of NBA players are unhappy or depressed thanks in part to social media. If there’s a way for teams to keep players happy and in a good frame of mind during an 82-game season, the on-court product could benefit as well.



Rand: That’s a good thought — and obviously a challenge that extends beyond the NBA into greater society.

From a competitive standpoint, another big frontier on the analytics side is physical health and injury prevention. Like Silver’s comments, which came in March at the MIT Sloan Analytics Sports Conference, injury prevention was a hot topic at the annual meeting of the minds in Boston.

Whether it’s improved sleep, smarter training or secrets to recovery, teams and players that find an edge in this area reap benefits. Just think of how different the Wolves season might have played out, for instance, if Robert Covington and others had been healthy all year.

Hine: They did look good for a few weeks there in November! It’s hard for me to envision a radical change coming to basketball on the court.

It seems like it’s going to come off the court in rest, health, sleep and nutrition.

I’ll also be interested to see what Rosas thinks of the Wolves’ grueling travel schedule and if he has any plans to alter how the Wolves handle road trips.

http://www.startribune.com/can-wolves-find-the-next-big-thing-in-basketball-analytics/509802802/

Howl Wolves!!
 


per Shama:

An NBA source told Sports Headliners new Timberwolves general manager Gersson Rosas was effective in 17 years working for the Houston Rockets front office but not visible to the public. “There weren’t five paragraphs written about him in the newspapers,” the source said.

Rosas’ work as assistant general manager for the Rockets was appreciated by Kevin McHale, the former Houston head coach and once the Timberwolves basketball boss. “Great hire by the Wolves. Gersson is a good blend of analytics and basketball. He values high IQ and skill in players, along with chemistry. Gersson will make sure the team can produce high value shots from three, in the paint and from the line. He is a good person and will fit very nicely in Minnesota.”

Among Rosas’ challenges will be extracting more production from over compensated Andrew Wiggins. A suggestion: switch Wiggins from small forward to big guard. NBA game strategy is often about exploiting mismatches and at 6-foot-8 the athletic Wiggins has the potential to do just that, including near the basket.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Howl Wolves!!
 

ESPN: Sources: Juwan Howard to interview with Wolves

New Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas plans to interview candidates for the franchise's head-coaching job this week, including Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard and Portland Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool, league sources told ESPN.

Interim coach Ryan Saunders will remain a prominent candidate in Minnesota's coaching search, but Rosas plans to engage in a process with outside candidates before formalizing a decision on a new head coach, league sources said.

Saunders finished the season as the Timberwolves' interim coach after the midseason firing of Tom Thibodeau and has earned the endorsement of All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns. Saunders has made a strong impression on ownership and senior management, including Rosas, who has spent a dozen or so hours meeting with him since Rosas' recent appointment to run the Wolves' basketball operations.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26743016/juwan-howard-interview-wolves

Howl Wolves!!
 

STrib: New Timberwolves President Gersson Rosas to represent team at Tuesday's draft lottery

One of the first tests for Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas will be — how lucky is he?

Rosas is set to represent the Wolves in Chicago at Tuesday’s draft lottery, the annual event in which the future of several franchises hinge on the fate of pingpong balls.

The good thing for the Wolves — who finished 36-46, the 10th-worst record in the league — is that this year the NBA has enacted changes it passed for the lottery in September 2017. It flattened the odds at the top so that the worst three teams each have a 14% chance of the top pick. Under the old rules, the worst team had a 25% chance of landing the top pick.

Previously, teams near the back end of the lottery only had a chance to jump into the top three. Now they could jump into the top four, and the odds the Wolves have give them at least a puncher’s chance of doing that.

They will enter Tuesday with 13.9% odds of jumping into the top four, which includes a 3% chance of landing the top pick. That’s assumed to be Duke’s Zion Williamson, a potential franchise-altering talent.

You could forgive Wolves fans if they’re a little cynical about the chances of jumping six spots or more because the Wolves have never moved up even one spot in the lottery in their history. They’ve fallen back on multiple occasions, perhaps most famously in 1992 when they entered the lottery with the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick but slipped to third — missing out on picking Shaquille O’Neal (No. 1) or Alonzo Mourning (No. 2) and instead getting Christian Laettner.

http://www.startribune.com/new-timb...esday-s-draft-lottery/509879812/?refresh=true

Howl Wolves!!
 

BleedGopher said:
ESPN: Sources: Juwan Howard to interview with Wolves

New Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas plans to interview candidates for the franchise's head-coaching job this week, including Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard and Portland Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool, league sources told ESPN.

Interim coach Ryan Saunders will remain a prominent candidate in Minnesota's coaching search, but Rosas plans to engage in a process with outside candidates before formalizing a decision on a new head coach, league sources said.

Saunders finished the season as the Timberwolves' interim coach after the midseason firing of Tom Thibodeau and has earned the endorsement of All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns. Saunders has made a strong impression on ownership and senior management, including Rosas, who has spent a dozen or so hours meeting with him since Rosas' recent appointment to run the Wolves' basketball operations.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26743016/juwan-howard-interview-wolves

Howl Wolves!!
Click to expand...

The Athletic is reporting that 4 candidates outside of Saunders are going to be interviewed in the near future;

Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham

Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard

New Orleans Pelicans assistant Chris Finch

Portland Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool,

Interesting group of candidates, although Saunders is the only one technically with any NBA head coaching experience. Finch is intriguing a little; he coached the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the G-League affiliate for Houston, while Rosas was overseeing that team during his time with the Rockets. Finch helped oversee the implementation of the system dominated by 3-pointers and shots at the rim that was eventually adopted by the Rockets and has revolutionized offense in the NBA.

Still think it's Saunders, but at least due diligence is apparently being done.
 

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