All Things 2021-2022 Minnesota Timberwolves In-Season Thread

BleedGopher

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Training camp is upon us. Hope springs eternal.

THIS IS OUR YEAR!

Howl Wolves!!
 












Whew!


Howl Wolves!!
“We have no plans to move…” is a lot different than “We aren’t moving.”
Translation: “If you build us a new arena, we’ll stay. If you don’t, you can catch the Tampa Bay Wolves on 2025-2026 NBA League Pass.”
We’ll have to get used to ARod’s slick language.
 

“We have no plans to move…” is a lot different than “We aren’t moving.”
Translation: “If you build us a new arena, we’ll stay. If you don’t, you can catch the Tampa Bay Wolves on 2025-2026 NBA League Pass.”
We’ll have to get used to ARod’s slick language.
Correct. "Plan."

That's an implied threat.
 

I just watched KAT's two minute media day rant on twitter. He's been through a lot in the last two years but, in terms of the professional side of his life, it's time to grow up. So what if Rosas got fired. Day to day, his main contacts are his teammates, head coach, assistant coaches, trainers and other support personnel. It's not like he doesn't know Gupta.

I don't think he's on the team on opening day next year. I think that's too bad because they are building something.
 

I just watched KAT's two minute media day rant on twitter. He's been through a lot in the last two years but, in terms of the professional side of his life, it's time to grow up. So what if Rosas got fired. Day to day, his main contacts are his teammates, head coach, assistant coaches, trainers and other support personnel. It's not like he doesn't know Gupta.

I don't think he's on the team on opening day next year. I think that's too bad because they are building something.
I'm inclined to agree. Life is tough, bad things happen sometimes, particularly in the middle of a pandemic. Woe is me, but it's hard to blame him when parts of our society are pounded with the notion of a victim mentality
 






I just watched KAT's two minute media day rant on twitter. He's been through a lot in the last two years but, in terms of the professional side of his life, it's time to grow up. So what if Rosas got fired. Day to day, his main contacts are his teammates, head coach, assistant coaches, trainers and other support personnel. It's not like he doesn't know Gupta.

I don't think he's on the team on opening day next year. I think that's too bad because they are building something.
I pretty much agree. I think he's disappointed Rosas was fired because Rosas made KAT the priority and brought in his buddy DLo. The new regime may not be afraid to send either packing and build around ANT.
 

per Shama:

Target Center opened in 1990 and although it has since been remodeled, the downtown Minneapolis facility is the oldest home to an NBA team except for iconic Madison Square Garden in New York where the Knicks play. Although nothing is imminent, Minnesota Timberwolves owners Glen Taylor and Marc Lore foresee a new arena eventually being built in Minnesota.

Taylor spoke to the media yesterday at a news conference introducing limited partners Lore and Alex Rodriguez, the baseball great turned businessman. Lore is a visionary in business endeavors, even talking about building a utopian city using what is termed reformed capitalism. He and Rodriguez will have controlling interest in the Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx franchises in a couple of years.

The two new owners talked extensively yesterday about creating a vision for the franchises with strategies that will create an exemplary organizational culture and lead to success on the court. With ultra sophisticated and technology friendly arenas becoming an NBA trademark, it wasn’t surprising to hear the e-commerce savvy Lore talking about one day replacing city-owned Target Center with a state-of-the-art facility that would be a much better business model for him and his partner.

Taylor said he is on board for a new arena some day and understands the necessity. “That won’t be easy,” he told Sports Headliners. “I hope it can happen. It better happen.”

Taylor said he is absolutely sure the Timberwolves will remain in Minnesota long-term, indicating the league is committed to the marketplace. And Rodriguez said he and his partner are “bullish” on Minnesota, with no plans to relocate the franchises.

Asked when he sees himself talking to city officials about Target Center, Lore said, “We’re a long ways off before we start thinking about something like that.”


Howl Wolves!!
 


What Timberwolves’ Glen Taylor, Marc Lore and A-Rod did and didn’t say about Gersson Rosas, franchise’s future

Gupta’s future

The three owners took pains on Monday to say Gupta was the man in charge of basketball decisions. They said nothing about a search for a new president, preferring to give Gupta a chance to take over and see where the Wolves go. Given the start of the season is here, the timing to go out and conduct a search, especially one that considers candidates who work for other teams, is problematic.

But Taylor, who is just getting to know Gupta after spending the first two years of his regime communicating mostly with Rosas, is warming up to the NBA’s first Indian-American lead decision-maker.

As Lore said, the Wolves don’t want to rush a new hire. They will take their time and empower Gupta to make the decisions he sees fit. It is conceivable that Gupta gets the entire season to show what he can do in the role. The Wolves have not made him “interim” EVP, and there is intention there. In a chaotic moment, the Wolves are trying to at least portray some tranquillity. Gupta has relationships up and down the Wolves front office, has spent the last several days speaking with players more directly as he rises to a higher position.

“I’m confident that we’re set for the future, and I think we’ve made our immediate decisions,” Taylor said.

That position could help Gupta claw back a little bit of leverage in the Simmons talks that was lost in the upheaval. Sixers GM Daryl Morey will try to use the seeming tenuousness of their employment status as more reason to up the price for Simmons. He goes way back with Gupta to their days in Houston, but all bets are off when it comes to trading one of the best defensive players in the league with four years left on his contract.

The feeling coming out of the festivities on Monday was that if Gupta gets a deal he thinks is worthwhile and brings a recommendation to ownership to move forward, he will get that green light. Gupta was a finalist for the role of Kings president of basketball operations that went to Monte McNair last year. Now he has his chance in Minnesota.

“This opportunity in particular, I feel so strongly about because of the relationships,” he said.


Howl Wolves!!
 

I don’t believe kat lost 50# due to covid
KAT loves drama. Always has. The sad thing is that he's had enough real tragedy in his life the last couple of years without having to embellish it with obviously visually disprovable statements like claiming to have lost 50lbs in approx three weeks.
 

KAT loves drama. Always has. The sad thing is that he's had enough real tragedy in his life the last couple of years without having to embellish it with obviously visually disprovable statements like claiming to have lost 50lbs in approx three weeks.
My wife lost 50 pounds during her heart surgeries last year. That was in a one-month time period. That was not at all a good thing.

KAT losing 50 pounds in three weeks due to Covid is possible but doubtful for sure.
 

Chris Finch keeping focus for Timberwolves on court as practices begin​


Finch had an offseason to think about what concepts he would like to install offensively and defensively, with how to utilize Karl-Anthony Towns in pick and roll at the top of the defensive agenda. But one thing that should help Finch is despite the difficult circumstances of coming to coach a new team midseason, he seems to have built up credibility with players from some of the changes he installed last season and the accountability he demands in games and practices.

"It's always one of our challenges as coaches to get their trust," Finch said. "First and foremost, they've got to believe you know what you're talking about and you have their best interests at heart. I tried to do that. I think they were in a place where they were willing to listen."

D'Angelo Russell was among those players, and he spoke Monday about how quickly he latched on to Finch's style.

"I love that guy already," Russell said. "I usually don't judge coaches that soon because I've had a lot of them in a short period of time. But from everything I've seen, everything that I've heard, his supporting cast, the staff around him, it's been great. The comfortability is there. I can feel it."

Then there is Anthony Edwards, who saw his production go up after Finch took over in the second half of the season. There was also a moment early in Finch's tenure when he benched Edwards for the final minutes of a game he was struggling, which helped set the tone for the accountability Finch wanted to set the rest of the season. He and Edwards discussed that benching the next day and Edwards gave Finch credit for the way he closed the season.

"Finchy did a great job of just letting everybody play," Edwards said. "Be themselves and just go out there and be mistake free and just have fun with the game."

In the wake of Rosas' firing, that's all Finch wants the players to do.


Howl Wolves!!
 

with all the mess surrounding the front office and the new owners, it's easy to forget that the season is starting and this team is going to be playing games soon.

I think the Wolves really need to get off to a decent start - both to generate some positive PR and maybe get some fan interest going. if they get off to a bad start, this season could get really ugly.

Of course - if they make a trade for Simmons - that could change perceptions in a hurry.

I am interested to see how Ant starts the season. I think he has the potential to be a special player. If Ant, KAT and DLo (or Simmons) can play together, and if they get some contributions from Beasley and McDaniels, this could actually be a fun team to watch. And - add Beverly to the mix, and I want to see what Bolmaro can do.
 





Howl Wolves!!
Edwards is the light that keeps me intrigued by these Wolfies. He seems to not only have the talent but a mental toughness and charisma that could lead the team to something beyond mediocrity, in a way that KAT or Russell don't possess. I recall last year, after the game where Jimmy Butler was wolfing at KAT, when at the press conference a question was directed to KAT about the exchange and Edwards stepped in and took the question--it was as if Edwards said give me the damn torch that no one else has wanted to pick up for a long time.
 

Edwards is the light that keeps me intrigued by these Wolfies. He seems to not only have the talent but a mental toughness and charisma that could lead the team to something beyond mediocrity, in a way that KAT or Russell don't possess. I recall last year, after the game where Jimmy Butler was wolfing at KAT, when at the press conference a question was directed to KAT about the exchange and Edwards stepped in and took the question--it was as if Edwards said give me the damn torch that no one else has wanted to pick up for a long time.

+o4
 

Edwards is the light that keeps me intrigued by these Wolfies. He seems to not only have the talent but a mental toughness and charisma that could lead the team to something beyond mediocrity, in a way that KAT or Russell don't possess. I recall last year, after the game where Jimmy Butler was wolfing at KAT, when at the press conference a question was directed to KAT about the exchange and Edwards stepped in and took the question--it was as if Edwards said give me the damn torch that no one else has wanted to pick up for a long time.
Great post!
We'll know early this season if this is Ant's team or Kat's team. Ant certainly has the talent, swagger and charisma to lead a team. Not sure yet about mental toughness. Mental toughness is defense and taking over games in the fourth quarter. He doesn't play defense--yet, and he has mostly deferred to DLo in the 4th. I think the fourth quarter deference will change this year but I'm not sure about his defense. If and when we see Ant get the star treatment on calls (something Kat never got because of all the whining), we'll know the wolves are his team.
Should be fun to watch.
 




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