March 2007

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For The Twins, Less Could Be More

Filed under: Twins

Twins fans can be forgiven if the upcoming season fills them with a growing sense of excitement and trepidation. Yes, Opening Day should be a joy, with Johan Santana on the mound, Joe Mauer behind the plate, an MVP at first and the rest of a crack team facing the woeful Baltimore Orioles. But just as a wedding is not necessarily an indicator of a good marriage, we all know that first game does not reflect the quality of the forthcoming season. With last week's demotion of Matt Garza, replaced by the erratic Carlos Silva, the pitching staff seems as capable as an airplane whose wings are held together with spit and mud. For the life of me, I can't help but be confounded by the schizophrenic nature of the Minnesota Twins, a team that seems utterly capable of developing talent, and then often incapable of taking unique approaches to exploiting that talent to its fullest.

As much as the Opening Day parade doesn't need my figurative rain to add to the actual downpours predicted for Monday, I can't see the Twins earning the Central Division Crown (or even the Wild Card) unless they take a much more creative approach to their starting pitching staff. Specifically, that means, in my mind, promoting Matt Garza. But I would also suggest best utilizing their starters with a four-man rotation.

Baseball Prospectus has, for many years now, been arguing in favor of the four-man rotation to return to baseball. Simply put (by the glorious madman Earl Weaver), it's easier to find four good pitchers than five. As is usual with those intrepid numbers-crunchers, the Prospectus boys have produced acres of statistics with which to prove their point, and quash the largest concern, namely that going with a four-man starting pitching staff is dangerous to these fragile arms. The articles are here (and here and here, for brevity is not the soul of their wit).

There are a number of myths about Garza's demotion and potential, many of which are easily dismissed even without my modest proposal (which is hardly original, so I'm not trying to take too much credit). In general, the four-man rotation is a good idea with or without the Garza question. The Strib's Jim Souhan (who believed that Garza deserved a spot) made eight interesting points on the Twins behalf, many of which are dubious, especially any mention of clubhouse chemistry (supposedly Santana would be troubled to lose his friend Silva, which probably won't be such a concern if our ace ever bolts for more money).

The Twins are famous for guarding their arms, and probably Francisco Liriano's rotator-cuff troubles are making them understandably gun-shy (though they have a history of coddling). But one has to wonder what the Twins are waiting for: the Detroit Tigers are a good example of a team that is willing to let their rookies endure much in the interest of making them into big-league pitchers, with tremendous results. There's no evidence to suggest that Liriano's injuries could have been avoided with less use or that Garza's at a risk for a similar injury. Are they working toward a 2008 that sees a rotation of Santana, Boof Bonser, Garza and Liriano, and then one of the rickety arms that makes up 60% of this year's staff? That's a great goal, but it also reeks of concession--I don't need to tell you that this season is different than any the Twins have faced before. There is so little breathing room now, that relying on the unholy triumvirate of Sidney Ponson, Ramon Ortiz, and Silva is madness.

Souhan posits (for the Twins) that because of the way the schedule's arranged, Garza won't get a chance to pitch every fifth day in April, which will harm his development (but would in Rochester). This is again solved by switching to a four-man rotation (not to mention by making him the second, third or fourth starter in a five-man squad, for cry-eye). There's also concern that they wouldn't have Silva as an option if they get rid of him. (Apparently he won't take a minor-league option? Or he'll just retire?) Again, a four-man rotation partially solves this problem, as the Twins could rely on Ponson or Ortiz to fill out the final spot. But so would turning Silva, LaTroy Hawkins-style, into a middle reliever who could, on occasion (and only if absolutely necessary), work as a spot starter.

Then there's Souhan's odd argument that the Twins won division titles without great starting staffs, when really their dominance was in relief pitching. There's some truth to this, in the past: they won the division, but at a time when it was abysmally weak, or not fully coalesced (as last season when the Sox found themselves struggling and the Indians never lived up to potential--both of which, it's true, could happen this year). Not only did the Twins take three straight titles with an average starting pitching staff, but also with a weak offense that included Luis Rivas, Doug Mientkiewicz, Cristian Guzman, and etc. The Central Division has since changed drastically, producing two straight pennant winners, and one world champion, both of whom are still dangerous. Add Cleveland to the mix, and this is going to be a hard (though thrilling) year. The Twins cannot expect this season to play out like last year. None of our competitors is resting on any laurels. Or pitchers like Ponson, Ortiz and Silva.

Quality starting pitching is likely to decide whether or not the Twins celebrate the 20th anniversary of the '87 Championship with another title, or end up as one of the most talented fourth place teams, definitely in Central Division history, but in baseball in general. In the meantime, since the Twins are sallying forth with Silva, Ponson, and Ortiz, we can hope, as we all do before Opening Day, that this is the big year. But luck, as Rickey said, is the residue of design. The current rotation looks less like design than a crapshoot.

Posted by Peter Schilling Jr. at March 31, 2007 11:14 AM | Comments (2)

 

Brutal, miserable, pointless

Filed under: Soccer

I should have known better than to get excited about last night's U.S.-Guatemala match. Anyone with a rational bone in their body would have recognized the silliness of this encounter. The U.S. has made it abundantly clear in recent years that they can beat any team in their region on home turf, especially Guatemala. In fact they'd never lost to Guatemala on U.S. soil, and last suffered defeat to the pint-sized Central American country two decades ago.

What the Americans need to prove in the wake of last summer's debacle in Germany is that they can defeat World Cup-caliber competition on foreign ground. But the team will never get that chance if U.S. Soccer continues to schedule friendlies against crappy CONCACAF countries in half empty Texas stadiums.

I knew it was going to be a long night when I walked into the Sweetwater and discovered karaoke patrons torturing classics by the likes of Billy Joel and The Proclaimers. Then Eddie Johnson was stymied twice from close range in the opening minutes of the game and it was clear that the most interesting aspect of the game was going to be whether anyone decks El Pescadito. (Here's hoping Curt Onalfo is sacrificing a lot of livestock this offseason in hopes of reclaiming the Grown Ass Man's scoring touch.)

The second half was an abomination. The U.S. didn't seem to have a clue how to unlock the entrenched Guatemala defense. The visitors spent most of the half flopping around on the ground in faux agony trying to kill off the game. For what? A lousy point in a meaningless friendly that ESPN should've pulled the plug on at halftime.

What positives can we take from this nil-nil draw? For starters it was a ridiculously young U.S. squad. With the exception of goalkeeper Kasey Keller (37!), there were no players in the starting XI over 30. In fact, defenders Jimmy Conrad and Jay DeMerit were the only starters older than 25. Let's hope these kids learned something (don't ask me what) from this contest.

The tandem of Justin Mapp and Jonathan Spector looked dangerous and unpredictable, bombing up the left side repeatedly (at least in the first half). Is this the left side duo of the future? DaMarcus Beasley will certainly have something to say about that.

The defense, featuring three youngsters with little international experience (Spector, DeMerit, and Frank Simek) was generally composed and organized. They didn't let Ruiz goad them into anything stupid. (If you don't know the sweet story of DeMerit's improbable rise through the ranks, from pub league soccer to the EPL, read this fantastic Grant Wahl piece.)

The U.S. men are now on hiatus until June 2 when they'll take on China in preparation for their two big international tournaments, the Gold Cup and Copa America. In the meantime I'll be filling this space with coverage of MLS and my beloved Minnesota Thunder. Home opener is only 38 days away! And it will be free!

Posted by Paul Demko at March 29, 2007 9:48 AM | Comments (4)

 

Let's Hear Your Voices

Filed under: Timberwolves

By Stephen A. Litel

I'll be honest with you that I am under the weather. Therefore, I did not want to stay up late after the Wolves/Jazz game to write a full article on the game, instead choosing to rest. So, why don't you tell me what you saw in the game? What were the positives? What were the negatives?

I did manage to stay awake long enough to watch the entire game and will be able to contribute to the conversation myself, but why don't you start the conversation today?

Stephenwolvesguy22@hotmail.com

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 28, 2007 10:26 PM | Comments (7)

 

U.S. v. Guatemala

Filed under: Soccer

The U.S. men's national soccer team will seeks its fourth straight victory under interim-coach Bob Bradley tonight. They take on Guatemala at 8 p.m. CST in Frisco, Texas. On Sunday the U.S. coolly dispatched a dangerous Ecuador squad 3-1. The enigmatic Landon Donovan was spectacular, scoring all three goals for the Americans. (See a clip of his hat trick here.)

Even more promising for the U.S. was the play of Benny Feilhaber and Michael Bradley. The former, who plays his club ball at Hamburg in the Bundesliga, went the full 90 in the defensive midfield slot and was a cool presence in the center of the pitch. Bradley, who suits up for Herenveen in Holland, came on at halftime and helped spark a dominating second half by the Americans. The two youngsters (19 and 22 respectively) are the heirs apparent to recently retired playmaker Claudio Reyna. Hopefully we'll see more of them tonight.

Guatemala has never beaten the Americans on U.S. soil. Don't expect that to change. Folks will be gathering locally at the Sweetwater in St. Paul to watch the match. It's the bar inside the Best Western Kelly Inn (at Marion and 94), and will be showing the game in high def. Here's a map.

Posted by Paul Demko at March 28, 2007 1:35 PM | Comments (4)

 

What Else Can You Say But "Wow?"

Filed under: Timberwolves

By Stephen Litel

Honestly, what do you say after a game like that? I could speak on the fact that Minnesota blew a 25 point lead, the worst blown game in franchise history. Maybe I could speak on the antics of players sitting on the bench, showing that they do not care or have any ownership in any of the embarrassment on the court. What about a plea to Glen Taylor to fire Kevin McHale?

There seems to be no point in any of that. That has been written by countless writers for three years now.

After the meltdown was complete, I made my way to the Timberwolves locker room, yet could not find myself to join the media throng surrounding the players who actually stuck around to answer questions. As Mike James, Randy Foye, Craig Smith, Mark Madsen, and Kevin Garnett each took their turns in front of the microphones, I hung back, knowing what was being said.

Comments such as "We beat ourselves in this game" or "We are still searching for a consistent effort" might as well be copied and pasted into all articles written about this game in March from articles which were written in November. The same problems, the same outcome and the same quotations.

As media members finished probing Kevin Garnett and began to file out of the locker room, I remained in my spot. I watched the franchise take a moment to himself, staring at the floor while contemplating the events that had just occurred. Surely, there was a part of him wondering why Glen Taylor enjoys watching his talent wasted on teammates who either are not talented enough or have the talent, but not the heart.

As someone allowed an opportunity to watch this team as an "insider," Garnett would much rather have teammates who play with heart then players who are the most talented in the NBA. Certainly, teams do not win without talent, as Sid preaches from Mt. Hartman, but give me players who bust their asses every single night and I'll get you more wins then this team will eventually end up with.

I'll take a roster full of Mark Madsen's, Anderson Varejao's, Raja Bell's, Kevin Ollie's, Etan Thomas', Mike Wilks' and the tragically injured Jorge Garbajosa any day.

By Stephen Litel
Stephenwolvesguy22@hotmail.com

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 28, 2007 6:54 AM | Comments (4)

 

Upward Mobility

Filed under: Twins

Turns out Joe Mauer's endorsement deal with Land O' Lakes milk is appropriate. Joe's a growing boy.

A spring-training physical showed the Twins' All-Star catcher is now 6' 5", a full inch taller than he was last year. That isn't too unusual for a 23-year-old, but it is rare for a guy who makes his living crouching behind home plate.

Even at 6' 4", Mauer was tall for a catcher. "I don't agree that Mauer is a future star behind the plate, and it has everything to do with his height," wrote Joe Sheehan on BaseballProspectus.com in 2004. Sheehan's argument stemmed from a list he culled of all 6' 4" catchers in baseball history who had any sort of career. There were 22 of them, none memorable.

Sheehan was wrong, of course, and Mauer is a star. But the off-season growth-spurt puts him in even more exclusive company. At the time of Sheehan's writing, he also listed all of Major League Baseball's 6' 5" catchers. There were six.

Many teams move their tall catchers to other positions to reduce injury risk, something the Twins seem dead-set against. A stress-fracture scare on Mauer's left leg last week didn't even sway them. "History points out that there are many big catchers who caught for years and years," Twins general manager Terry Ryan told the Star Tribune.

He then ordered Mauer to drink another glass of milk.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at March 27, 2007 8:48 AM | Comments (0)

 

Trash talking with Ricky Davis

Filed under: Timberwolves

By Stephen Litel

As the Timberwolves 2006-07 season begins to wind down, most likely without a playoff berth, blame has begun to be thrown around. With a majority of the blame focusing on the Minnesota front office, shreds of the same have filtered down to the players, including Ricky Davis.

A lot of people have negative thoughts of Davis, some justified, some odd. It is not surprising that when asked the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of "Ricky Buckets," a majority bring up his fake triple-double, when he shot at the opponent's basket in the closing minutes to secure the final needed rebound for the honor. Therefore, some of the knocks on Davis are indeed self-inflicted.

Personally, I have found Ricky Davis to be a very motivated player. Admittedly, I have not made a decision in my own heart and mind on him, so I decided to seek him out to answer to some of his biggest criticisms. Finding him in an empty locker room before the Wolves thrilling last second win against the Portland Trailblazers on Sunday, Davis was more than willing to speak.

SL: What is your reaction when you hear or read that you are being called a "locker room cancer?"

RD: A locker room cancer? Um, I don't know. I don't know what a real locker room cancer guy is. You know, you just ask all the players and everybody I played with and that will get you the best answer that you're going to get. I'm not here to justify nothing. People say what they say, but the people who are in the locker room are the players anyway. I don't know who would say some stuff like that, but, you know, it happens.

SL: Anytime I've been in this locker room or watched you interact with your teammates, it seems as if this team really does have great chemistry off the court. Everyone seems to genuinely get along and like each other, but the criticism continues.

RD: You know, the people saying that kind of stuff are from the outside looking in anyway. I mean, they'll never truly know it anyway. They just go by what they hear, but, again, it happens.

SL: Your contract makes you a very valuable trade asset, sparking numerous rumors involving you leaving the Timberwolves this summer. What are your thoughts on that even though you are still fighting for a playoff berth?

RD: Man, trade rumors happen everyday. It happens to everybody. I mean, Kevin (Garnett) has been involved in trade rumors himself. That just happens in the job that we have. Teams want you and teams ask for you and stuff like that happens. It's just the nature of the business.

SL: This season has obviously not gone how you would have expected at the beginning of the year. Where and when do you think that it went south?

RD: We've just been off track all year. You know, we'll win four games then lose five games. Just inconsistent. That comes with teams being put together. We just put this team together this year and a little bit of last year. We just need to keep growing and keep going, doing what we need to do and try to keep the team together for a certain amount of years, that's when you see growth and maturity.

SL: What are your thoughts on being called a "selfish" player even though you are leading the team in assists?

RD: It's funny to hear that I'm a selfish player. I don't know, man. Every team I went to, I believe I led the team in assists. To me, it's like are guys watching or are they just saying stuff? That's funny.

SL: There are many fans out there who believe that it may be in the best interest of the team to start Rashad McCants and have you come in as the sixth man, a role in which you've thrived in the past. Is that something that, if asked, you would be willing to do?

RD: I'm always willing to do something nice, but that was something that I was better at in my younger days. I'm going to be a starter and I'm going to stay a starter, so we'll just keep it like that. It's different when you go to another team where they have guys who have established themselves in the league already and maybe become like a (Jerry) Stackhouse. He comes off the bench and does what he does, but I'm here to play all the minutes. I'm going to play all of the minutes and make the team better.

SL: There has been a lot of talk recently that this team does not have a leader in the locker room, including Kevin Garnett. Where do you think that comes from?

RD: Man, I don't know. I mean, my question is where are all those questions coming from? I don't see no one in the locker room but the media and our team, so I don't know where that is coming from.

SL: The team is in that delicate spot where you are still in the hunt for the playoffs, yet are in danger of losing the first round draft pick this summer.

RD: Yeah, we're right there in that position. It could really go either way. We're going to try to make a run now and try to make the playoffs. You know that we are not going to lay down and try for that draft pick. We've got a great group of guys in here that's never going to give up, so we're out there still fighting. I think this season just comes down to inexperience, you know? Kind of like the Dallas teams or the Phoenix teams, they've been together for four or five years and they are just now starting to really play together and if we keep the team together, we'll be alright.

SL: Last one, Ricky. Give the fans a reason to continue to support the team this season and reason to come back next year.

RD: They should support the team. If they like basketball, they should know that guys are trying to get it together. You can't just put a team together yesterday and try to come out and win the championship or compete for the playoffs today. We're in the hardest conference in the league. If you're in the Eastern Conference, you can get away with stuff, but we're going to continue to keep growing and becoming a team.

After our chat, Davis then went out and played a great game against Portland. Lost in Garnett's last second heroics is the fact that this was a Ricky Davis game. He was the MVP on the floor Sunday, as stated by Garnett afterwards, controlling the game with his passing and defensive prowess.

Now that his answers have been given, let's discuss Davis. Do the positives in his game outweigh the negatives? Is he really a "bad influence" on the younger players on this team? Should he be on this team next season?


By Stephen Litel
stephenwolvesguy22@hotmail.com

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 26, 2007 6:57 AM | Comments (9)

 

Give up this year's pick to keep Garnett?

Filed under: Timberwolves

By Stephen Litel

Timberwolves fans are split on the issue of fighting for a playoff berth or losing to secure a better draft pick. In a worst-case scenario, the Wolves win just enough to miss out on the playoffs AND lose their draft pick to the Los Angeles Clippers, which makes the situation even more divisive. With the 2007 Draft class expected to be the deepest in years, Minnesota would have many options there to continue to build a solid core of young players.

Count me in as one believing that continuing to fight for a playoff berth is the right move. Although I do not believe that Minnesota will be able to win enough to eventually grab that last playoff spot, they are doing exactly as they should be. As a believer in the Wolves young trio of Randy Foye, Rashad McCants and Craig Smith, Minnesota already has a nice core of talent for the future. Eventually, the first round pick owed to the Clippers from the Sam Cassell-Marko Jaric trade has to be paid and this may be the time to do it.

The summer of 2007 will be the most important off-season in the history of the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise. Rumors of an unhappy Kevin Garnett come daily, fueling the speculation that he will finally demand to be traded. Countless mistakes have occurred during Garnett's tenure with the Timberwolves, yet his loyalty to this franchise is staggering. Garnett does not want to leave Minnesota. Watching him up close and speaking with him on occasion have led me to believe that he truly does like the majority of his teammates and the direction the team is headed after years of questionable moves. Continuing to battle for the playoffs late into the season is key to Garnett staying put.

This is why last night's loss to Seattle stings. During the post-game coverage, Tom Hanneman and Jim Peterson were dead-on when they called this game a "must win" for Minnesota to return to the playoffs. Now three and a half games behind the Los Angeles Clippers and holding the tiebreaker with 14 games remaining, the chances are slim at best. Yet this team needs to continue to battle and continue to build for next season to show Garnett there is reason to stick around.

Losing the draft pick this summer to the Clippers may be disappointing, but Minnesota's young core of players have all shown flashes of high-level play. And if giving up that pick keeps Garnett in Minnesota, I'm all for it. If things continue to go south after losing the pick and Garnett is traded, at least one high pick will return to Minnesota, if not two.

Continue to fight and see what happens.

Stephen A. Litel
stephenwolvesguy22@hotmail.com

Posted by Chuck Terhark at March 24, 2007 12:49 PM | Comments (0)

 

Is Mike James Coming Around?

By Stephen Litel

Minnesota has had plenty of ups and downs on this trip--okay, mostly downs, but let's focus on the ups for a second: Garnett's 30 point/16 rebound game Tuesday night in Phoenix; Foye's huge game last night; and one guy getting glossed over in all the talk today.

As this road trip winds mercifully down, Mike James has played some of his best basketball of the season. The road to fans' forgiveness may be a long one, but James is finally playing like someone who buys into what Minnesota is doing and wants to stick around after this season.

Advertised as a "Sam Cassel-lite" for this new-look Timberwolves team, James has really been closer to "Will Avery-lite": Averaging 10.1 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game this season--all below his career averages--James has not only disappointed the fans and his teammates, but also himself. But beginning with the loss in Los Angeles, something seemed to have clicked with James, who ended that contest with 18 points and 11 assists. He followed that strong performance with 13 points on 3-5 shooting from three-point range in Phoenix, which was especially surprising, as he's struggled with the long-distance shot all season.

Certainly lost in Minnesota's victory in Sacramento is the fact that James played his third-straight relatively acceptable game, following a 10-game stretch in which failed to reach double-digit scoring. He scored another 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in only 22 minutes of action due to Foye's big night.

Personally, I've been rooting for Mike James to get himself on track all season long. He's a likable guy, full of confidence and fire, yet he's been unable to find his niche on this team. I have watched him sink countless three-pointers with assistant coach Rex Kalamian before each home game this season, and spoken with him about his situation. Certainly it's frustrating for supporters of the Timberwolves to endure his season-long struggles, but it looks as if James found something on this road trip to finally build upon.

One game is a fluke. Two games create hope.

Three games is a trend.

Stephen Litel
stephenwolvesguy22@hotmail.com

Posted by Chuck Terhark at March 22, 2007 12:02 PM | Comments (3)

 

Kevin Garnett will retire in Minnesota

Filed under: Timberwolves

By Stephen Litel

Unfortunately, it has become commonplace: As each and every loss mounts for the Timberwolves, the cameras naturally shift from the action on the court to Kevin Garnett watching from the sidelines in the final moments. The cameras capture Garnett looking confused, mad beyond belief or just plain numb.

These are the shots that people around the NBA nation see nightly, fueling the speculation that The Big Ticket has finally had enough and will leave the Twin Cities. Before the trade deadlines of the past two seasons, Timberwolves fans—along with fans of potentially new Garnett teams—have anticipated the news of his departure.

As the Timberwolves playoff chances slim at best, Kevin Garnett was absolutely brilliant to start the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds at the half. Garnett looked like a man on a mission, almost as if to say to his teammates "We're either going back to the playoffs or we're going down with me firing away."

Yet, the first half was a microcosm of the Timberwolves entire 2006-07 season. Garnett was stellar, the Timberwolves as a team played nearly as well as possible... and they still trailed by four at the half.

So, why do I believe that Garnett will retire as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves? Is it wishful thinking? Do I have some insider information that I'm not divulging? Or could it be complete naiveté and stupidity?

Ten minutes remain in the fourth quarter and the Timberwolves are down 69-86 and Garnett re-enters the game. Initially when I saw this, I was screaming through my television at Coach Wittman. I thought Wittman was going to burn KG out, especially because of the fact that this game with Phoenix was the first game of a back-to-back for Minnesota as they travel to Sacramento Wednesday night.

Now, 17-point leads come and go quickly in the NBA, but unless Steve Nash, Shawn Marion and Raja Bell all blew out their knees in the same game, the Wolves had no chance at a comeback. As Garnett received his final instructions from Coach Wittman while taking off his warm-up shirt, he had a smile on his face. As he stepped onto the floor to sub in, the smile remained and the cameras caught a different picture of KG.

He was relaxed.

Playing this final stint of the evening with a lineup of Randy Foye, Rashad McCants, Ricky Davis and Craig Smith alongside him, he moved the ball, ran the offense and took his shots when they were there. Garnett did not seem to just be going through the motions. There was a specific reason that Coach Wittman substituted him in... and why Garnett allowed himself to be sent back in.

Resigned to the fate of this year's team—yet another lottery pick in the draft—the pressure is off. Although I do not believe that the Timberwolves are intentionally "tanking" games in order to better their lottery standings, they are looking towards the future. Ticket knows that if he goes to another team he will either have to take an enormous pay cut or that his new team would be in a similar situation as he is in with the Timberwolves. That imaginary team would need to trade some of their best assets in order to acquire Garnett therefore creating a "grass is not always greener" scenario for Garnett.

Therefore, he has accepted his place in the NBA landscape. He knows—as unfortunate as it may be for someone with the career he has had—that helping to continue the development of Foye, McCants and Smith are his best chance to ever even sniff a playoff berth again. Not to mention that the Wolves will also be adding that lottery pick this summer.

Garnett already has a close relationship with Rashad McCants and it is confirmed on the court whenever they see time together. He goes out of his way at times to get the second-year player going, helping to build his confidence. Throughout the entire season, Garnett has been the first person to praise both of the team's rookies, Randy Foye and Craig Smith, even calling himself a fan of theirs.

As someone who has spent time in the Wolves locker room before and after each home game this season, I have not seen the "wounded superstar" that the media paints Garnett out to be. I have seen someone who would obviously love to win each and every game his team plays, but also someone who knows his situation and has accepted it. He sees the three young players each and every day and believes in them. Although they may reach their peak as Garnett is nearing the end of his career—or in a worst case scenario, after he retires—he is willing to take the gamble, hoping to accelerate their development.

By Stephen Litel
Stephenwolvesguy22@hotmail.com

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 21, 2007 6:30 AM | Comments (10)

 

Close, But They Didn't Deserve To Win

Filed under: Timberwolves

By Stephen Litel

Lately I have been tearing into Coach Randy Wittman quite a lot, but he does deserve credit for his coaching in last night's game against the Lakers for the most part. There were still areas where he could have made better decisions, yet, as a whole, he did his job well.

Finally starting Randy Foye, Wittman put his young "point guard" in a better situation to succeed, as Foye was given the opportunity to play off Kevin Garnett. The one time when you feel for the situation that Coach Wittman is in happens to be on nights like this. He gives his rookie this chance to contribute in a big way and Foye responds with three points, three turnovers, one assist and two rebounds in fifteen minutes. Ouch.

So, Wittman makes the correct move by bringing Mike James into the game. Although his shot was still not falling, James had one of his best games in recent memory scoring eighteen points while dishing out eleven assists in 33 minutes. If Minnesota had production on that level throughout the entire 48 minutes from the point guard position, a win would be more achievable. Now this is only one game, but it just drives one crazy to think what could have been if James was able to play at this level from day one of the season.

The only real issue that I have with Coach Wittman on this evening was in his choice to only play Rashad McCants six minutes. Understandably, Witt has a tough job in determining playing time for his team full of guards, but there must be more court time for McCants. With Ricky Davis scoring the ball the way he was throughout the game, McCants was not going to take minutes from that spot. The combination of Trenton Hassell and Marko Jaric combined for seven points, five rebounds, 0 assists and 3-10 shooting in 48 minutes. Jaric started and played 23 minutes, while Hassell played 25 off the bench, but with neither doing anything to earn these minutes, McCants should have been give more of a chance.

I also cannot forget to mention that both Jaric and Hassell played stellar matador defense, only allowing Kobe Bryant to go off for his second straight 50+ point game.

Some may complain that the lineup that has played well together recently (Foye, McCants, Jaric, Smith, and Garnett) was not seen tonight. With both Davis and James playing relatively good games, it was nearly impossible to get that lineup onto the court. I'll give Coach Wittman a pass on that one for this game.

In 43 minutes of action, Kevin Garnett put up the great numbers that we have come to expect from him. 26 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists and three blocks. Greg Anthony spoke during the game about the comparison between Tim Duncan and Garnett and was spot on. Anthony stated that Garnett was the more talented player of the two, but Duncan was a better basketball player. Duncan is able to realize who is guarding him, the situation he is in during the game, and—most importantly—who HE is, and will dominate against the lesser opponents that he meets on most nights.

Look at Kevin Garnett's shot chart from this game here.

With guys like Kwame Brown, Lamar Odom, Ronny Turiaf, and Luke Walton (at times) guarding him, why does Garnett continue to bail them out on defense? Of these four players it is clear that Lamar Odom is the best, but Garnett should be absolutely abusing him down low. Garnett continues to show that his versatility has determined who he is as a player instead of matchups. Going up against someone like Tim Duncan, Garnett most likely should play an outside game like he plays most nights, but on the nights when he is not facing someone on the same level, Garnett needs to get his behind down on the block.

This game was a perfect example of the curse of Kevin Garnett. He continues to put up individually great statistics, but his team comes up short. The problem is that his team comes up short because of who Garnett is as a player on nights like this. My criticism of Coach Wittman recently has been that he has not put his players in a position to succeed, but on this night that is the criticism on Garnett. It may be difficult and odd to say it, but this loss is on Garnett.

By Stephen Litel
stephenwolvesguy22@hotmail.com

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 18, 2007 11:03 PM | Comments (4)

 

Randy Foye starts from now on. Period.

Filed under: Timberwolves

By Stephen Litel

It seemed too easy for the Timberwolves. Win this game and hold the tiebreaker with both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors for the eighth and final playoff spot. Yet, one of the final nails was slammed into the Wolves coffin last night. This game was over at the tip: when Tom Hanneman announced the Troy Hudson was starting, it was clear that Coach Wittman had not learned anything from Tuesday's win over Indiana.

I do not have the same amount of issues with Troy Hudson as most, as I have noticed his ability to move the ball and bring tempo to the offense. However, in a game against a high tempo team such as Golden State, good ol' T-Hud comes shining through, making poor decisions and jacking up bad shots.

Not to mention, that after the Indiana win, Coach Wittman stated that the starting lineup would now be determined by match-ups. Ok, that is fair enough, I guess. Although a Randy Foye/Baron Davis match-up still favors Golden State, is it not better than a Troy Hudson/Baron Davis mismatch?

From the very beginning of the game, Hudson accomplished exactly what Wittman wanted out of him. There was a quicker pace to the game than we are accustomed to seeing from Minnesota, but the problem was that it still led to jump shots, rather then any sort of aggressive play. Kevin Garnett himself was in on the jump shooting barrage of bricks, not taking advantage of his clear advantage over Andris Biedrins. This led to a 0-7 shooting start.

When Foye finally enters the game with Minnesota trailing 11-19—lucky to be down only eight points—he immediately changed the flow of the game. The first offensive possession with Foye on the court brings a jump shot from Foye after driving into the paint. The next trip down puts his head down, drives to the hoop, is fouled by Monta Ellis and hits both free throws.

The problem Minnesota currently faces is that the best team they can put on the floor (Foye, McCants, Jaric, Smith, and Garnett) includes players who play best by playing off Garnett. Therefore, when Garnett sits, any positives that each of these individuals bring to the table disappear. With Garnett on the bench, Golden State went on a 16-7 run lead by Mickael Pietrus. Just when Minnesota began to play some decent basketball, again led by the young players, their anchor took his needed rest and it all went to hell.

Does Randy Wittman realize that he can start different players in the second half? Apparently not, as Troy Hudson and Mark Blount returned for another stint of losing basketball.

Finally inserting Foye and Smith for Hudson and Blount as the Wolves were trailing 50-72, Wittman put his rookies into a situation where they could not succeed. This seems to be a trend that gives Wittman the ammunition he needs to continue to play the veterans at the expense of this year's playoff chances and for the development of the younger players. It was obvious that the rookie was trying to become Fourth Quarter Foye again, but because of the situation he was placed in by his coach, he was pressing and making rookie mistakes.

On two consecutive possessions, Foye made bad plays. The first was a fast break where Foye dishes the ball to Craig Smith at the free throw line, a cardinal sin for a point guard. Unless that player is someone such as Kevin Garnett or Amare Stoudamire, big men should not receive the ball that far from the hoop on the fast break. The next trip down, Foye again tries to force the action, leading to Al Harrington drawing a charge from the rook.

Admirable of Foye to try to change things up and make things happen, but his coach did not allow him the court time when he could have been more relaxed.

It seems to me that when the Wolves face the Lakers on Sunday, a matchup of Randy Foye/Smush Parker to start the game would favor Minnesota. Hopefully Coach Wittman is finally able to see the same thing.

By Stephen Litel
stephenwolvesguy22@hotmail.com

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 17, 2007 9:21 AM | Comments (4)

 

"Larry Legend" on Garnett and Youth is Served

Filed under: Timberwolves

By Stephen Litel

Larry Bird was an All-Star, a Dream Team member, an MVP, and a champion. In the greatest plays in NBA history, a green 33 would be seen more than its fair share. He, along with Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers, elevated the NBA to levels never imagined in the early days of the league. Bird did things on the court that were amazing, awe-inspiring and awesome and will always be one of the greatest players to ever step foot on an NBA floor.

Now president of Basketball Operations for the Indiana Pacers, Bird was in town last night to watch his Pacers play the Timberwolves. As soon as I became aware that Bird was in attendance, I knew that I must attempt to speak with him. After the Wolves defeated Bird's Pacers 86-81, I did indeed get the rare opportunity.

After a career such as his, a game like the one he had just witnessed surely must have bored him to tears. Through three quarters, both teams played sloppy, uninspired basketball and once the game picked up, he watched his team play just badly enough to lose. Suffice it to say, he was not in the greatest of moods.

As the book I am working on is on Kevin Garnett and his place in history whether or not he wins a title before he retires, I thought who else but this all-time great to comment on the Big Ticket. Therefore, the question posed to Bird was simple enough.

"What are your thoughts on Kevin Garnett and his place in the history books?"

The answer was surprising... and somewhat confusing.

"There are a lot of competitors in this league. Usually the ones who have had the most success are the top competitors. That's the way it has always been," said Bird. After the comment, he nodded his head to give me the impression of "Yeah, I said it," and walked away.

Now, as I look at the quote on paper while thinking back to the exchange with Larry Legend, I realize that his quote can be interpreted one of two ways. Could Bird be simply stating that Kevin Garnett has had a successful career—his career statistics show him to be one of the greatest of all-time himself, he has been an All-Star, an All-Star game MVP and a regular season MVP—therefore, Garnett should be considered as one of those 'top competitors' of which he spoke?

Or is Bird referring to the lack of post-season success of Garnett's Timberwolves and the lack of championship rings on KG's fingers? Is he speaking on Minnesota's below 0.500 record? Could he even be backhandedly commenting on old buddy Kevin McHale?

Now, granted, I did catch him after his team played a bad game, adding another loss to their own record, but I have a hard time believing Bird was caught off-guard. Bird is obviously a media-savvy guy and has dealt with this sort of public scrutiny since before I was born.

Either way, Bird gave an interesting answer.

Oh yeah, by the way, the Timberwolves grabbed a nice home win before hitting the road for the next five games. Certainly not an ideal game, Minnesota received a nice lift from its young players and—surprise, surprise—Marko Jaric. How great was it, on this one night, to see Kevin Garnett enjoying his teammates and having fun?

Prior to the game, Coach Wittman was asked if the starting lineup will be changing anytime soon, more than likely with Randy Foye being reinserted into the starting five. He again answers with an indecisive answer.

"We're plugging to win some games here and fight for a spot. I mean, nobody down where we're at (in the standings) is really distinguishing themselves and taking off. For us to be where we are with our struggles, I feel very lucky to still be in the position. If we can get on any kind of mini roll here, we have the opportunity to play for something these last twenty games."

Although the stat sheets show respectable, not spectacular, games from Randy Foye, Rashad McCants and Craig Smith, Coach Wittman's struggles to find the best mix on this team were rewarded in the fourth quarter. The lineup of Foye, McCants, Jaric, Smith, and Garnett provided flow in the offense, teamwork in the defense—the zone defense caused major problems in the Indiana attack—and, get this, entertaining basketball and promise for the future.

This was only one game against the Indiana Pacers, who are a bad team, so we should not get carried away in our optimism for the remainder of this season and beyond. The foursome of Foye, McCants, Smith, and Jaric all have positives about their respective games, yet question marks surround each as well. Foye has been remarkable in certain situations, but has also looked lost at times. McCants is coming off knee surgery and must be cautious to not overdo it, causing a setback in his continuing rehab. Smith is undersized for his position and does not yet receive calls from the refs although he has been deserving of his fair share. All this while the Wolves' big acquisition last year, Marko Jaric, struggles with confidence even though he can be a game-changer when he is playing his game.

The remedy for Wittman's indecisiveness is this fourth quarter lineup. I have constantly questioned as to why it is difficult for the coaching staff to understand that by playing the young guys now, not only is it beneficial for the future of the franchise, but it also gives this team, the 2006-07 Minnesota Timberwolves, the best chance at making the playoffs.

That is, if an eighth seed and first round loss to the Dallas Mavericks is the goal for the season.

By Stephen Litel
stephenwolvesguy22@hotmail.com

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 14, 2007 1:30 AM | Comments (7)

 

Wolves at Heat: Wittman Blew It

Filed under: Timberwolves

by Stephen A. Litel

Introductions
As the Timberwolves travel to Miami to take on Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat, I travel over to City Pages to bring you a different look at your team. My name is Stephen Litel and for those of you who have not run across my work before, I prefer to focus on the story behind the story. Any of us can look at the box scores from each game and read the AP recaps and have a good feel as to what occurred during the contest, but I will also give you a glimpse into the locker room and behind the scenes.

I am an admitted fair-weather baseball and football fan, jumping on the bandwagon when the Twins and Vikings are playing well. Possibly blasphemous in the state of Minnesota, I could care less about hockey, never finding anything that excites me in that sport. Yet, my love for NBA basketball has been large since Day One and, although I acknowledge the fan base will never compare to the NBA's, that love extends over to the WNBA and the Minnesota Lynx.

Currently, I am working on my first book, which is still untitled. The book, due out this summer, dissects the place in history of Kevin Garnett, whether or not he wins a championship, Timberwolf or not. During the process of putting the book together, I have had the opportunity to speak with a large number of NBA stars to gauge their thoughts on Garnett's legacy. The exclusive commentary includes Dwight Howard, Ron Artest, Paul Pierce, Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Ben Wallace, Amare Stoudamire, Ray Allen and Sam Cassell, among others.

Knowing that my predecessor had a loyal fan following, I would love to have a new community begin here. As I continue on this odd career path that I am on, I hope that you will come along on the journey.

No Wade. No Problem.
As expected, Shaquille O'Neal jumped out to a great start with 15 first quarter points. As we all know, Miami is playing without Finals MVP Dwayne Wade, therefore The Big Diesel should be carrying his team. Minnesota actually did well in the first quarter when things could have gotten out of hand quickly with O'Neal's dominance coupled with Garnett's foul trouble. Yet, when Garnett sat down with his second foul, the Wolves "weathered the storm," only being outscored 14-10 until Garnett's return to start the second quarter.

Mark Blount played nearly the best game you can expect from him when matched up with Shaq. Although the head-to-head matchup goes to the big fella, Blount played him without fouling. Because of Blount's ability to stay out of foul trouble, he was able to stay on the floor, continuing to be an offensive threat and keeping Shaq honest on the defensive end.

The rebounding battle was the telling stat in this game. When Eddie Jones pulls down the same amount of rebounds as Kevin Garnett, the Timberwolves are not going to win. This is the clear area Minnesota needs to address in the off-season since they did nothing to improve before the trade deadline.

What killed the Timberwolves through the first three quarters tonight was Troy Hudson or, to put it correctly, Coach Randy Wittman's inability to sit Hudson down. Once it was clear that Huddy's shot was not falling, he has no value to the team on the court. His defense—or lack of defense—was the key to Jason William's hot shooting in the third quarter when the Heat extended their lead. At times Hudson was lost on defense, trailing the also-hobbled Williams and allowing him to find his shot and give Shaq a breather from carrying the offensive load.

Troy Hudson does have a place on this team, but in a limited role.

Hudson has seen court time recently because the ball movement has improved since he began to see time... and because Kevin Garnett likes him. Garnett has all but lobbied for Huddy to get playing time, although on most nights the team plays its best basketball when Foye is on the court. Does Foye make rookie mistakes? Absolutely. He still has quite a lot to learn, but Garnett is in denial if he believes that this team will be better in both the short term and long term with Hudson running the show.

Simply put, Fourth Quarter Foye earned his starting spot back tonight.

Stephen A. Litel
SPMSportsInc.com
Columnist-Minnesota Timberwolves/Lynx
Wolveshoopsblog.blogspot.com

Posted by Corey Anderson at March 9, 2007 11:24 PM | Comments (4)

 

Somebody get Forbes a calculator

Filed under: Media

It didn't take a lot of number-crunching for Timberwolves fans to realize Forbes magazine's recent list of the best general managers in sports was screwy. They just had to look at the man at the top of the heap: Kevin McHale.

Yes, Kevin McHale, the man that every Wolves fan besides Glen Taylor wants out of the job. To be fair, McHale's tenure as the team's GM has been marked by peaks as well as valleys, and the Wolves' current dearth of victories makes it especially easy to rag on the craggy hometown guy. Still, to call him the best of all 98 GMs currently working in major league sport seems like a laughable over-correction. Heck, he isn't even the best GM in Minnesota.

The problem lies in the methodology. To generate the list, Forbes looked at each GM's winning percentage compared to their team's previous three years, adjusting slightly for payroll. Thing is, the Timberwolves posted a lowly .244 winning percentage before McHale came to the team. So the turnaround wasn't exactly difficult. Nor was it entirely McHale's doing: That same year, the team welcomed new owner Taylor, coach Flip Saunders, and some high school kid named Kevin Garnett.

The Forbes list especially rankled baseball fans, who noticed that the highest-ranking baseball GM, Oakland's Billy Beane, didn't show up until number 26. Nate Silver, one of the resident stat geniuses at Baseball Prospectus, noted on Monday that the list's algorithm is rigged against baseball because the sport's long season flattens its competitive curve. "Improving from a .500 winning percentage (81-81) to a .600 winning percentage (97-65) is a huge deal in baseball," he writes. "In football, it means that Nate Kaeding missed a field goal or two."

And in basketball, it means that 12 years ago the league's worst team drafted an MVP.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at March 7, 2007 11:51 AM | Comments (1)

 

Scalper's Lament

Filed under: Twins

To the majority of Minnesotans, the likely repeal of the state's ban on ticket scalping probably seems like a common sense reform. After all, scalping is the classic victimless crime—a simple free market interaction between a seller, who has already paid face value for the ticket, and a buyer, who can choose whether or not to pay the higher freight. Right?

Well, that's how Steve Simon sees it. Simon, who runs a misdemeanor defense clinic at the University of Minnesota Law School, says he and his students typically represent an accused scalper every week during the Twins season. He notes that the courts rarely if ever impose the maximum penalty—$1,000 fine and 90 days in jail. "Usually," he says, "it's just a slap on the wrist."

Because the cops seize the tickets, the scalpers still suffer considerable financial harm. Simon cites the case of one client who had ten tickets seized during the Twins playoff run.

Ironically, freelance scalpers may well be the ones most hurt by legalization, as ticket brokerage companies horn in on their business.

Under current law, Simon notes, a subset of savvy scalpers have been able to ply their trade with little adverse consequence. Their method? "They'll sell you a program for fifty bucks and then give you a free ticket inside it," Simon says. "The police don't bust those people."

Posted by Mike Mosedale at March 6, 2007 11:19 AM | Comments (1)

 

Homerun derby

Filed under: Twins

Carlos Silva would have loved to crush the Yankees in his first spring training start last Thursday afternoon. And who wouldn't? The infinitely hateable Yanks had risen to the exhibition occasion by trotting out their beefiest lineup of hitters since... well, last year.

But Silva had something to prove. A sinkerball pitcher once famous for his pinpoint control, he was coming off a career-worst 2006 season that saw him serve up a majors-leading 38 home runs.

So when Yankees leadoff hitter Johnny Damon strolled to the plate, the Venezuelan wanted nothing more than to strike him out. Or induce one of Silva's signature grounders to short. Anything but a home run. Anything.

Second pitch. Crack. Gone.
Next inning. Giambi. Ka-boom. Two-run homer.
Yankees 6, Twins 1. Game over.
Oh, well. There's always next year.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at March 5, 2007 9:22 AM | Comments (2)

 

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