Start Hudson at point guard, Jaric at off guard, Szczerbiak at small forward, Garnett at power forward and Griffin at center.Olowokandi has not maintained his improved play lately. Top Jimmy wants to bury Hassell on the bench and bring McCants off the bench as sixth man. Discuss. Also, who is the second best player on this team? Honestly, I don't know the answer to that question|W|P|113336546653424211|W|P|Top Jimmy on the Wolves Starting Lineup|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Unknown|W|P|If Garnett gets hurt, you're looking at a team as sorry as the early-90s t-puppies. Greek House|W|P|My initial reaction to the article was that it was the stupidest thing I'd ever read. He made it seem as though he was basing his entire argument on one short stretch from one game.The Wolves played alright last night. The only problem was that the shot less than 40% from the field and 70% from the line. The entire game it seemed as though they were missing shots they would normally make, and when I looked at the box score it confirmed by intuition. Sometimes a team can play well, but just not have their shots drop, and that was the case last night.
However, despite the confusing way in which his article is writen, I'm not opposed to the starting lineup he suggested. Jaric seems more comfortable playing off guard and Grifin has been playing extremely well.
Also, I did predict before the season started that McCants would be starting by the end of the year. So if Casey listens to Souhon, he might prove me right.
Greek House|W|P|I'm stupid. He didn't have McCants in the starting lineup.
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Here's my starting 5 for the Wolves:PG - Baron Davis
SG - AI
SF - Bobby Simmons
PF - KG
C- Shaq
There you go. See, it wasn't that hard to put together the best starting 5 in basketball.
|W|P|Bobby Simmons?-tootie
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Yep, he can score, rebound, play defense and with all the ball hogs, had to put a role player out there... plus he's cheap and I had to put one Buck on the team :) |W|P|mmmeven still, isn't this better?
PG - Nash
SG - Redd
SF - James
PF - Garnett
C - Shaq
-tootie
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|no.| Blogger | AL | NL | AL | NL | WS Champ | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East | Central | West | W.Card | East | Central | West | W.Card | Champ | MVP | Cy Young | Champ | MVP | Cy Young | ||||||||||||||||||
| KEY | NY | CWS | LAA | Bos | Atl | StL | SDP | Hou | Chisox | A-Rod | Colon | Astros | Pujols | Carpenter | Chisox | ||||||||||||||||
| Andy/T. Killings | NY | 1 | Min | 0 | Oak | 0 | Bos | 1 | Atl | 1 | StL | 1 | SDP | 1 | NYM | 0 | Min | 0 | A-Rod | 1 | Santana | 0 | NYM | 0 | Pujols | 1 | Peavy | 0 | Min | 0 | 7 |
| SBG | NY | 1 | Min | 0 | LAA | 1 | Bos | 1 | Atl | 1 | StL | 1 | SFG | 0 | Phi | 0 | NY | 0 | A-Rod | 1 | Santana | 0 | PHI | 0 | Pujols | 1 | Schmidt | 0 | NY | 0 | 7 |
| Frightwig | NY | 1 | Min | 0 | LAA | 1 | Bos | 1 | Phi | 0 | StL | 1 | LAD | 0 | Atl | 0 | NY | 0 | Ortiz | 0 | Santana | 0 | StL | 0 | Pujols | 1 | Peavy | 0 | StL | 0 | 5 |
| Cheesehead Craig | NY | 1 | Min | 0 | A's | 0 | Bos | 1 | Atl | 1 | StL | 1 | SFG | 0 | NYM | 0 | NY | 0 | Vlad | 0 | Santana | 0 | StL | 0 | C. Lee | 0 | Sheets | 0 | StL | 0 | 4 |
| Twins Junkie | NY | 1 | Min | 0 | A's | 0 | Bos | 1 | NYM | 0 | StL | 1 | SDP | 1 | Atl | 0 | NY | 0 | Mauer | 0 | Santana | 0 | NYM | 0 | Beltran | 0 | Oswalt | 0 | NYM | 0 | 4 |
| 7th Angel | Bos | 0 | Min | 0 | Tex | 0 | NY | 0 | Atl | 1 | StL | 1 | SDP | 1 | NYM | 0 | NY | 0 | Vlad | 0 | Santana | 0 | StL | 0 | Pujols | 1 | Sheets | 0 | StL | 0 | 4 |
| Will Young | Bos | 0 | Min | 0 | LAA | 1 | NY | 0 | Fla | 0 | StL | 1 | LAD | 0 | SDP | 0 | Min | 0 | A-Rod | 1 | Santana | 0 | LAD | 0 | Pujols | 1 | Pedro | 0 | Min | 0 | 4 |
| Shane/G. Machine | Bos | 0 | Min | 0 | LAA | 1 | NY | 0 | Fla | 0 | StL | 1 | LAD | 0 | Cubs | 0 | Min | 0 | Vlad | 0 | Santana | 0 | StL | 0 | Pujols | 1 | Schmidt | 0 | Min | 0 | 3 |
| Nick M. of Nick & Nick | Bos | 0 | Min | 0 | LAA | 1 | NY | 0 | Fla | 0 | StL | 1 | SFG | 0 | CHC | 0 | Bos | 0 | Vlad | 0 | Santana | 0 | Fla | 0 | Pujols | 1 | Oswalt | 0 | Fla | 0 | 3 |
| Nick N. of Nick & Nick | Bos | 0 | Min | 0 | LAA | 1 | NY | 0 | Fla | 0 | StL | 1 | LAD | 0 | Atl | 0 | Bos | 0 | Vlad | 0 | R. Johnson | 0 | Fla | 0 | Pujols | 1 | Sheets | 0 | Bos | 0 | 3 |
| Seth Stohs | NY | 1 | Min | 0 | LAA | 1 | Bal | 0 | Fla | 0 | CHC | 0 | LAD | 0 | StL | 0 | LAA | 0 | Tejada | 0 | Santana | 0 | StL | 0 | A. Ramirez | 0 | Zam-brano | 0 | LAA | 0 | 2 |
| Bat-Girl | Min | 0 | Min | 0 | Min | 0 | Min | 0 | Min | 0 | Min | 0 | Min | 0 | Min | 0 | Min | 0 | Min | 0 | Santana | 0 | Min | 0 | Min | 0 | Min | 0 | Min | 0 | 0 |
"A lot of people don't talk about our defense, but that contributed every bit as much as our offense in our inability to win games and close games," he said. "I'm just as concerned about our defense as our offense." For that reason, Ryan isn't focusing solely on offense to improve his club before next season. He's seriously looking for defensive help, too. "That's what I'm trying to figure out," he said. "We did not play good defense this year." Ryan wouldn't be specific, but it wasn't just the infield he believes was inadequate. "It was everything," he said. "We didn't hit the cut-off men, we didn't throw to the right bases. There are a lot of areas that are of concern. We didn't play good baseball in many areas." Catching, Ryan conceded, was not a concern. "It's a club thing, not individuals," Ryan said. "Our overall defense was not up to our standards. Yeah, we lost a lot of one-run games, and yeah, you can attribute that to a lack of situational hitting or execution of bunts or not getting people in from third base with one out. But as much as that's responsible to the offensive side, I attribute a lot of that to our lack of defensive ability."I've posted in the past that the numbers show that the Twins had one of the best defenses in the majors. Further, the Twins had the absolute worst offense in the majors. Ryan states that if only we'd have better bunting or "situational hitting" he attributes a lot of one run losses to a "lack of defensive ability." Friends, it couldn't possibly have a lot to do with an inability to score runs overall. Nope, couldn't be that. And the Twins' record must have been atrocious in one-run games as compared to their overall record. Right? Because otherwise they wouldn't be complaining so much about one run losses. The Twins were 27-30 in one run games -- not that much worse than their 83-79 record over all. Consider, though, that the Twins lost 2-1 eleven times. Eleven! I suppose "defense" was the major factor in those games. The Twins scored 2 or fewer runs 47 times. This isn't a lack of "situational hitting." It is a lack of offensive talent or proper coaching, or both. Maybe the Twins threw to the wrong base from time to time. Maybe they dropped a few balls. But, as I have written before, they had the fourth best defensive efficiency in the American League. The Twins had very good pitching. And the team statistical numbers have shown that the Twins had good to very good defense. There's no escaping the one huge hole. The Twins had the worst offense in the major leagues. Period. Sometimes I feel like a broken record, writing (or perhaps I've just been thinking it) the same thing over and over. But, I'll say it one more time. The major consideration this off-season has to be on offense. The defense is fine and a slight dropoff in defense for an improved offense would be a fantastic trade-off.|W|P|113321276958611677|W|P|Do you Agree?|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
frightwig|W|P|You're right. Yes, the Twins outfielders generally don't hit their cut-off men, but that's hardly a unique problem in the game today. And this article goes a long way towards explaining how a good evaluator of talent like Terry Ryan could struggle to put together a decent offense through all the years he's been in charge. Greek House|W|P|I hate it when people talk about one-run games as being some sort of barometer for how good a team is. Of course a good team will do well in one-run games, but if they're truly good (and not just lucky) they'll also do well in 2-run games, 3-run games...The number of runs you score is almost entirely independent of the runs you give up. When you point to situational hitting, you might as well point to hitting in general. A good hitter should hit well both in "clutch" and "non-clutch" situations. A hitter who hits well in one of these situations should tend to also hit well in the other. A player who hits poorly in one, likely hits poorly in all situations.
This whole thing seems like a cop out on Terry Ryan's part and a premature excuse for the fact that the Twins won't be opening up their wallets for a big name free agent for yet another off season.
Unknown|W|P|If TR would step back a touch, he might see that the perceived poor execution on defense could be attributed in part to the manager and coaches. How about checking out the managerial free agents for an upgrade at manager??Moss hopes TR is not inventing his own Moneyball theme -- valuing defense at the expense of offense. That would create an even bigger disaster than already exists.
The one-run loss issue is a red herring. It would take a marginal differential of two runs (either scoring two more, scoring one and preventing one, or preventing two) to turn those into wins. The way things were, the Twins already overtaxed the pitching staff by playing extra innings and rarely playing with a cushion. There is no doubt that the offense was the entire problem, at least on the field.
|W|P|Best part? Of the 10 1-2 games I could find, the Twins had 8 errors. Yeah, that is probably why they lost all those games. Oh wait, the Twins only gave up 2 unearned runs in those 10 games, with 8 errors.But of course, Cuddyer had an error in that first 1-2 game in April. No unearned runs, but he certainly has to improve. I'm guessing this is all another smoke screen to keep Cuddyer down and possibly rip on Ford. What a disconnect.
Here's a poorly formatted version of the data I found for those games.
date - opponent - errors - players - ER
04-17 - Cleveland - 1 - Cuddyer - 2 ER
05-01 - LAA - 1 - Morneau - 2 ER
07-06 - LAA - 1 - Rodriguez - 2 ER
07-17 - LAA - 0 - Nobody - 2 ER
07-23 - Detroit - 0 - Nobody - 2 ER
08-01 - Oakland - 1 - Tiffee - 2 ER
08-25 - Chicago A - 0 - Nobody - 2 ER
08-28 - Texas - 1 - Mauer - 1 ER
09-16 - Chicago A - 1 - Crain - 2 ER
09-18 - Chicago A - 2 - Ford, Punto - 1 ER
armadillo44|W|P|Anyone who followed the Twins last year knows that our feeble offence was the overwhelming reason for not winning more games. It's going to be a long season next year if Terry Ryan thinks upgrading the defense will win us the division. That being said, I have to agree that our defense wasn't great in 05 (at least by the Twins standards). You have to remember that defense isn't just about not committing errors but also about being in the right spot at the right time and making smart plays. Every game I went to last year, and many I saw on TV, featured defensive blunders that weren't recorded as errors but that would make any little league coach mad. So while I agree the offense has to be their number one concern, improving the defense will also be a welcome sight for me.A quick release. The dangerously flammable shooting touch. An occasionally galling lack of conscience in his shot selection. And a seat on the bench at tipoff. A short inventory reveals that Timberwolves guard Troy Hudson has most of the makings of an NBA Sixth Man award candidate.Before you go ballistic, consider this surprising factoid:
Over the past five games (four of them victories), Hudson has averaged 14.8 points and made 12 of his 22 three-point attempts. He is the only Wolves player, in plus/minus ratings, to be in the black in each of the five, with a total for that span of plus-49. In other words, his team has outscored opponents by 49 points when Hudson has been in the five games.I find it hard to believe, given his performance last season, that he could possibly string together five games with such plus/minus numbers. I can hear Moss now. Trade him!|W|P|113320011627260715|W|P|Hey Moss, What's UP?|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Unknown|W|P|You got that right, brotha!! Unknown|W|P|It's too late now. 1-7, 3 pts., 2 turnovers. The window has closed.Rivers did not elaborate on what the future holds for Blount. He did not know when or how Blount would work his way back into the rotation, though he had no plans of benching the 7-footer for the entire game when the contest started. "We'll just see," said Rivers. "I told him, 'I don't know [what will happen].' I didn't make a conscientious effort to sit him, to be honest. I thought about it. The coaching staff went back and forth on it. I told my coaches, 'You'll see.' As the game went on, I just thought, you know what, these guys are playing hard and they're playing together. I liked our energy. So, I decided I was going to stay that way."Raef LaFrentz sees a feud between player and coach that could impact the team's success.
If we're going to make waves, if we're going to go in the right direction, Mark Blount needs to be a part of it. There are certain things that need to be taken care of, without a doubt. It's not fair to pinpoint any real good things or any real bad things on one person. You replaced him with guys [Perkins, Al Jefferson, Justin Reed, Brian Scalabrine] who their game is energy. That's what they bring. That's what they're expected to do. They did that tonight. But we were very close to losing this game. I feel lucky to have won. But as far as Mark is concerned, it's just a tough time between two people that hopefully we can work through.Somehow, it seems that title number 17 is still a ways away. New Jersey Nets: 5-7, tied for second (0-3 last week, lost at Golden State, Sacramento, and Phoenix) The Nets lost the first three games of their five game West Coast trip. They play the Lakers on Sunday and Denver on Monday. The Nets have lost 12 straight in Phoenix. It must suck being the Nets. Even in their own market, they are ignored by the press in favor of the Knicks. The Newark Star Ledger has this as its first side story about the Phoenix game.
As for the team he left behind, that's probably another matter. [Kurt] Thomas says he peeks at a box score now and then, but he is in agreement with Tim Thomas that the best thing about being out of New York is playing with a point guard who passes. "Total agreement. Total agreement," he said. "Totally, totally." Thomas' problems with Stephon Marbury became public knowledge last February, when MSG cameras caught a profane exchange between the two on the bench, with Thomas shouting the point guard down with, "Everyone in this organization is afraid of you, but I'm not, and I will beat your (butt)."Of course, Starbury played in New Jersey, too (and was traded to Phoenix for Kidd), so I suppose they enjoy hearing anti-Stevie shots, too. New York Knicks: 3-8, fourth (1-1 this week, def. Portland, lost at Charlotte) The Knickerdoodles are hosting the 76ers Saturday night and the bookmakers have the game even. The Knicks are 3-8, but have played eight road games already, going 2-6. They may start to improve with more home games and with LB in charge. I wonder how long the Most Impatient City in the World will put up with losing under LB and IT, especially. This weeks 108-95 blowout loss to Charlotte (it was a 21-point game after three) had to cause some wailing and gnashing of teeth. With the 76ers in town, the Iverson/Marbury/Brown angle is being played up. The Times, subdued as ever, discusses moving Marbury to the two.
Despite all the tough times with Iverson, Brown has only praise for him now. "I saw him grow as a player; I benefited a lot," Brown said of Iverson, whose 76ers play the Knicks on Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. "I admire the heck out of him." Brown said that coaching Iverson had been "an amazing challenge," and although he also had challenges coaching Detroit's Chauncey Billups and now struggles with Marbury, he drew no analogies between the relationships. When it comes to coaching a great player, "you want to maximize what he can do," Brown said. "I've never seen anybody like Allen," he added.The Post reports a surprising statement about Iverson made by a former Brown assistant in Philly.
Knicks assistant Dave Hanners, who spent three years on the Sixers bench with Brown, says the coaching staff may have overreacted to Iverson's practice habits. "He plays so hard and gets fouled a lot and gets knocked on the floor a lot; I think the guy was beat up a lot and didn't always feel like practicing because his body took such a beating," Hanners said. "He was so beat up he didn't always have the energy to practice everyday.Iverson's "I'm talking 'bout practice, man" press conference rates right up there as one of the all-time greats. I like AI and I think he plays extremely hard. I'm sure he's a handful, though. Philadelphia 76ers: 7-6, first (1-1 this week, def. NOK, lost at Milwaukee) Mo Cheeks isn't happy with his team's effort on defense.
We've got to get some guys to just go after it. Rebounding and defense are just work; that's all it is. It's like when some guys come in shooting 300 shots if they haven't made a shot. Well, defense and rebounding are work, and that's what we're going to do; we're going to work at it 'til we get it right.AI has some new legal problems.
A July 20 incident at Eyebar, a Washington, D.C., nightclub, has Allen Iverson back in off-the-court news. A suit by four men claims that Iverson joined members of his security detail in attacking staff and patrons at the club. U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle said Iverson can be deposed in the suit. Various reports said that one of the men suffered a concussion and a perforated eardrum, and that another suffered an eye injury. The suit seeks $20 million in damages. Stephanie Moran, identified in the Washington Post as an attorney for the plaintiffs, told the newspaper it was Iverson who is "responsible for the actions of his employees and agents," but that others could be added as defendants. Of the suit, Alan Milstein, Iverson's attorney, told the Daily News, "I don't think it has any merit." He said, "It was about a 3-minute incident." He also said: "There were a lot of witnesses. There were two off-duty police officers who happened to be there, and both said Mr. Iverson was not directly involved."Got to like the quotes by the lawyers. Let me interpret. Plaintiff's lawyer: "We ain't got a thing on Iverson, but those guys worked for him and he has a lot of money." Defendant's lawyer: "The plaintiffs definitely got beat up. And fast. But, AI is smart enough now not to throw any punches himself." Toronto Raptors: 1-12, fifth (1-3 this week. Def. Miami!, Lost at Phoenix, LA Clippers, Sacratmento) Ugh. Well, at least they are competing. A three point loss in LA and a two point loss in Sacramento shows that the team isn't giving up. In addition, a 13-point win over the Heat is a good sign. Or a bad one. Dwyane Wade, are you a superstar? Because superstars don't lose games like that. (Actually, they can... look at KG's team last year.) But, make no mistake SBG fans. It is O'Neal who makes that ship sail.|W|P|113302122207054047|W|P|The Atlantic Division|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Since Culpepper tore up his knee, the Vikings have been better. And better off. I'm not convinced the Vikings would have won these past three games if Culpepper still were playing. He didn't accomplish enough before the injury to suggest he would have helped the team succeed the way Brad Johnson has.I think this is ridiculous. True, Brad Johnson has quarterbacked the Vikings when they won three games. Let's look at those wins. The first win was a home win against the Lions, who are 4-7 and have lost four of their last five games -- the lone win coming against perennial doormat Arizona. This was a game where the Vikings passed for only 121 yards, but rushed for 164 yards. Two of the Vikings' three touchdowns came on drives of less than 15 yards. (The other drive was 44 yards.) This Detroit team is absolutely a 10 game loser this year. Detroit handed this game to the Vikings and were not competitive. To suggest that Daunte would not have won this game is ridiculous. The second win was a miracle in the Meadowlands. The Vikings won 24-21, despite the fact that the offense scored three points all day. Three points. Yes, that field goal was on the last drive of the day. Johnson deserves credit for that. But, for 58 minutes, Johnson did nothing. Nothing. He was lucky. In other games this season, the Vikings defense has given up huge numbers of points, forcing Daunte to try to make plays to get back in the game. This game, the defense and special teams won the game for the Vikings. The offense had 137 yards all day. Yet, the scoreboard says "W", so give the credit to Johnson. Hogwash. The third win was against Green Bay, a 2-8 team. Will the Packers win another game? With they win two more? Once almost invincible at home, they are 1-4 there this year, the lone win an inexplicable demolition (52-3) of another 2-8 team, New Orleans, that may not win another game all year. The Vikings came from behind, yes, to win this game. Brad Johnson did what Daunte Culpepper couldn't do -- calm the troops come from behind. Except that Daunte did the exact same thing against the Packers earlier this year. Down 17-0 at halftime, Daunte rallied the troops for a come-from-behind win. In that game, Daunte was 23/31 for 280 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. In the fourth quarter, Daunte moved the Vikings 64 yards for a field goal and 83 yards for a go ahead touchdown. After the Packers tied the game, Daunte took just 15 seconds to complete two passes for 26 yards to put the Vikings in position for a game winning field goal. You may have forgotten that the Vikings were trailing 7-0, but driving, when Daunte got hurt. (It was first down on the Carolina 15 yard line.) The Vikings didn't score on that drive and were outscored 31-13 the rest of the game. If you are going to credit Johnson with three victories, then saddle him with this loss. While Carolina piled up 17 points in the second quarter, Johnson moved the Vikings 26 yards. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed with the play of Culpepper this year. He's struggled, just as the whole team has struggled. Further, I don't mean to disparage Johnson. He's a good backup quarterback -- someone who can go in and keep the team from completely falling apart. But, he's not a better answer for the Vikings. Anyone who thinks so isn't looking closely enough. To start, Johnson has beaten two awful teams and was the beneficiary of a miracle. The three games that the Vikings have won since Culpepper got hurt are a combined 13-18. And that includes seven wins that the Giants, the victim of the Miracle at the Meadowlands, have. To suggest that Culpepper couldn't have won the games against Detroit and Green Bay is assinine. To suggest that Johnson had anything to do with the win over the Giants is disingenuous. The five games that the Vikings have lost were against teams that are a combined 35-16. How many of these games would Johnson have won had he been the quarterback? Zero. We saw his performance against Carolina. When the game was on the line, he did nothing. We saw his performance in the first half against the Giants. Six total yards. The Giants fumbled the opening kickoff and the Vikings recovered at the Giants 27. Zero points. Sharper intercepts and puts the Vikings on the Giants' 17 yard line. Zero points. BS continues:
[Vikings players] know no matter how poorly the offense has played earlier in a game, they still have a chance to win in the final moments [with Johnson].Do you think Johnson beats Cincy? The Bengals scored on their opening drive. The Vikings fumbled and the Bengals scored again. The Bengals scored and scored and scored. 27-0 at halftime. Let's see Johnson win that game in the final moments. He certainly didn't win against Carolina in the final moments either. Let's see how efficient and how much confidence he instills in his team when he's down four touchdowns. This weekend, a 4-6 Cleveland team comes to town. This is a team that Daunte beats, too. The Vikings should win this game. I suppose that we'll hear more about Johnson if they do. The Vikings play three more crappy teams: St. Louis, Baltimore, and Detroit. If the Vikings win these games, they'll be 9-7 (the other games are Pittsburgh and Chicago, both at home). At 9-7, there's very little doubt in my mind that a large number of people will be saying that the Vikings should give up on Daunte. I happen to think that the jury is out, but only because of the severity of his injury. Despite his struggles, I believe he's still an elite quarterback in this league, or at least he was, prior to his devastating injury. Here's my take. The BS column has a sniff of racism. He implies that Johnson has got a cooler head and that he gets less flustered than Daunte. He states that Johnson reads defenses better. He admits that Culpepper is a better athlete, but the Vikings are better with Johnson, who can't generate half the offense that Culpepper can because... [whisper] Daunte's black. [/whisper] If you think that's ridiculous, well it's no more ridiculous than his suggestion that the Vikings are better off with Johnson.|W|P|113296131753102572|W|P|BS on Culpepper|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|I'm with you SBG, but I'm afraid we are few in numbers. Daunte was having a bad season, but there isn't any doubt that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He proved that last year. He'll bounce back, I'm sure of it. I just hope that the Vikes aren't dumb enough to allow him to bounce back somewhere else. Daunte's just got to relax a little and actually play as if Moss isn't that important (because the way he was trying to compensate for Moss being in Oakland would suggest otherwise). SBG|W|P|The question that I ask is would Johnson won any of the games that the Vikings lost? My answer is no.Could Johnson have had a season like Daunte had last year? No.
Is BS out of line here? Yes.
Johnson is a nice backup at this point, and he's never been a great quarterback. The longer he plays, the more it should become apparent that he is extremely limited.
|W|P|Bob Sansevere is an idiot. How the heck did he became a columnist is beyond me? He rarely does research half the time and he is rarely around the teams with the exception of the Vikings. He just writes whatever sticks and files his story. He is a joke and an embrassment to his position. The fact he associates himself with that idiot, Tom Barnard just says a lot about him. Bob may be a nice guy, but as a writer, he stinks. All he does is stir up BS in his papers and that has grown old.Powers, Souhan, and Reusse are good at what they do because they do their homework before they write stuff. They do their homework and point out stuff to their article. Sanny rarely does it. All he does is start up stuff. It has grown old.
I love Daunte and I hope he is the starting QB when he comes back, but you gotta give Brad his props. He has done a great job inspiring his team and managing the offense in his time there. Brad has done okay, but long-term, they need Daunte out there
|W|P|SBGI usually tend to agree with you, but you are way off base here.
Culpepper has far more talent, no question.
Then why are we better off with Brad? Easy:
Fewer offensive penalties.
Fewer turnovers.
That's the difference. That's how we can win a game with only three offensive points. I'd rather go three and out and have to punt then drive down the field just to throw an interception. Or fumble.
Daunte played only one decent game all year. I believe it was the thrid game. Maybe you don't remember, but on opening day he had threw three interceptions and fumbled twice. A week later he threw five interceptions. That has to be close to a record. Honestly, how many turnovers can you have before you get benched.
The only chance this Vikings team had was if Daunte sat. I don't wish harm upon anyway, but now he is and the Vikes are capatolizing.
Brad Johnson is obviously not the future of this team. Culpepper is not the answer either. My guess is that we do the revolving quarterback thing again. Gannon-Moon-Johnson-Cunningham-Johnson-Cuunigham-George or whatever it was. Hopefully this team will be able to get someone in there long term. Hopefully, if you want to see the Vikings win, it won't be Daunte.
|W|P|SBGI usually tend to agree with you, but you are way off base here.
Culpepper has far more talent, no question.
Then why are we better off with Brad? Easy:
Fewer offensive penalties.
Fewer turnovers.
That's the difference. That's how we can win a game with only three offensive points. I'd rather go three and out and have to punt then drive down the field just to throw an interception. Or fumble.
Daunte played only one decent game all year. I believe it was the thrid game. Maybe you don't remember, but on opening day he had threw three interceptions and fumbled twice. A week later he threw five interceptions. That has to be close to a record. Honestly, how many turnovers can you have before you get benched.
The only chance this Vikings team had was if Daunte sat. I don't wish harm upon anyway, but now he is and the Vikes are capatolizing.
Brad Johnson is obviously not the future of this team. Culpepper is not the answer either. My guess is that we do the revolving quarterback thing again. Gannon-Moon-Johnson-Cunningham-Johnson-Cuunigham-George or whatever it was. Hopefully this team will be able to get someone in there long term. Hopefully, if you want to see the Vikings win, it won't be Daunte.
Peder|W|P|SBG, I agree with your main points about Duante and Johnson. But what happens if Duante can't come back next year? It's very possible that he won't be back at all until 2007. What do we do then? SBG|W|P|I doubt that Culpepper will be back in 2006. If you look at Kubel, who had the same injury over a year ago, you will see that he has been slow to get back. There's now some question about whether he will be back in time for spring training. |W|P|I think it's hard to compare Culpepper and Johnson because of the big variables -- strength of opponent and the peformance of our defense. Where was the Vikes defense earlier this year? Through the Carolina game, we were regularly getting blown out. Johnson won't blow a game by himself, but I fear he won't be able to keep up if our defense ever falters again. Of course, Culpepper wasn't able to keep up either, and he does commit more turnovers. But with everything else in place -- o-line, running game, defense, as it has been lately -- Daunte still has the potential to lead a high-powered offense. SBG|W|P|Daunte had some stinkers, no doubt about it. Consider last year. He was absolutely brilliant. 39 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions (and three lost fumbles). Is he no longer the player that he once was? Is it Daunte? Or is there some other reason?Birk, gone. Moss, gone. Off Coordinator, gone. Tough schedule. Defense in the tank. Daunte tried to make plays in games where the Vikes needed to score a ton to win. Johnson doesn't win those games either.
frightwig|W|P|It seems like some Vikings fans have always been looking for an excuse to dump Daunte, regardless of who happens to be his backup at the time. The guy has proven he can play at a Pro Bowl level. Like SBG said, early this season he was in an impossible position of trying to bail out a team that wasn't blocking, couldn't run the ball, and couldn't keep opponents out of the end zone. He gets hurt right before the team starts to play better against a weaker string in the schedule, and suddenly the Dump Daunte bandwagon is rolling again.... Why are Vikes fans in such a hurry to give up on him while he still could have prime years ahead?
|W|P|One of the best things about this holiday besides eating turkey or fancy dinner and spending time with friends adn family is reading who is Reusse's choice for Turkey of the Year. I thought it would be T.O. That would have been a no-brainer, but this Turkey of the Year award is rewarded to a guy that plays a role in Minnesota sports. He decided to give it to Bob Neagle, who is the chairman of the Wild and the defacto owner. Neagle deserved it. He has no interest in spending money on the team in getting proven winners or keeping guys like Andrew Brunette and Richard Park who did nothing but win with the Wild. All Neagle and the organization has accomplished besides overachieving in 2003 was ripping the fans off. For him not to raise ticket prices and show this garbage product that is on the ice, he deserves it. The very last sentence says it all in this article.My Turkey of the Year would be T.O. though with Gardenhire as the runner-up.
I thought Terry Ryan as Reusse's runner-up was ridiculous.The fact Terry Ryan was a runner-up was a joke. Ryan is handcuffed by his boss to begin with and the fact this team was not really that good is the reason why the franchise was better off not giving up Baker or Liriano for Soriano. Gardy is not the runner-up because he kisses up to Reusse's fanny.
SBG|W|P|Yeah, that Terry Ryan thing was not something I agreed with.I like the T.O. idea, but I'm thinking that his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is right there with T.O.
I must admit that I don't get the love for the Wild. I am a casual hockey fan at best. From my perspective, I see a team given tremendous support -- and five years into it, there's no real evidence that they'll be good at any point in the near future. The 2003 run looks more like a fluke with every passing day.
|W|P|Ryan is also handcuffed by his own philosophy and his set ways of doing things. I think Reusse is correct in not giving the guy a free pass for sitting on his hands when the Twins were in their best position since '91 to win a championship. Also, nobody wants to admit that Gardy is Ryan's boy. Slam Gardy all you want - he reports to Ryan and I see no disconnect between the two. You can't call out Gardenhire without at least attaching some of the blame to Ryan.
I can't belive this article want unnoticed by the Twins blogosphere - from the Nov. 24 Pioneer Press:
""A lot of people don't talk about our defense, but that contributed every bit as much as our offense in our inability to win games and close games," he said. "I'm just as concerned about our defense as our offense."
For that reason, Ryan isn't focusing solely on offense to improve his club before next season. He's seriously looking for defensive help, too.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out," he said. "We did not play good defense this year."
Ryan wouldn't be specific, but it wasn't just the infield he believes was inadequate.
"It was everything," he said. "We didn't hit the cut-off men, we didn't throw to the right bases. There are a lot of areas that are of concern. We didn't play good baseball in many areas."
I believe SBG pointed out, through careful analysis that defense was not necessarily the Twins' problem. Not even close to why they failed to meet expectations. It's this type of crackpot thinking that's going to keep the Twins mired in 3rd place.
The only thing Ryan has really proved in the past few years is that he can assemble a solid pitching rotation - good enough to get the team in the playoffs. He hasn't proven that he can assemble the offensive talent to win a championship or he is remiss to admit his manager is not managing the talent effectively. I'm tired of this man being treated like Jesus. He's good, but he as much as Morneau, needs to step up his game in '06.
Everyone wants to bash Gardy as a sabrmetric nincompoop, but it's Ryan's philosophies which are pervasive throughout the organization. Why he's taking defense when you have the worst offense is baseball should set the sirens ablaze for the Twins bloggers and their readership.
For everyone who thought it was just Gardy holding back Liriano and Baker, or bashing Cuddyer, I say, pay attention to what the wizard says. It's Ryan as much as it is Gardenhire who does not believe in trusting rookies, or ahem, placing rookies in pressure-packed situations. Who knows what these guys have against Cuddyer, but it is not all Gardy yanking this guy's chain.
Even if you really hate Gardenhire, which many of you do, Ryan hired him. Ryan has showed no displeasure in the way in which Gardenhire has performed his job.
All I can say is that Ryan better have one heckuva an offseason or 'Ol Pat might have good reason to baste this Turkey again next year. (That was my Souhan impersonation for those keeping score at home.)
Rowand is represented by Craig Landis, also the agent for first baseman Paul Konerko, the MVP of Chicago's AL Championship Series win. Konerko became a free agent after the World Series, and Tuesday's trade doesn't necessarily mean the White Sox will abandon their attempt to re-sign him since one can be the designated hitter. If the White Sox do re-sign Konerko, it's unclear whether they also would attempt to keep Frank Thomas, who also became a free agent. Chicago might move Scott Podsednik from left field to center and give top prospect Brian Anderson a shot in left or in center.Clearly, it won't be Thome, Konerko, and Thomas. And in all likelihood, the Big Owie has played his last game in a Chisox uni. But, if Konerko goes, well, that would be cool. If not, the Whities have upgraded their offense -- an offense that was pretty anemic last year, even though they seemed to have an OK year. The question is -- would the Twins take a chance on Frankie? He's somewhat of a troublemaker -- I'm sure that Bat-Girl would be apoplectic about it -- but I'd like to see the Twins make a run at him, depending of course on the money. When he was healthy last year, and that wasn't long, he had only 105 at-bats, he put up a weird .219/.315/.590/.905 line. He wasn't getting a lot of hits, only 23, but 15 were for extra bases and 12 went over the fence. He's played 108 games in two seasons, he's 37, and... well, for a couple million, I'd take a shot. Look, the Twins gave Juan Castro a million -- why not a couple for Thomas? What was Larry Brown thinking? -- I want to relay two scores from last night. Detroit 114, Denver 89. Charlotte 108, New York 95. One thing I do want to say about Stevie. Yes, he likes the ball in his hands, no doubt. He's taken 16.8 shots a game for his career. But, he does have a career 8.2 assist per game average. At some point, if he could only come to the realization that he needs someone else -- in the NBA you can't do it alone (right, Superboy?) -- he could still be a great player in this league. He wants to play two guard and shoot. His best potential for greatness is at the point as a playmaker. So yeah, he's got a ME-FIRST attitude, but he has shown that he can be a great playmaker, if he wants to.|W|P|113284104729877540|W|P|Garnett Trade Rumors -- Thanksgiving Edition|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Unknown|W|P|And a happy one to you, SBG. Let it be a time to refresh, catch your breath and renew. frightwig|W|P|Say hello to Linus for me. SBG|W|P|I knew you'd get that, fw. |W|P|The Vikings receivers, without Randy Moss to antagonize the Packers, are about as exciting as C-SPAN, but they made enough plays to outscore Brett Favre, with Koren Robinson setting up the game-winning field goal when the Packers left him as uncovered as Pamela Anderson in a home video.Guess who?
SBG|W|P|Unfair. I read that already. frightwig|W|P|Must be Top Jimmy, huh? SBG|W|P|You got it fw. Unknown|W|P|To the best of Moss' recollection, the Queens are 7-0 in the last seven games NOT started by D-Culp.Just throwin' it out there...
|W|P|How many turnovers per game has Daunte averaged? What about Brad?Daunte will go down as the single biggest disapointment in Vikes history. The guy sucks more than I can even convey in words.
And I won't be posting again because of the Word Verification.
Keep up the good work SBG!
SBG|W|P|Sorry you feel that way about the word verification. The reason I put it in place is that I get an e-mail every time someone posts. I was getting about 30 posts a day from "bots" that were fillig up my posts with advertisements. I put the word verification in place to keep that kind of crap out and only have my readers and my comments. |W|P|Not posting because of word verification? That's ridiculous. |W|P|I always wondered what the point of the word verification was. It didn't bother me, I was just curious. Thanks for explaining it.A win is a win, and this isn't figure skating, where you get style points. Still, all but one of the Vikings wins have been against bad teams, and the one that wasn't was a pretty fluky win. I can't get too excited just yet.
And while Brad Johnson hasn't been losing these games, he hasn't exactly been winning them, either. In the last two games, the offense has scored a grand total of sixteen points with one touchdown. If the defense and special teams hadn't been scoring, we'd all feel a lot differently about him.
Don't get me wrong--Johnson was a good signing, and he's a better backup than a lot of teams have. But let's not get carried away.
SBG|W|P|Well said, Jeff.I thought Johnson did a good job just surviving last night. He took a lot of hits. But, it was MeMo that did the damage. And another interception returned for a touchdown doesn't hurt, either.
|W|P|I think the key is the turnovers, mistakes, etc., plus the expectations. When Daunte's on the field, it seems like everybody (Daunte included) expects him to DO SOMETHING, and most of the time he does something bad. Favre's having similar troubles with the INTs these days. With Johnson out there, everybody's just in survival mode, trying not to make mistakes. And now the defense is fulfilling some of its potential.I guess if Culpepper could QB the defense-oriented, ball-control running team that the Vikings have become (out of necessity), I'd agree with you, SBG. But I just can't see Daunte leading that team.
frightwig|W|P|I agree with Jeff. So the Vikes beat the Lions at home, they got a fluke win in New York when the offense didn't do jack, and they beat Green Bay 20-17 on a(nother) last-second field goal--not unlike the outcome when MN played GB in October. I don't see much evidence of Johnson turning around the season. They're just getting some breaks in the middle of another season that's shaping up to be mediocre at best.Get ready for the Kevin Garnett trade rumors, the first of which was quickly shot down Sunday by Kevin McHale and Joe Dumars -- even as others maintained it was legit. Both team executives denied there was any truth to talk that made its way around the league over the weekend that the Detroit Pistons were willing to ship a package including Rasheed Wallace and Darko Milicic to Minnesota for Garnett.Other than the fact that this would rip my heart out, consider how good of a deal this would be for Detroit -- and KG. They could upgrade at power forward, wash their hands of Darko, and they'd have KG playing for Flip and with his buddy Chauncey Billups. They'd have a monster shot blocker and rebounder at the 5 in Ben Wallace. They'd have the best overall player in the game at the 4. They'd have Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton and Billups. They'd have lock down defense everywhere and they'd add a guy who could transform their offense (and they've already been good with Flip's system). They'd be the best team in the league. What would we get? We'd get a sure-to-be-unhappy Rasheed Wallace and the biggest joke of the 2003 draft this side of Ndudi Ebi. Hide the knives. Or how about this rumor?
One source told ESPN.com that the New York Knicks had made Minnesota an offer that included the expiring contracts of Penny Hardaway ($15.7 million) and Antonio Davis ($13.9 million). But for such a trade to work under salary cap rules, the Knicks would also have to take back Sczcerbiak. While that deal would be stunningly lopsided talent-wise, it would relieve the Wolves of $102 million in salary obligations over the next three seasons, allowing them to enter the 2006 offseason with approximately $25 million of cap space. One source close to several NBA players insisted that the viability of the Knicks' offer should not be dismissed, going so far as to say Garnett was making a private push through back channels to be dealt to New York and reunite with former teammate Stephon Marbury. "I'd bet money he'll be wearing a Knicks uniform by the end of February," the source said.Okay, this one sounds like Ahmed Chalabi is the source. KG wants to reunite with Starbury? I'm not believing that. But, NY is NY. Bottom line: I'm not buying this crap. Yet. I think the Wolves are much more likely to trade to enhance talent around KG. Because trading the Big Ticket is tantamount to starting the franchise over, especially with that Knicks deal. Update: Bob Sansevere ("B.S.") rips KG for ripping McHale. I've been generally boycotting this fool since he printed the story about Kirby Puckett in which he quoted Kirby's supposed mistress as saying that the only present Kirby ever bought her was a vibrator. Why he thought it was necessary to put that in the paper (and guess what, it was unsubstantiated) is beyond me. But, I was going to links where I didn't know the source. And so I got stuck reading this crap. Says B.S.:
In this job, I'm always asking people whom they would like to trade places with for a day. Me? I want to see what it would be like to be Kevin Garnett. Besides being rich and famous, K.G. is exempt from criticism and retaliation by his bosses. You and I should be a fraction as lucky. Garnett can say anything about anyone in the Timberwolves organization, and not only does he get away with it, his bosses make excuses for his derogatory comments.Garnett gets away with it because he's the best player in the world and he's been saddled with an absolutely crappy supporting cast, thanks to his boss. Garnett gets away with it, because there are 29 other teams in the league that would give an arm and a leg to get KG. Garnett gets away with it, because he's never, ever taken a night off, ever. Can McHale say that about his GM days? Garnett gets away with it, because he's the Franchise and if he leaves, they'll be throwing a curtain over 3/4 of the seats in Target Center to make the place appear to be at least half full.|W|P|113261693808883734|W|P|Garnett Trade Rumors|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|Great blog! I'm soooo tired of the KG trade rumors. I can't figure out if I'm in denial or all these "sports writers" are on drugs. None of the rumors make any sense for the Wolves, they all appear to be one-sided, favoring everyone but the Wolves. Yeah, lets trade KG to Detroit for a head-case and an unproven draft bust. Glen Taylor seems like a smart guy, they are having enough trouble with KG on the roster filling the stands, they move him and they will be seriously hurting. Greek House|W|P|I don't buy these rumors either. I plan to post an entry about this in my blog later this week. There are a number of reasons I don't think it will happen, the biggest being that I don't think any team can make the Wolves a reasonable offer. |W|P|The only trade I would entertain would be KG for Lebron |W|P|This team has basically done one thing right since it started... they can't be stupid enough to trade that away, can they?Can they?
Unknown|W|P|xThe fact that these "serious" rumors are even floating around should cost McHale his job. Neil is right -- it's the one thing McHale did right, and now it may go down the toilet. Maybe he'll offer Sprewell the same deal as last year, too. SBG|W|P|In McHale's defense, the Ray Allen for Marbury trade looked good for a while, too. But, now, who would you rather have -- Allen or Marbury? No brainer there.I have suggested that it was this trade, the draft day deal for Marbury, that ruined the franchise. And at the time we were all toasting it.
frightwig|W|P|This seems to be one of those media-driven stories that conjures up out of nothing and takes on a life of its own. It's "news" to each media outlet because every other media outlet has pundits talking about it. Ergo, each and every last pundit must weigh in, too. (Just like we're doing.)None of them care about what's best for the Wolves. The story is about "rescuing" KG. Most of them would like to get KG out of Minnesota. Why? Because the playoffs are more interesting to the neutral observer if KG latches on to a contender, and because whipping up this whole thing is fun for them. They're like kids with a jar of ants and one lone spider.
Really, though, morality aside, giving the money to the players is the only realistic outcome. The owners won't keep the money for one simple reason: It doesn't mean anything to them. They want to win, and they want to have lovely things written about them in the newspapers. And you don't accomplish either of those worthy goals by dropping your profits into a hedge fund or a Swiss bank account (or whatever; obviously, I've officially exited my natural element).Does this sound like the Twins' ownership? Yeah, I didn't think so either. Come to think of it, it didn't sound like Red McCombs either. Nor does it sound like Wild management. (Somehow they continue to get warm and fuzzies everywhere despite making no effort to improve the club beyond mediocrity.) As for Glen Taylor, well, he's spent money, but the problem is that he's got Kevin McHale making the player personnel decisions.|W|P|113257649943825297|W|P|Neyer: Baseball Teams Awash in Money|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
Unknown|W|P|Moss thinks the problem with the proposal was more in that the Twins got to keep all revenues from everything. Including parking, when they wouldn't own the lots.Moss would have been okay with the tax, if the Twins wouldn't have been so greedy and overreaching for revenues.
|W|P|Neyer can't be serious, can he? None of these owners became billionaires without a healthy lust for profit.It's reasonable to assume if there is more revenue the players will get some of it but to say they will abandon all common sense to win is just stupid.
SBG|W|P|Neyer's a great baseball writer, but in this case, I think he's a little off. As he says, he's exited his "natural element." Most owners, I would assume, love glowing press almost as much as money. Almost, but not quite.At the same time, some owners treat their franchise as a valuable property and try to improve its value by investing in it. Others treat it as a cash cow and suck all the milk out they can. But yes, the Neyer comment seems a little, shall we say, half-baked.
|W|P|"Others treat it as a cash cow and suck all the milk out they can."That's a mental picture I didn't need in my head this morning!
|W|P|Retractable-roof-nothing. If the Twins can contribute an extra $75-$100 million, they'll pretty much be in 50-50 partnership with the county, given the current proposal. I think that's enough to get it through. Heck, I think if they just gave up the naming rights, it would do wonders at this point. They've got to negotiate (or at least T-Paw has to publicly implore them to negotiate). |W|P|Not to be morbid, but I say there's no stadium deal with Pohlad alive. The team stands a better chance to get what they want with Carl gone. Perhaps there would be a fair amount of nostalgia with his passing and with fresh blood with final say, even if is the Pohlad family, there could be a better climate to bring in some external business partners. I don't see anyway with Carl living the team comes back to Hennepin County with more cash. |W|P|From the NY Daily News - (and you guys think Pohlad is Satan)The Pirates owner has been the biggest whiner about baseball's economic system - and the biggest culprit in terms of taking advantage of it to the disadvantage of Pittsburgh's fans. Thanks to the city-financed PNC Park, the Pirates have increased in value from the $90 million McClatchy paid for them in 1996 to an estimated $220 million. But McClatchy, who gets to keep all the baseball revenue generated at the ballpark, including the parking, and reaps another $25-30 million in revenue sharing, maintained the second-lowest payroll in baseball this year ($30 million after jettisoning Matt Lawton) as the Pirates suffered through their 13th straight losing season. The man who traded Aramis Ramirez for Bobby Hill, raised ticket prices after a 100-loss season in 2001 and tried to ban water bottles at PNC Park, needs to just shut up and sell out.
SBG|W|P|It's comments like this (the Pittsburgh deal) that made me wonder what Neyer was thinking with his article.The retractable roof is my own prejudice.
Carl is tight with a buck, no doubt about it. He's also created a series of PR disasters with his ham-handed attempts to finagle a stadium that make him a pariah. But, I do remember what it was like with Calvin owning the team. Not everything was sunshine and roses.
Greek House|W|P|Neyer has a tendency to do this. He'll come up with a good idea for an article and then write it without really doing the research (which is basically what I do, except I'm not getting paid). This sounds like a prime example of this. He was probably looking at one or two specific cases and just applied the same logic to all of MLB.
SBG|W|P|That's what I do, too. Half-baked is the way to go! frightwig|W|P|McClatchy not only has no interest in spending to improve his team (which should give pause to Twins fans who expect that a new ballpark equals greater payroll), but he's rebuffed Mark Cuban's inquiries about buying the team. It's unfortunate, but I think very few owners of pro sports franchises really care about winning nearly as much as the fans do. Think of this: suppose that after the Twins won 85 games in 2001, Pohlad had decided to give his GM an extra $50m a year to buy whichever free agents he needed to make a real push for the World Series. Even if that expense is all out of pocket, it's still around 2% of his personal fortune each year. Is there a fan among us who wouldn't commit that much for at least 5 years, if we were in his shoes?
If you're an octegenarian worth $2 billion, and you can't see your way to investing another 10% of your fortune over 5 years into your hobby for one last hurrah before you shuffle off, what are you saving it for? What a miserable bastard.
Greek House|W|P|"If you're an octegenarian worth $2 billion, and you can't see your way to investing another 10% of your fortune over 5 years into your hobby for one last hurrah before you shuffle off, what are you saving it for? What a miserable bastard."What you don't know is that he's secretly having a Pyramid constructed in Egypt. He's not using modern technology either. He's got hundreds of slaves working around the clock to build him the 8th wonder of the world. Once he dies, he'll spend whatever money he has left to have his corpse mumified and jewel encrested to the extreme, and will then get shipped off and buried in his pyramid.
Toronto Sun reporter Ian McDougall wrote a September article about the Hall of Famer and former Brewer, Blue Jay and Twin [Paul Molitar] being ordered to make regular support payments for a son, Joshua, he fathered with a Pickering, Ontario, woman. "In a written decision released yesterday, Justice Robert Clark ordered Molitor to pay $5,322 a month to a 4-year-old boy's mother, Joanna Andreou, 37," reads the article. "The judge calculated Molitor's 2004 income, including a $68,547 pension, at $778,971. He has been paying monthly support since 2001. ... In addition, he made a retroactive payment of child support in 2003 for $111,000." Molitor's lawyer, Diane Klukach, told the Sun: "He is happy with the decision because it is consistent with what he's been voluntarily paying. He has stepped to the plate." As Molitor has acknowledged, his son was born during his marriage to the Twin Cities' Linda Molitor, his first wife, with whom he has a daughter. That 21-year-old daughter is not to be confused with Julia, around 2 years old, who was apparently conceived before his divorce from the first wife. Molitor is married to Julia's mom, Destini.It happens so much, it's a cliche.|W|P|113257170346455414|W|P|Feet of Clay|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
frightwig|W|P|I can't be the only one wondering whether Molitor met his current wife at a strip club, right? SBG|W|P|Her name is definitely suspicious.Agent Bob Gist said the Lakers have called but Sprewell won't play for the veteran's minimum of $1.1 million, which is all they can offer. "Anyone who thinks he should play for that, that's absurd," Gist told SI.com. "He might as well retire. Latrell doesn't need the money that badly. To go from being offered $7 million to taking $1 million, that would be a slap in the face." � Not that Sprewell has an attitude or anything, but Gist says the Pistons offered more but Spree didn't like the idea of coming and not starting�.Spree, I think you are done.|W|P|113256831803696739|W|P|The Kids are All Right|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
How come I never get to go to the game?
Jags
|W|P|113246328597225036|W|P|I Love KG|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
It's a Wolves win, but I want streamers!!!!
|W|P|113245751259075897|W|P|Where are the Streamers??|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
He wanted to come to the game! He has to watch it on TV!
|W|P|113245171762051519|W|P|Poor Jags!|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com oldwhitelady|W|P|I hope you post a picture of Jags watching the game on the TV:)Carmelo Anthony sliced through single coverage en route to 25 points for the Nuggets, while Brown left Knicks guard Stephon Marbury watching helplessly from the bench over the final 6� minutes of Denver's 95-86 win over New York. Marbury, who said he was upset with his role in Brown's system after a four-point night in a loss to the Lakers earlier this week, didn't see his role change much in this one. He stayed at point guard and finished with nine points and nine assists, while spending the end of the game on the bench with a towel draped over his head. A good strategic decision? Or simply a reminder from Brown of who is really in charge in this, his first season with the Knicks? That debate will begin shortly in the Big Apple. For his part, Marbury took this latest setback better than the one in Los Angeles.I've heard rumors (KFAN) that the Wolves are considering bringing Marbury back to Minnesota. While I might welcome "Stevie," as my brother used to call him when he was a Timberwolf, under some circumstances, I've heard recently that he's bashed the Wolves and Minnesota recently, making it pretty hard to see how he could possibly work in this town. One thing is for sure: that town ain't big enough for Larry Brown and Stephon Marbury. And you know what? New York is a pretty big town. Apparently, Stevie wants to play 2-guard a la Allen Iverson. Brown says -- you aren't that good. From the New York Post:
Indeed, Marbury's request to be moved to shooting guard and be like Allen Iverson was oddly timed after just eight games. Brown also indicated Marbury is not in the same explosive-scoring class as Iverson. "He told me from Day 1 he'd like to play like Allen Iverson," Brown said. "I don't think there's many Allen Iversons out there. I think we can get him in positions off the ball, coming off screens. I don't know if we have that kind of team. I do my best to accommodate guys, but this is about the team."We know that Stevie's main goal is to be the man. If he came to Minnesota, checked his ego at the door, and made sure that KG was getting the ball, he could resurrect his career. Then again, if I were single, had $500 million, and lost the weight I gained in law school, I could have my pick of Hollywood starlets. Of course, I love my wife and would never in a million years leave her, I'll never have $500 million, but I am working on the spare tire. But, it seems these days that the latter is just as likely as the former to happen, which is to say, not happening! Here's an interesting take from 'Melo:
Nugget star Carmelo Anthony has seen this before � in Athens. With the U.S. Olympic team winning a bronze medal, the sideshow was Stephon Marbury failing to adapt to Brown's system. Marbury played with no confidence during the Olympics or with a shooting touch. Marbury again is unhappy at PG in Brown's structured system. "That was the same situation over there," said Anthony, whom Brown used sparingly in Greece. "Stephon is a scorer. Larry knew that about him but he wanted him to be the point guard. Stephon likes to shoot and put the ball in the basket. That's what he's been doing since eighth grade."Let's see. It was apparently well-known that Larry and Stevie couldn't play nice. Now who would bring in a coach that absolutely couldn't get along with the star player (who has a huge and basically untradeable contract)? That's right, Isiah Thomas. As long as Isiah is running a team in the NBA, I'll never say that McHale is the worst GM in the league.|W|P|113242332962811058|W|P|Warning: Explosion Coming|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
The great Oscar Robertson had to leave Cincinnati, where he was a college star and then the Royals' franchise for 10 seasons, to join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Milwaukee and get his championship. Garnett -- no Big O on the great-meter but a unique talent in NBA history -- was Da Kid in 1995-96, and became the Wolves' franchise player the past decade. It's probable he also must travel to get a championship, with the obvious landing place being the L.A. Lakers, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson.No effing way is Garnett going to the Lakers. Tell me what the T-Wolves can get off that roster. The only piece of value they have is Kobe Bryant. The Wolves would be fools to make that trade because the first Kobe would do is say "get me out of here." Then again, I think about the doofus that is calling the shots and I think it's possible. As Reusse says:
Garnett sees Jaric fighting with the basketball like it's an explosive device and knows if the Wolves had given Cassell a three-year contract in the fall of 2004, he still could be playing 25-30 minutes and draining 17-footers. Garnett sees Josh Howard becoming a force in Dallas and knows that McHale passed on the Wake Forest upperclassman to select Ndudi Ebi, a no-hope high schooler. Garnett sees Rashad McCants acting a fool with his team hopelessly beaten and knows he could have been receiving help up front from Danny Granger, rebounder, defender, reliable in his effort.
Now that Garnett, the greatest athlete in Minnesota Pro Sports History has popped off, I wonder how long it will be until Top Jimmy advocates getting rid of him. We don't need a guy like him around here making waves. Getting rid of him would be, what's that word?, oh yeah, REFRESHING.
If Glen Taylor is one of the Billions Who Read This Site, listen up: Fire McHale. Get a GM in place. Make some moves this season. Not I'm-Isiah-Thomas moves, but bring in some guys to make over this franchise. Or you are going to lose the only Timberwolves player who has ever meant anything to this town.
|W|P|113240887982282026|W|P|Reusse Weighs In on KG|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com |W|P|I guess you're not the only one in town writing half-bakes crap. It's time to come up with a nickname for Reusse too.. |W|P|baked...damn typos. Sorry.| PLAYER | MIN | PTS/ 40 | REB/ 40 | AST/ 40 | STL/ 40 | BLK/ 40 | FGA | PPS | MIN % | SHOT % | DISTRIBUTION | GUNNING FACTOR |
| R. Felton | 177 | 14.69 | 4.52 | 8.36 | 3.16 | 0.23 | 68 | 0.96 | 39.60% | 9.07% | 22.90% | 1.41 |
| S. May | 170 | 22.12 | 11.06 | 2.35 | 2.35 | 1.65 | 79 | 1.19 | 38.03% | 10.53% | 27.70% | 1.37 |
| E. Okafor | 301 | 15.95 | 10.63 | 1.86 | 1.20 | 1.46 | 113 | 1.06 | 67.34% | 15.07% | 22.37% | 1.24 |
| K. Rush | 204 | 18.04 | 4.71 | 1.96 | 1.18 | 0.78 | 77 | 1.19 | 45.64% | 10.27% | 22.50% | 1.11 |
| M. Carroll | 120 | 19.33 | 3.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 46 | 1.26 | 26.85% | 6.13% | 22.85% | 1.07 |
| B. Robinson | 52 | 8.46 | 1.54 | 1.54 | 2.31 | 0.00 | 13 | 0.85 | 11.63% | 1.73% | 14.90% | 1.04 |
| B. Knight | 266 | 12.03 | 3.01 | 8.42 | 2.71 | 0.00 | 78 | 1.03 | 59.51% | 10.40% | 17.48% | 1.01 |
| J. Jones | 111 | 11.17 | 5.77 | 0.36 | 1.44 | 0.36 | 30 | 1.03 | 24.83% | 4.00% | 16.11% | 0.92 |
| J. Voskuhl | 56 | 14.29 | 4.29 | 1.43 | 0.00 | 0.71 | 17 | 1.18 | 12.53% | 2.27% | 18.09% | 0.91 |
| K. Bogans | 201 | 13.13 | 4.78 | 2.39 | 2.79 | 0.20 | 57 | 1.16 | 44.97% | 7.60% | 16.90% | 0.86 |
| A. Anderson | 19 | 16.84 | 4.21 | 8.42 | 2.11 | 2.11 | 6 | 1.33 | 4.25% | 0.80% | 18.82% | 0.83 |
| K. Burleson | 28 | 18.57 | 1.43 | 8.57 | 8.57 | 0.00 | 9 | 1.44 | 6.26% | 1.20% | 19.16% | 0.78 |
| G. Wallace | 162 | 20.00 | 7.65 | 2.72 | 3.46 | 0.99 | 53 | 1.53 | 36.24% | 7.07% | 19.50% | 0.75 |
| P. Brezec | 226 | 14.87 | 7.26 | 1.24 | 0.88 | 0.00 | 63 | 1.33 | 50.56% | 8.40% | 16.61% | 0.74 |
| M. Ely | 142 | 17.46 | 10.70 | 1.69 | 1.41 | 0.56 | 41 | 1.51 | 31.77% | 5.47% | 17.21% | 0.67 |
Points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks are per 40 minutes. Distribution is percentage of shots per minute on the floor. Gunning factor is distribution divided by the player's points per shot divided by the teams points per shot (and multiplied by 5).
Charlotte is lead by Sean May, who is scoring and rebounding well. His PPS is slightly better than the teams rate of 1.18. The numbers show pretty even shot distribution and no one with a significant gunning factor.
|W|P|113237493445220273|W|P|Charlotte By the Numbers|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.comBubba (Charlotte): Do you think there are any viable cities left for relocation of a current team? Neil deMause: Define "viable." Portland would fit well on the bottom rung of the current MLB markets, but the city isn't eager to subsidize a stadium, so if you're the A's or the Twins, why relocate to a smaller city only to be stuck with the stadium tab anyway? Las Vegas has similar stadium-funding issues, and is even dinkier in terms of media market, though that could change in five or ten years. San Jose or Brooklyn could probably do it, but the existing teams would demand a king's ransom to allow their territorial rights to be breached. Hmm... Montreal?I've said that the Twins had better not bluff a move to Las Vegas. Seems like a move to Vegas is that -- just a bluff. In fact, I believe that the Twins won't leave, precisely because Vegas isn't viable. At the same time, I've been advocating a third team in New York for some time (preferrably in Manhattan). That's where I thought the Expos should have gone (of course there are stadium issues, I suppose they could have played at Shea).|W|P|113237171455738900|W|P|Here's to you, Frightwig!!|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
frightwig|W|P|I forget, is the new Yankee Stadium going to be in Manhattan or are they staying in the Bronx? I know that a lot of New Yorkers were opposed to building a new stadium in Manhattan because of the congestion. Maybe someday MLB will persuade the Yanks & Mets to accept a team in Brooklyn or New Jersey. I've heard some Boston fans suggest that New England would support a 2nd team again, too. I don't know--it's all pie in the sky right now.Portland might become a realistic market for expansion or relocation in about 10 years, but not now. I'm skeptical about Vegas ever being a viable threat to steal the Twins or any other team, at least for the next couple decades. Someone in the Strib said maybe by 2010 if 'all the stars align.' Ha. Talk about pie in the sky....
That Strib article actually did a thorough job of explaining why we really have nothing to fear from Las Vegas. A relatively small permanent population, a significantly transient population with a high percentage of night workers, no support from the local business community which regards MLB as potential competition for their customers, low fan support for the local AAA franchise, and, oh... there's the gambling issue.
Come to the table and negotiate, Carl. Enough with the charades.
SBG|W|P|Yankee Stadium, the last I heard, was to be built next to the current station. New York with three teams is still a huge market. I really believe that there should be three teams. Of course, in the old days, the Giants were located on Manhattan, although right across the river from Yankee Stadium. A stadium on the West Side would really compete with the Yankees. The team should be a National League team, too. Then, they would have their 19 games with the Mets and not the Yankees.
|W|P|Charley Rosen writes great stuff. He hits everything in the head as he always does. I really enjoy reading him. Yeah the truth hurts when he writes, but at least he writes facts to back up his statement. That's all a reader or fan wants.He did a great job bashing Marko. I don't think Marko has done much to my liking.
I responded to more stuff to your post entries for this entire week if you scroll down, SBG.
Unknown|W|P|Replacement-level players who are RIDICULOUSLY OVERPAID!! There is no flexibility on this team, thanks to McHale's dealings. SBG|W|P|McHale should be fired. No question. In a perverse sort of way, KG's brilliance has, to a certain extent covered up for McHale's complete incompetence. |W|P|Kenny and Charles made an interesting point about the Wolves after the game. They don't have an identity. There game is entirely dependent on KG because McHale hasn't had a plan for building a team. They have no team speed and no defining style, except for KG. If KG wants out, I don't blame him either. I don't see how it would be possible though. Either it's the worst financial move the Wolves as a company can make, or some team has to be dumb enough to give up a lot of great talent. Remember, things got to match up money-wise and that means either we get Kobe if he goes out to the Lakers or we get Ben Gordon, Chris Dohun and Andres Nocioni if heads over to Chicago. I think those are very unlikely scenarios.Also, long-time reader, first-time commenter. Or something like that. Anyway, keep up the good work and all that jazz.
|W|P|I hate to say it, but it would best long term for both parties if Garnett is traded sooner rather than later. As SBG points out, the miles on the odometer are getting to the point where things will start to break down.
For the Wolves, provided they ditch McHale in the same process, they could re-load with the youth and athletic ability they need for the Shaq-less future of the NBA and Garnett could be, hopefully, put into a situation where he could crown his achievments with a ring.
As a sportsfan, this very much reminds me of when Carew was traded, slightly different situation because it's not about money, but it is about ineptitude. Carew left Minnesota beloved by the fans - the same way KG would go. You hate to seem him go, but you want very badly to see him be ginning for championships and not propping up a bunch of misfits.
In some ways, Garnett who was more than financially secure, never should have signed with the Wolves that last contract. The Spreewell/Cassell was in some ways a mirage or at least a single bullet in the chamber. It did prove what Garnett was capable of with solid talent around him, something he can no longer afford to wait for.
SBG|W|P|What frustrates me about the Wolves is that the identity should be get the ball to KG and let him control the offense. Run the offense out of the low post. But, if you watch, long stretches occur when he doesn't get the ball. In the third quarter last night, the Wolves had a nice lead and all of a sudden guards (Hudson) were trying to take guys off the dribble and throwing up wild shots. Or KG sets a high screen and the ball handler passes to a jump shooter and he shoots with no one positioned to rebound 'cause KG is setting a screen 25 feet from the basket.Casey needs to play guys who are going to get the ball to KG. All others can be reserved for garbage time.
|W|P|So if the Wolves don't have an identity or a plan other than Garnett... we should trade Garnett? If McHale is the problem (and I agree, he's looked like it), and his contracts (and draft picks) make no sense (T-Hud, Madsen, Jaric, Ebi, etc.), then THAT is the problem that should be addressed. If Garnett is traded, this team immediately goes down, and as hard as it will be to recover in the standings, it will be even harder to recover in terms of fan interest. This isn't an A-Rod/Rangers situation, where the team was already in the cellar and the club had buyer's remorse.I'm all for re-loading with youth and athletic ability etc., but wouldn't that be best to do around Garnett (and sans McHale)? And you wouldn't trade him unless you got some overwhelming offer, but what team has a lot to give up for Garnett and can still contend? As long as he's happy here (and all indications say that he is, despite TNT's melodrama), I still think you can build around him for a few more years, at least.
|W|P|The question is: Can you put enough of the right talent around Garnett fast enough to contend? I just don't think you can and if I'm Garnett, I don't want to wait around long enough to find out.I think what the Sprewell Cassell experiment proved is that a team to win it all needs 2-3 superstar-caliber players with a balance of well-defined roll players.
Even Shaq can't elevate 4 other players enough to be a serious contender. To think Garnett can at this point is wrong. Can another GM/VP come in and rebuild enough in a 1-2 year window to seriously contend with Miami, Detroit, San Antonio?
SBG|W|P|Let's put it this way. If the Wolves trade Garnett, they go back to square one. And I don't trust McHale to make the trade. So, I think -- FIRE MCHALE. |W|P|Great win last night by the good guys. It was good to see the ball go in the net all night long. This might have been the best offensive output of the season so far even it's not saying much. You have to like how they came through in the fourth quarter.What a game by KG! He was simply fantastic tonight. He willed the team to the victory with his play. He was fantastic offensively and defensively. He was really huge in the second and third quarter offensively and he did a great job of distributing the ball to the open guys throughout the game. He has done a very good job of carrying the Timberwolves this month. He was definitely player of the game.
Richie was probably the second big reason why the Wolves won the game. When the Wizards were making their run, Richie stepped up and made some big-time shots. Richie's steal of Jarvis Hayes may have been turning point of the ballgame in the fourth quarter. KG scored and then the WIzards pass the ball to Jarvis Hayes but then Richie just swipes it and then everyone runs to get the ball. Richie gets it and then passes it to Wally and Wally scored. That was your turning point of the game right here.
The role players played well and that was the difference. Had they done that and had Dwane used Richie the other night, Wolves win the game against the Rockets. It was good to see Wally play well. Let's hope this was a start of good things to come. Troy was solid. Michael did a good job and it was good to see him finish some scoring chances.
Eddie Griffin needs to start scoring or learn how to put the ball in the net. With his body and his height, he should be doing a lot better offensively.
I thought the Wolves played well quietly on defense. They did a great job not letting Gilbert Arenas do his thing for the most part and they dictated the tempo of the game instead of letting the Wizards operate their Princeton offense. I mention the word "quietly" mainly because the offense was simply huge as they made the D be the footnote of this game.
As good as the WIzards are, they are not in the level of the big three in the East. They have to know how to play defense. I thought the Wolves had too many easy looks and too many easy ways to the paint.
I did not care much for the TNT coverage. I did not have a problem with Harlan and Collins, but I wasn't happy with the way Barkley and Smith bash the Wolves all night long and encouraging KG to leave. I will have more to say about KG's comments on McHale later today along with my thoughts on the TNT crew. All I will say is this. I hope the Wolves are not going to be on TNT much. I am fed up with the way the network has treated the Timberwolves in recent years. I rather see ESPN air the Wolves games nationally. If TNT airs only one Wolves game this year, it would not sad me. Too bad TNT is obligated to carry playoff games so we have to be stuck with windbags of Kenny and Charles, who are overpaid to be "analysts"
This was simply a great win after a very long day with KG's comments. A win was what the Doctor ordered. Wolves need wins just so the guys can feel confident and most importantly brush aside the fire that stems from KG's comments and the silly trade rumors of KG.
frightwig|W|P|I don't think the Wolves are all that far from being a legit contender. Just proper execution of a better strategy on the floor would go a long ways. The team was at its best last night when KG regularly got the ball low and could drive into the paint. Not only does it put him in better position to score, it puts his teammates in good position to contribute as well. The team gets off track when they drift away from that approach for too long. I also agree with SBG that when Garnett kicks the ball out, he needs to be getting a return pass more often. This team isn't going to win a championship, but if the club could add a slashing scoring guard and/or a Center who can reliably score on a handful of set plays going into the blocks each night, I think the Wolves might not be so far away. In the NBA, some tinkering could make a dramatic difference as soon as the next trading deadline. Worry about trading KG so he can hook up with a contender when he's really in the twilight of his career, like maybe in 5 years. It's too soon to give up on the KG Era just yet.
|W|P|You can criticize McHale for a lot of things � but his assertion by Garnett is ridiculous. McHale rightly defended himself by saying that he coached last year because it was unfair to put the assistants in a mess which he created. Yes, it was obvious to fans and well documented both before an after Flip was fired, the McHale and Flip were not exactly seeing eye-to-eye when it came to managing the games and was frustrated by what he believed to be lack of effort. McHale was 19-12 as a coach, not bad under the circumstances. McHale had consistently said over the years he did not want to coach.I pulled this from a City Pages article from last year:
�Yet 10 days later, 99 percent of the player feedback about McHale's style has emphasized how much easier and more enjoyable he has made the game for them. In particular, the players have been pleased by McHale's decision to dramatically simplify Saunders' complex offense and allow them to freelance more frequently. They like that he listens to them and uses their input, and that he offers constant praise and encouragement that has raised their confidence.�
Maybe I�m in the minority, but I think it was time for Flip to go. I would have fired both McHale and Saunders at the same time though. I still hope McHale is fired this year. The biggest problem is his inability to consistently put the right talent around arguably one of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of sneakers. It�s going to cost Garnett and the Wolves and opportunity to win a championship.
|W|P|You can criticize McHale for a lot of things � but his assertion by Garnett is ridiculous. McHale rightly defended himself by saying that he coached last year because it was unfair to put the assistants in a mess which he created. Yes, it was obvious to fans and well documented both before an after Flip was fired, the McHale and Flip were not exactly seeing eye-to-eye when it came to managing the games and was frustrated by what he believed to be lack of effort. McHale was 19-12 as a coach, not bad under the circumstances. McHale had consistently said over the years he did not want to coach.I pulled this from a City Pages article from last year:
�Yet 10 days later, 99 percent of the player feedback about McHale's style has emphasized how much easier and more enjoyable he has made the game for them. In particular, the players have been pleased by McHale's decision to dramatically simplify Saunders' complex offense and allow them to freelance more frequently. They like that he listens to them and uses their input, and that he offers constant praise and encouragement that has raised their confidence.�
Maybe I�m in the minority, but I think it was time for Flip to go. I would have fired both McHale and Saunders at the same time though. I still hope McHale is fired this year. The biggest problem is his inability to consistently put the right talent around arguably one of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of sneakers. It�s going to cost Garnett and the Wolves and opportunity to win a championship.
SBG|W|P|I'll agree that coaches can become stale and need to move on. That is the nature of the game. But riddle me this: if you were running an NBA franchise, who would you want to coach it, Flip or McHale? Or how about this choice: would you rather have Flip as your coach or McHale as your GM? |W|P|I'll take the wussy way out.On the basis of experience, if you were running a franchise, you'd have to chose Flip to coach. I'm not sure either guy has shown the chops in terms of player personnel decisions - especially McHale, in that regard. They both shared some of those responsibilities early on with the Wolves. Had he chosen the coaching path, who knows, maybe McHale would have been an all-time great, versus being a mediocre executive. To answer your question more directly, Flip's reputation has not been tarnished as much as McHale's, and therefore he is the clear pick in both counts. McHale's tenure has not been all bad. Looking early, on after McHale took over for Trader Jack, to duo seemed headed for NBA immortality. (Note, gross exaggeration.)
Even the Garnett decision, which looks like a slam dunk now, was still risky. It's not like there was a lot of successful stories of the High School to NBA leap. In his 10 years, McHale also has assembled at least 2 teams seemingly capable of winning a title. Most recently with Cassel, Sprewell and Garnet. The Garnett, Marbury, Gugliotta trio, had they stayed together might have brought more success. I can't blame McHale for Marbury's selfishness. The problem is there has been a bad decision to match every good one. It is clearly time for McHale to move on. He's one of the 50 greatest to play the game, so I'm not so sure I want him banished from the facility, but it's now time to give someone else a chance.
Flip is doing great in Detroit, but he is surrounded by a lot of very good talent. It will be interesting to see how he will fare deep in the playoffs versus another elite coach. Should he win a title or titles in the next few years, his vindication card will surely get a stamp or two. If not, he, like McHale will be brandished with the notion that they just couldn't get over the top.
SBG|W|P|I'll give credit where credit is due.McHale's choice of Garnett was brilliant. And his trade for Marbury looked great at the time. Had Marbury not sold out the team, the two would be one of the most dynamic duos in the league.
But, once Marbury did his thing, McHale has faltered BIG TIME. Joe Smith. Ndudi Ebi. Paul Grant (actually that was while Marbury was here). The Hassell contract. The Szczerbiak contract. The THUD contract. It's a train wreck and he needs to be replaced.
I like what I've seen from Casey. He seems to be a good coach and provides a change. It seems that he realizes that the ball in KG's hands is a good idea.
SBG|W|P|KG is having a KG game tonight. 17 points on 8-10 shooting in the first half. Also six rebounds and six assists. SBG|W|P|Charles Barkley is saying that the T-Wolves need to trade KG. Screw that. KG is all they have. Who thinks that Kevin McHale can actually make a good trade for KG? No, they can't trade KG. |W|P|I'd do KG Straight up for the Charlotte Bobcats. Then we'd have most of the UNC core from last year, leading us inevitably to the NBA Title....right?There are maybe 2 people I'd trade KG for. And neither one would work.
-tootie
SBG|W|P|The Wolves had a ten point lead at the half and TNT spent the whole halftime ripping the Wolves. They obviously had decided to rip them before the game started. SBG|W|P|Triple double tonight? KG has 8 assists already. SBG|W|P|This third quarter is infuriating. Almost no post ups for Garnett. Instead he is being asked (and I think this is the case) to set high picks. And they don't run the pick and roll. He just wastes energy and is taken out of the play. SBG|W|P|Antawn Jamison can't guard KG. He blows right by him for an easy score. Of course, the next two times down the court he doesn't touch the ball. |W|P|Mccants didn't take a shot in his minutes...mustv'e read your site ;)-tootie
SBG|W|P|McCants is one of the billions!He hasn't played much either. I think the coaching staff is sending a message.
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Harlan is awesome, best basketball announcer out there hands down. frightwig|W|P|KG got off to a slow start tonight. Most of the 1st quarter, he was out of the action and didn't do much but deliver a few nice assists. But between the 2:30 and 2-minute marks, he got the ball on the block a couple times and knocked down two smooth Dream Shakes. When he came back off the bench in the 2nd quarter, he started taking the ball into the paint and that led to a big night for him.That's the game I've been waiting to see KG play this season. Posting up and taking it into the paint, again and again. He made 12 of 19 shots--almost got to 20, big man!--hitting outside or inside. I'd just like to see him taking more than 2 free throws. I'm also not sold on the defensive strategy of consistently matching Garnett to shadow a scoring ace around the perimeter, which I've been seeing since he guarded Ray Allen in Seattle, but I guess the jury's still out on that issue. Tonight he held Jamison in check and the Wolves won, so what can I say?
It helped a lot that Kandi actually was able to deliver a few baskets on set post-up plays, and Hudson and Frahm delivered 32 points combined off the bench. The team would get a big boost if they could count on those contributions most nights. The team really needs some inside presence besides Garnett, especially when KG is resting on the bench. Playing the Big Ticket 45 minutes in mid-November... that could get rough.
Unknown|W|P|You've come dangerously close to concluding that "chemistry" might actually matter in basketball! SBG|W|P|I think that baseball is a unique and fundamentally "individual" team game. Basketball, football, and hockey are not that way. They require more teamwork. The goal of winning includes interacting with teammates on the field of play much more so than in baseball. If "chemistry" helps that, then so be it. |W|P|I think like VORP, you have to set a baseline GF for each position on the court. I know that some players play a little SG, a little PG, a little SF, but I think if you can get them close, you can compare apples to apples, instead of KG to Wally.
Also you should probably have a minutes played minimum to qualify, again similar to At Bats/Innings Pitched to qualify for the hitting/ERA titles.
I tried posting this yesterday, but it never showed up. I'll try it again!
SBG|W|P|Gunning Factor is of limited value at this point. I'm going to thing about it some more. It's premise is that the five positions on the floor should each get 20% of the shots as a baseline. However, that's not realistic, some will shoot more than others. If a player shoots more but is efficient, his GF will stay low. If he shoots more and is inefficient, his number will go up. |W|P|Your blog is outstanding! Here's a subject that interests many: scommesse . Just scommesseThe results? Rook, you are shooting a whole helluva lot. Look, KG is fourth on the team. No good. No good at all.
| Player | FGM | FGA | FG% | MPG | MIN % | SHOT % | Distribution |
| R. McCants | 19 | 47 | 40.4% | 12.6 | 25.4% | 8.55% | 33.60% |
| W. Szczerbiak | 36 | 92 | 39.1% | 33.3 | 67.3% | 16.73% | 24.84% |
| T. Hudson | 23 | 53 | 43.4% | 17.9 | 36.1% | 9.64% | 26.67% |
| K. Garnett | 61 | 106 | 57.5% | 40.4 | 81.8% | 19.27% | 23.56% |
| M. Olowokandi | 24 | 55 | 43.6% | 24.4 | 49.4% | 10.00% | 20.23% |
| R. Frahm | 9 | 18 | 50.0% | 8.43 | 17.1% | 3.27% | 19.19% |
| A. Carter | 13 | 25 | 52.0% | 12.1 | 24.6% | 4.55% | 18.50% |
| E. Griffin | 12 | 39 | 30.8% | 19 | 38.4% | 7.09% | 18.45% |
| T. Hassell | 21 | 48 | 43.8% | 29.1 | 59.0% | 8.73% | 14.80% |
| M. Jaric | 23 | 50 | 46.0% | 30.9 | 62.4% | 9.09% | 14.56% |
| R. Dupree | 7 | 10 | 70.0% | 6.43 | 13.0% | 1.82% | 13.98% |
| M. Madsen | 5 | 7 | 71.4% | 12.6 | 25.4% | 1.27% | 5.00% |
| Player | FG% | MIN % | SHOT % | Distribution | PPS | Gunning Factor |
| R. McCants | 40.4% | 25.4% | 8.55% | 33.60% | 0.94 | 2.127 |
| W. Szczerbiak | 39.1% | 67.3% | 16.73% | 24.84% | 1.04 | 1.421 |
| E. Griffin | 30.8% | 38.4% | 7.09% | 18.45% | 0.85 | 1.291 |
| T. Hudson | 43.4% | 36.1% | 9.64% | 26.67% | 1.23 | 1.290 |
| M. Olowokandi | 43.6% | 49.4% | 10.00% | 20.23% | 1.00 | 1.204 |
| K. Garnett | 57.5% | 81.8% | 19.27% | 23.56% | 1.41 | 0.994 |
| A. Carter | 52.0% | 24.6% | 4.55% | 18.50% | 1.40 | 0.786 |
| T. Hassell | 43.8% | 59.0% | 8.73% | 14.80% | 1.15 | 0.766 |
| R. Frahm | 50.0% | 17.1% | 3.27% | 19.19% | 1.61 | 0.709 |
| M. Jaric | 46.0% | 62.4% | 9.09% | 14.56% | 1.28 | 0.677 |
| R. Dupree | 70.0% | 13.0% | 1.82% | 13.98% | 1.40 | 0.594 |
| M. Madsen | 71.4% | 25.4% | 1.27% | 5.00% | 1.86 | 0.160 |
amr|W|P|My Nickname for Olowokandi these last two years has been "Michael, don't shoot!" |W|P|Fantastic article. This is why I read the Online Magazine every day instead of the startribune. Plus, the new format is great, which is something I can't say for the trib. |W|P|I agree. This is really, really interesting. I was of the opinion that McCants should be playing more, but now I'm not so sure. I will say that he is an exciting player and fun to watch, but perhaps is doing more damage than good. Fascinating! Nice work SBG! |W|P|Awesome analysis.Spatula Hands, THUD and Eddie (does he have a nickname? What the hell?)... particularly THUD and Eddie after last night, need to settle the hell down on this front. I'll admit that I turned the TV off with 30-some seconds to go. What the hell is Eddie doing chucking up 3s when we're holding on down the stretch? That was one of the more demoralizing 5 minutes of basketball I've watched in a while.
frightwig|W|P|I agree that KG is spending far too much time away from the basket and isn't looking for his shot as often as he should. When a Guard (like Kobe) hogs the ball too much, an offense tends to bog down. Teammates turn into onlookers away from the basket, there's no ball movement, it's harder for the Guard to penetrate and create a good shot on his own, and nobody is in position to rebound. Even Jordan had to learn that lesson. But as Magic knew, good things happen when you feed the Big Fella. When the Big Fella has the ball down low, teammates can move into open spots on the floor or slip into better rebounding position. The ball moves more, the team gets higher percentage shots and more second-chance points. KG is the Big Fella on this team. Why isn't he playing the role?
It can be a good thing if Wally, Hudson, and the other guards are taking their shots after the ball has gone to KG down low, the defense collapses, and he kicks it out to an open shooter. But if they're just running off perimeter screens and shooting while KG is 20 feet from the basket, that's ridiculous.
KG's game as it is could be working great if he played with a great scorer in the post or any shooting guard capable of filling up the bucket all night on any given night; but, as it is, he's playing like a great 2nd banana on a team that's missing a Big Ticket.
SBG|W|P|Is that the case or is it that he's missing a legit number 2 to his big ticket? He was never so fantastic as when he had quality complementary players in Spree and Cassell. Were either of these players better than KG? No. Did they bring out the best him? Absolutely.In the playoffs in 2004, he was all-world. He hit the big shots against Sacto. It was when they had no point guard at all -- and KG had to "play" point guard that it broke down. The KG as second banana theory is something I can't swallow. Of course, I admit to a bias for the big fella. :)
Having said that, the problem last night was clearly night enough posting in the block by KG. If it's his idea to run all these screens 25 feet from the basket, then he should be tongue lashed for it. It would be different if they ran pick and roll like Stockton to Malone, but that's not what's happening.
Something is definitely different with KG this year. Even in last year's meltdown, he was routinely brilliant. Not so this year, at least so far. Yes, the shooting is there, but this lack of rebounding has got me verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves.
frightwig|W|P|I said he's playing like a 2nd banana. Whether he's capable of playing like The Man with this cast of teammates--posting low and calling for the ball, being the primary scoring option on most plays, scoring 28-30 pts and 10+ boards every night, we'll see. He may have to get more physical down low and get to the line more often than he does. He really should be shooting more free throws. Maybe he doesn't have the strength to bang bodies every game until later in the season, I dunno. But at some point, I think he has to adapt himself to play that kind of game to carry this team. In 2004, he played with 2 Guards who could slash to the basket, creating space that way for their own shot or to dish to KG or a perimeter shooter. I think Sam & Spree that year had a game that was complimented by KG's style, too. You can have KG at the top of the key setting screens and dumping passes into a cutter, when your two starting Guards can get 36-37 ppg by slashing to the basket, and you know that the point guard will kick the ball back out to KG in open space too. From what I've seen so far this season, KG doesn't have that kind of team around him anymore. The way he's playing, not only is he out of position to maximize his skills, but his teammates aren't used to their best advantage either. So is he going to keep playing the same way, like an amputee who still feels an arm that's no longer there, or can he adapt?
SBG|W|P|Good question. Part of the problem, too is that he relies on other players to get him the ball because he's not a guard. All too often I think shots are being taken before he's established his position. But the question in my mind remains -- is the coach calling these high screens, or is Garnett calling that play? If it's KG, than he needs to stop it. If it's the coach -- than HE needs to stop it. Come to think of it, no matter who is calling the plays, Casey needs to stop it. Greek House|W|P|I made a rather lengthy post on this in my blog. I believe that the problem with KG is basically nothing. His high shooting percentage is just evidence of him not shooting enough. If he were shooting more, he'd easily put down 30ppg. I don't think it has anything to do with his personel.Hmmmm, this blog looks familiar somehow. Anyway, it's this sports writer wannabe who writes about how he loves trains, sticks and balls (Freud is having a field day with all this by the way). He has this obsession with Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter and Kevin Garnett that is beyond healthy (again, Freud is salivating over this).What a comedian. In honor of my random recognition, I have decided to report on Kobe Bryant. Hee hee! From the LA Times:
Magic Johnson, asked by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith to assess the feud between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, said: "You've got blame on both sides. But, if I'm Kobe, I would have deferred to Shaq because I deferred to Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]. You always want to keep your big man happy. "That's my golden rule because I know, in the playoffs, I've got to ride the big man."Magic is part owner of the Lakers. Kobe, your owner is calling you out. Also, Kobe, after three consecutive poor shooting nights is now reporting an injury. He reportedly hurt his finger in Atlanta (right before the slump). How convenient. He did the same thing last year too. After a series of poor shooting games, all of a sudden he had a retroactive injury. One more shot: people were talking about his start as the "best since Michael Jordan." Whatever.|W|P|113210861421343231|W|P|Fab Five|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
A-Rod is the better all-around baseball player [as compared to David Ortiz] -- but let's just say he's no Derek Jeter in his ability to inspire those mortal humans around him.Because guys like Sheffield, Williams, Matsui, Clemens, Pettitte, Posada, Giambi, Rivera, O'Neil, et al., ad infinitum, would have been lost without Derek. Why? Because they are just mortal humans.
Our philosophy about MVPs is that it's about offense first and intangibles second. Defense is one of those intangibles, obviously. But it isn't bigger than leadership.I'm sorry, I cannot agree with this statement. And who is "our"? You and your imaginary friend? To be fair, Stark does talk about the offensive numbers between A-Rod and Ortiz. But, this amorphous "leadership" nonsense is just that: nonsense. This is baseball. This isn't football. This isn't basketball. It is unique in the isolation of offensive events. It's mano-a-mano between the pitcher and the hitter. Each player has to perform solo. There's no one blocking for them, there's no one passing them the ball when they are open, there's no one making decisions with the ball like a QB or a point guard. Unless "leadership" includes informing teammates about a pitcher who is tipping his pitches or spotting a flaw in a swing, I don't want to hear about it. Each player has to go up and hit for themselves. But, this is just my opinion.|W|P|113208845840629327|W|P|Jason Stark|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|I pretty much agree with you, but just because I need something to quibble about, I'd suggest you spell Jayson Stark's first name correctly. SBG|W|P|Oops! The half-baked factor kicked in.Although the Vikings won Sunday with Zygi Wilf on the sideline for the first time this season, Tice seemed unconcerned about keeping the owner on the field. "He didn't call any defenses or anything," Tice said. "I think he had fun, but I don't know if he can help us win. We have to help ourselves win. I think he had a good time."When he grabs the playbook, watch out. I doubt that will happen, though. I hope he didn't yell "Purple Praaaaaaahde."|W|P|113206957899904642|W|P|He's No Jerry Jones|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
In case you are wondering why I don't have a new post... I was going to erite on the train this morning, but I had to stand with my arms tucked in. Hate it when it is just one car in the morning!
|W|P|113206434143028073|W|P|Light Rail Ride|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com |W|P|Too bad nobody rides that boondoggle, huh? |W|P|That logo still needs a little help. Maybe I ought to have my graphic artist build you one that would look good on some SBG Caps, T-Shirts, Hoodies and the like. It would help you with the global domination plan.If your interested - drop a comment here and then I'll e-mail you offline.
amr|W|P|Uhm, is the are the links to all the basketball teams' newspapers supposed to be on top? When I open up, that's all I see on my screen until I scroll down to about screen 1.5. That, I don't like. The rest is okay, but I'm a small-font guy.The only thing I really care about is content (as one could guess from my plain white site). You've got the content I keep coming back for,
Comedy Club|W|P|I also like a new design now and then to liven things up. I do agree with AMR though, the NBA takes up too much space when, although convienient, I'm sure isn't used nearly as often as would deserve for that spot. Also, I get all confused when the comments link comes before the post, so if you could change that back it would be much obliged. I definitley like the ball graphics on either side! SBG|W|P|I threw the logo together last night using word art. I'd be much obliged for some help. Drop me an email.The links are there on top primarily to help me research to write the columns. I'll have the baseball ones there in the future.
I'm looking into drop downs for the links to take up less space, and make them less conspicuous but that will take me some time. I like playing around with the site as well as writing it.
AMR -- more half baked crap on the way!
TJ -- I'm going to leave the comments on top, but I'll add them to the bottom just for you.
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|The logo is much better, looks like a smiley face and anyone who knows SBG, knows he is a happy guy. But who wouldn't be happy having a lovely bride like Lucy. SBG|W|P|CC, your comment will make her day. By the way, the lovely Lucy and I have been married six months as of yesterday! :)Six months ago today we were on our way to Maui. Considering the forecast, I think another trip today would be a very good idea.
|W|P|Congrats on your six-month anniversary! You are definitely lucky to have the lovely Lucy.The new design is nice. I like the new logo and I like sans-serif fonts. I must say though that I don't like having to scroll down past the Local NBA Media to get to the good stuff. But you've probably got your reasons.
Denard Span: Speedy guy, but he runs routes in center field as if his corner outfielders are yelling "Marco!" "Polo!" If Shannon Stewart can be considered an asset defensively, I guess Span can, too. Span won't hit as well as Stewart did.Sheehan tells us that he's no scout, so take his observations with a grain of salt. The Stewart-as-a-defensive-asset jab is a low blow (only Gardenhire thinks that). I also don't like his use of the word "did" to describe Stewart's good hitting. I don't like it, because I have a sneaking suspicion that the good hitting from Stewart has provided in the past won't continue forward.|W|P|113199228409828517|W|P|From the Arizona Fall League|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
frightwig|W|P|Before last season, I got some flak on the DTFC board for calling Span "a bust" who probably wouldn't play for the Twins, and if he made it to Minnesota he'd be no better than a spare outfielder. His stock improved this year, but I still feel like his ceiling is pretty low. After hitting .339/.410/.403 in Fort Myeres this spring, he hit .285/.345/.355 after graduating to AA New Britain. In 236 games in the minors, he's hit a total of 2 home runs, plus 20 doubles and 12 triples. He has a slight build, no power in his bat, and apparently poor fielding instincts. We'll be lucky if he makes it in Minnesota as a slap-hitting utilityman. I'll be shocked if he develops into a quality outfield starter. |W|P|First - wow, massive work on the site overhaul. Impressive. One small thing to consider - the bigger text size is good, but your body copy is too tight against your left and right navigation. It creates what some graphic artists like to call "negative tension". If you give yourself just a smidge of room on each side, it'll look better and be an easier read for your audience.Let's face it, this is not a very good Vikings team. There's nothing to build upon this win for the long-term anyway.
Sure, this team might find it's way into the playoffs in a bad division, but they would virtually have no hope of contending for a title. Too many flaws. Too little talent.
I say enjoy the win, but forget the delusions of grandeur. It's always nice to see the ball bounce your way once in a while. (Especially as a Vikings fan.)
Unknown|W|P|Speaking of the re-design, Moss likes that the comments come up in a larger font than before. It was near impossible for Moss to read with the old formatting.Thanks
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|Nicely done on the new site desing SBG. I still think you have to get rid of the girly-man SBG logo though... frightwig|W|P|If you're a diehard Vikes fan, I guess it's the games like the one in New Jersey that keep you watching every week. But a fan would really have to be gulping the Purple Kool-Aid to take it as a sign that the Vikings are turning a corner. If the team has real aspirations to win the division and make a Super Bowl run, you should want to see the Vikings blow the doors off the Giants, not squeak by them with a few freak plays on an afternoon when the offense couldn't move the ball and scored no touchdowns. frightwig|W|P|For the 36 minutes when Kandi wasn't on the floor, who was supposed to be handling Camby? SBG|W|P|He had to be KG's guy. Eddie Griffin certainly wasn't up to it last night. frightwig|W|P|I'm not sure why the NBA can't just move up the road to Baton Rouge for awhile, unless the economic situation in all of Louisiana is much worse than I realize. If the NBA wants to pull out of New Orleans for good, these are the biggest markets without a team:
Pittsburgh
Cincinnati
Kansas City
Norfolk, VA
Las Vegas
After that, Stern is looking at smaller markets than New Orleans like Nashville, Providence, Hartford, Buffalo, Memphis, Jacksonville--although if you would put another NBA team in Florida, Tampa-St. Pete is much bigger than Jacksonville, and Orlando is likely to complain about a team being moved to either location.
All of those places are bigger than OKC.
Or, the league could take a page from Selig's playbook and set up a temporary home in Puerto Rico!
frightwig|W|P|EDIT: I forgot there's a team in Memphis now. So strike that, and probably Nashville too. SBG|W|P|They are going to play six games in Baton Rouge this year. If the team is kept in OK City for another year while NO recovers, I can maybe see that. But, I cannot believe that the league would actually put a franchise there permanently. |W|P|Moss was a cancer in the firm and had to go. It was bad enough when he ran over that meter maid right outside of the office. But that one day when he walked out of work two seconds early, that was the final straw. Unknown|W|P|Moss normally enjoys the "half-baked crap," but this post wasn't even a quarter baked!Really, thanks for the nice words SBG. Moss will miss you guys too. And one day, you'll see the light on the NFL collective bargaining agreement.
SBG|W|P|Nah, he had to go because he made too much money. Plus when he let out his cornrows, it was disruptive in the office. Comedy Club|W|P|Moss: Good man. Although TwinsJunkie finds Moss' incessant 3rd person referral a tad annoying. Unknown|W|P|TJ, Moss thought he had already explained the 3rd-person thing to you!Speaking of the Giants, as my friend Shek astutely pointed out when we were watching football last weekend, couldn't they have found a better picture of Wellington Mara to circulate for the TV stations after he passed away? Why do they always show the latest and most unflattering picture possible of a late celebrity, with one exception: Elvis? Why did Elvis get a free ride?That's simple, Sports Guy. Even in death, it's good to be The King.|W|P|113181667017442513|W|P|Sports Guy Files|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
frightwig|W|P|Elvis got a free ride? Is Bill Simmons the only person in America who hasn't seen the Fat Elvis footage and the Vegas caricatures, hasn't heard the stories of Elvis eating his fried peanut butter & banana sandwiches while shooting out his TV's, or doesn't know that the King died on his 'throne'? SBG|W|P|Details, details! I had a good line there. But now, reality got in the way. Well, at least the postage stamp had the young Elvis. frightwig|W|P|That's because the post office let the people vote on which Elvis they wanted on the stamp! To hype the stamp, they released pictures of two designs, Young Elvis and Vegas Elvis, before finally issuing the official final choice.He's a great player, no doubt. But, until he changes his approach, he'll never be the player he could be. My money says he'll never change. Black Hole.From ESPN's recap of the Lakers' 85-81 loss last night in Philadelphia:
Bryant came in averaging a league-high 34.8 points, but was held in check by [Andre] Iguodala on 7-for-27 shooting. ... "That was a game I was forced to take a lot of shots with a hand in my face," Bryant said.Right Kobe. You were forced to take those shots. You couldn't have passed the ball or anything. Here's what both the LA Times and LA Daily News had to say.
With 7.9 seconds left, Bryant took an inbounds pass a little left of straightaway and fired immediately over Philadelphia's second-year guard Andre Iguodala, who harassed Bryant all night. Whether it was the shot Lakers coach Phil Jackson was looking for was another story. Jackson had diagrammed the final play hoping Bryant would drive and Sixers star Allen Iverson would help on defense, leaving guard Smush Parker open in the corner. Instead, Bryant took the shot himself, with Jackson saying afterward, "I have to give him the credit that he can shoot that shot." Bryant also pulled up for a long jumper at the end of regulation at Denver when Jackson wanted him to drive.Phil, he's not Michael Jordan. He cares more about himself than about winning.|W|P|113181580974592869|W|P|He Doesn't Get it|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
|W|P|Kobe is a ballhog.Period. He does not make his teammates better. Most stars make his teammates better. There is a reason why McGrady, KG, Lebron, Dwayne Wade, Shaq, and Duncan are thought highly. They make other players better and they let the role players do their thing. When Kobe gets that in his thick skull of his, then he will start being thought of fondly. I think of what Kobe is doing to what Marbury doing with the Knicks which is being a ballhog the entire game.
|W|P|I have grown to like Walton. I have no idea why people hate the guy. He does not take himself seriously. He loves to humor people. The only thing I hate about him is his fawning over the Lakers. Other than that, he is great.Speaking of the Pistons, they are playing at a high level. I thought Flip would do fine, but they are better than I expected. They are fun to watch offensively. Flip has done a great job getting the most out of the guys offensively. As for him being a defensive guru, HA! I think the Pistons are good defensively because of the players more than the coaching. Good for Flip. I am happy that he is successful.
Speaking of Pistons former coach, how sweet is it to see the drama queen, Larry Brown go 0-5. Man I am loving it. I hope they keep it up. I want to see them go 0-82 if possible. Knicks, LB, Isiah, and Stephon are made for each other. It couldn't happen nice group of people.
SBG|W|P|I agree on Walton. That had to have been a joke. It's his deadpan humor -- when is his serious and when isn't he? Hard to tell.If his son wasn't on the Lakers, he might express a different opinion. He's kind of in a no-winner there.
As for the Knicks -- I love to see them struggle.
Unknown|W|P|Moss used to hate Walton altogether, but has actually grown to like him when he is doing his thing NOT during a game. Still hard to take during the game, though.
At 12:02 in the third, it's 8-0, Gophers.
|W|P|113176504608858314|W|P|I want 10 Goals|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com |W|P|Which hockey team is fun to watch? Gophers or the Wild.The Wild is starting to really turn me off. Personally, their honeymoon is over. It's time for fans to stop going to the games and start demanding the excellence. Jacques Lemaire is a great coach, but he can't make a building out of play-dough with this roster.
Also when the heck is Marian Gaborik is coming back? Isn't he supposed to be back by now?
Thank God for the Wolves and Gophers football because this year has gotta be very frustrating to be a MN Sports Fan
SBG|W|P|Tonight's game was fun from the standpoint of watching the Gophers, but Anchorage was no match for them. My wife enjoyed the action -- there were goals scored left and right.I'm beginning to wonder when the public will start putting pressure on the Wild to win. As a basketball guy, I'm not going to plunk down good money to watch the Wild.
|W|P|I am not going to lie to you. I am not into college hockey. In fact, I am not even a big hockey fan. The only time I watch hockey is during the Stanley Cup playoffs and when the Wild play and that's it. I don't get angry or anything if the Wild lose. With that said, the Wild has gotta to test their diehard fans patience. Those fans actually spend lot of money to go to the games and be part of the gameday experience at the Xcel Energy Center. At some point, when is enough is enough. Should the fans start having high expectations? Considering how expensive it is to even go to a game, I would like to think fans would have some reaction on the way this team is playing right now. They have every right to be upset right now. I think Jacques has done a fine job. I am sort of down on the philosophy of this team. I understand going with youth, but these kids are struggling right now. What this team need is proven vets out there who can teach them. Brian Rolson and Todd White are just not enough.I understand the Wild had a successful year two years ago, but that's two years ago now. At some point, you need sustained success. The worst indictment of this team is that they are not exciting. They played well last month, but it's clear that this team is nothing without Marian Gaborik.
Wild fans need to make a stand and not tolerate mediocrity or low standards. The sellout streak is all well and good, but I would like to hope fans want to see winning and exciting hockey instead of what you are seeing now. It's time for fans to start sending a message to Bob Neagle and Co. Neagle should be commended for bring hockey to St. Paul, but at some point, the honeymoon can't last forever.
In my mind, the honeymoon is over.
Check your email, SBG.
Anchorage sucks.
|W|P|113176459342270774|W|P|Blowout|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com
I want more fighting!!!!!!
|W|P|113176448536500309|W|P|Lucy at the Hockey Game|W|P|sbg@stickandballguy.com |W|P|What a sad story. The sadder thing is that almost all of us have known some "Verns" in our time. It's easy to say it was his own fault, and maybe it was, but that doesn't make it less sad.I work in the criminal justice system, and one of the saddest things is seeing kids with potential throwing their lives away on drugs. And really, the criminal justice system has no idea how to help them, and really isn't set up to help them. Don't get me wrong--I don't claim to have the solution. When someone tries to give them a break, they often will just take advantage of that person. On the other hand, sending them to jail isn't much of a solution either. You can get them into counseling, but unless they want to change, that won't help much either. I wish we knew what to do about it.
|W|P|I said "good job mates" and handed them another 40. Lower the drinking age!-tootie
Cheesehead Craig|W|P|I thought what was next to be exposed on Fox 9 news? Could it be that 2rd grade boys are pulling girls' ponytails?
How about 5th graders snapping bras?
Maybe the fact that 16 year olds are poor drivers as they lack experience behind the wheel?
Andrew|W|P|I thought two things.1) Yeah, I coulda told you that, and
2) These sound like my kinda guys.
Being in college, I am always confused by the righteous indignation of adults when they find out us college kids drink. I'm with tootsie, once I turn 18 I should be able to drink, not wait 3 more years.
SBG|W|P|I thought I never did that!!!! Of course, the drinking age was 19 back then and I could go into the bar legally half way through my freshman year. |W|P|Chug-a-lug, Chug-a-lug. Makes you wanna holler hi-de-ho... frightwig|W|P|Do the athletes at the U have to sign pledges not to drink and use drugs? Did they get busted by campus police? SBG|W|P|I don't know who it was that busted them. I didn't see the big expose on Channel 9. I can't imagine that they'd have to sign a pledge not to drink. But, I have no knowledge about such things. amr|W|P|...I was shocked, shocked....That this was the best sweeps material Channel 9 had to offer. I saw the promos and immediately said "I won't have to watch that," not exactly what they were going for.
SBG|W|P|Geoff: Hee hee! :)
|W|P|Expectations for the Wolves are so low, I can't help but think many fans will see this season as a reason for optomism.I like, at least so far,that they haven't just rolled over, but showed a little bit of fight. I like some of the ways Casey seems to manage the game different than Flip, but I think it may be similar to the new girlfirend phenomona, when in the beginning she seems to do no wrong and then several months into it you're pulling out your hair because you can't take it anymore.
In the end, I'm glad for the W over Kobe and I hope the team continues to suprise and delight into the playoffs.
amr|W|P|Wolfies are Undefeated in Regulation. 3-0-2 Record, 8 pts in 5 games, yeah! SBG|W|P|That's right, amr! Greek House|W|P|I wrote on my blog a while ago about great one-on-one defenders being largely overrated in the NBA. Well, this is one of the exceptions to that rule. When you have a player that you know is going to take shots no matter what, then having a good perimeter defender is extremely valuable. Kobe Bryant is the probably the biggest example of this in the NBA.Since Hassell knows that Kobe is going to take the shot, he can focus exclusively on guarding him. However, the reason that Hassell is good in these situations is not exclusively because of his defensive talent. A large part of his value in these situations stems from the fact that Kobe Bryant is playing incorrectly with regard to a team concept. Because Hassell can guard him exclusively, and others can help if needed without the worry of a pass, there exist far better scoring opportunities for the Lakers on the court. By taking the shot every time, Kobe is taking a worse scoring opportunity and passing on a better one.
Of course, Kobe can and should still take a lot of shots in these situations, but by giving up the ball more frequently he will not only give good scoring opportunities to his teammates, but also increase his chances of scoring when he does have the ball, since the Minnesota defense won't be able to overcommit to him taking the shot.
frightwig|W|P|This comment has been removed by a blog administrator. frightwig|W|P|SBG, don't you think the Wolves would be better off if KG did take 20+ shots a game? SBG|W|P|Yes, I do think he should shoot more. I was pointing out the ridiculousness of saying you are a facilitator when you are taking that many shots.I argued last year that KG needs at least 20 shots.
|W|P|Anytime the Flakers lose, it's always a great day especially when our teams beats them. I love it. When the Lakers lose to us, it's sweet music. I know this is not the same ol' Lakers, but to beat Kobe and Phil Jackson is always great. When I found out about the Wolves beating the Lakers at a restaurant that I went to, I was screaming as I got wierd looks by everyone. I couldn't help myself. I get crazy as it is when the Wolves win anyone, but I get super crazy when the Wolves beat the Lakers. Tonight is something I will treasure.Great second half on both sides of the ball for the Timberwolves. They put on an excellent display on defense in the second last night. They did a great job not only frustrating the Lakers role players, but they did a great job frustrating Go-Me Bryant in the second half. Trenton and Anthony were simply excellent on defense. AC was Smush Parker's kryptonite. Smush has done well, but he didn't meet AC until tonight. Lamar Odom said it best in his press conference about how the Wolves are focusing on defense. This brings me to this point. It's pretty darn clear that the Wolves are a defensive-oriented team under Dwane That was never the case under Flip and the comments from the other team speaks for itself. When I watch the Wolves under Dwane, I see a team that knows how to block, create turnovers, swiping the ball, and taking charge. Somehow, I never saw it under Flip much. Now I am not attacking about the job Flip has done here. I am just stating the difference in which Flip is more of an offensive-oriented coach while Dwane is about defense. Look at the defensive schemes that Dwane displayed tonight. That shows you something. A great coach to me finds a way to create defensive schemes. That's a reason why Pop, the drama queen, and Phil Jackson are great coaches. They know how to work on creating defense.
The offense was good after a very frustrating first quarter. I thought the turning point of this game came in the final play of the first half/second quarter when KG threw down a football pass to Wally and Wally caught it and score. It give the Wolves a tie heading to the locker room at the half. Timberwolves got momentum from that.
Troy, Trenton, and AC was good offensively. KG is playing like a MVP right now. The thing I got out of this game beside the defense was Eddie. It was good to see him play well offensively. I know he has had a hard time scoring, but I hope tonight was something to build on for Eddie. Timberwolves truly need that #2 guy and I feel Eddie could be that guy if he can work on his game offensively.
I don't know what part of game Lakers fans love aobut Kobe. Sure he can score, but notice how he was such a ballhog in the fourth quarter. Never got his teammates involved. Never set up screens or pass. This guy is good for stats and all, but he does not do the things that McGrady, Wade, and KG do. He is basically a Marbury out there. Phil Jackson is going to have to find a way to tailor his game and all. If Kobe was ever playing under Casey's system, it would not work. I thought Kobe does what Kobe does best. Be a ballhog and take his team out of the game. Now I may sound like a hypocrite because I talked about how KG should demand and dominate the ball in the game against the Sonics last weekend, but KG should do that only in crunch time. That's the only time you should really be a ballhog not in the entire fourth quarter or when you are really behind as Kobe showed tonight.
I am glad you are loving this team, Sealy. From reading Rube Chat and other various Wolves boards, it seems like fans are enjoying them too. I know I do. This is night and day compared to last year when this team simply did not have it in them to succeed. It's an exciting team to watch.
Great win last night. It's great to see the team at 3-2. It's good to see them win for the coach, who lost his dad (his dad's funeral was today). Most importantly, it's great to see Kobe, Phil, and the Lakers LOOOOOOOOOOOSE!