alamo50
04-12-2005, 09:42 AM
Timberwolves coach turns session over to players
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Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale is flabbergasted by his team’s inability, or unwillingness, to learn from mistakes.
The Associated Press
Updated: 9:09 p.m. ET April 11, 2005
MINNEAPOLIS - After reviewing the weekend’s ugly video produced by his fast-fading team, Kevin McHale spoke briefly to the Minnesota Timberwolves before turning practice over to the players and his assistants.
No, he wasn’t walking off the job. But with five games left in this almost completely crumbled season, the interim coach provided plenty more evidence of his frustration on a rather gloomy Monday afternoon.
“We had a meeting, we looked at some film, we talked about some stuff,” McHale said. “I said, ‘We’ll come to work hard tomorrow. You guys get some running in if you want. If you want to go home, go home.”’
Nobody left, at least until reporters were allowed in to watch. In fact, according to Wally Szczerbiak, the playground-like atmosphere that ensued wound up being pretty fun. They chose sides and just played the game in its purest form.
“It was a good time,” Szczerbiak said. “The assistants were watching, but for once we got to play without all those guys in our ear.”
A nice change of pace, for sure, but the positive effects will be minimal at best. The Timberwolves left Target Center knowing that their official purging from Western Conference playoff contention could come within hours.
Seventh-place Denver (45-31) hosted Golden State and eighth-place Memphis (44-32) visited Dallas on Monday night, and victories by the Nuggets and Grizzlies meant elimination. If not, Minnesota (40-37) merely needed one of those teams to lose their six remaining games and to win its final five.
“I don’t even really think about it,” Szczerbiak said. “I’ve been trying to think as (little) as possible about what’s been going on. Honestly. Just trying to get my mind off basketball. Watch the Masters. Spend time with my family. You can really lose sleep, rack your brain, if you continue to let this stuff eat at you. Some things you just can’t control.
“We could’ve controlled it a lot better by playing a lot better, but this is how it’s going to be. You just have to move on. Life goes on and you have to learn from it.”
McHale is flabbergasted by his team’s inability, or unwillingness, to learn from mistakes. Just when progress had seemingly been made on defense, numerous errors were made on that end of the court in a loss to Denver on Friday night and during a humiliating defeat at Atlanta on Saturday night.
“Selfish, selfish, selfish — offensively and defensively,” McHale said after that 105-98 loss to the Hawks, who have the worst record in the NBA. “When you do that, that just shows a lack of commitment to your teammates and that’s the saddest thing.”
This was the first players-only practice McHale could remember in his time with the Timberwolves.
“Hopefully Wednesday we’ll get better,” McHale said, looking ahead to the game against Golden State. “We’ve got to get the team better. ... Hey, it’s been a season of a lot of bad losses. We’ve lost to a lot of bad teams, and the Atlanta game was the icing on the cake.”
Since replacing Flip Saunders on the bench with himself in February, McHale has reiterated he has no desire to coach beyond the season. Though sounding exasperated at times, he offered little insight on Monday when asked whether he might walk away from basketball altogether this summer.
“Ah, we’ll see,” McHale said. “I think about tomorrow. I’m lucky, because when I croak I’m going to have nothing to worry about 10 years from now, or two years from now. I tell you what. I’m going to be able to lay on that pillow and go peacefully. I’m worried about today and tomorrow. That’s all I worry about. I can’t control anything other than that.”
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/ap/mnto10804090507.vmedium.jpg
Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale is flabbergasted by his team’s inability, or unwillingness, to learn from mistakes.
The Associated Press
Updated: 9:09 p.m. ET April 11, 2005
MINNEAPOLIS - After reviewing the weekend’s ugly video produced by his fast-fading team, Kevin McHale spoke briefly to the Minnesota Timberwolves before turning practice over to the players and his assistants.
No, he wasn’t walking off the job. But with five games left in this almost completely crumbled season, the interim coach provided plenty more evidence of his frustration on a rather gloomy Monday afternoon.
“We had a meeting, we looked at some film, we talked about some stuff,” McHale said. “I said, ‘We’ll come to work hard tomorrow. You guys get some running in if you want. If you want to go home, go home.”’
Nobody left, at least until reporters were allowed in to watch. In fact, according to Wally Szczerbiak, the playground-like atmosphere that ensued wound up being pretty fun. They chose sides and just played the game in its purest form.
“It was a good time,” Szczerbiak said. “The assistants were watching, but for once we got to play without all those guys in our ear.”
A nice change of pace, for sure, but the positive effects will be minimal at best. The Timberwolves left Target Center knowing that their official purging from Western Conference playoff contention could come within hours.
Seventh-place Denver (45-31) hosted Golden State and eighth-place Memphis (44-32) visited Dallas on Monday night, and victories by the Nuggets and Grizzlies meant elimination. If not, Minnesota (40-37) merely needed one of those teams to lose their six remaining games and to win its final five.
“I don’t even really think about it,” Szczerbiak said. “I’ve been trying to think as (little) as possible about what’s been going on. Honestly. Just trying to get my mind off basketball. Watch the Masters. Spend time with my family. You can really lose sleep, rack your brain, if you continue to let this stuff eat at you. Some things you just can’t control.
“We could’ve controlled it a lot better by playing a lot better, but this is how it’s going to be. You just have to move on. Life goes on and you have to learn from it.”
McHale is flabbergasted by his team’s inability, or unwillingness, to learn from mistakes. Just when progress had seemingly been made on defense, numerous errors were made on that end of the court in a loss to Denver on Friday night and during a humiliating defeat at Atlanta on Saturday night.
“Selfish, selfish, selfish — offensively and defensively,” McHale said after that 105-98 loss to the Hawks, who have the worst record in the NBA. “When you do that, that just shows a lack of commitment to your teammates and that’s the saddest thing.”
This was the first players-only practice McHale could remember in his time with the Timberwolves.
“Hopefully Wednesday we’ll get better,” McHale said, looking ahead to the game against Golden State. “We’ve got to get the team better. ... Hey, it’s been a season of a lot of bad losses. We’ve lost to a lot of bad teams, and the Atlanta game was the icing on the cake.”
Since replacing Flip Saunders on the bench with himself in February, McHale has reiterated he has no desire to coach beyond the season. Though sounding exasperated at times, he offered little insight on Monday when asked whether he might walk away from basketball altogether this summer.
“Ah, we’ll see,” McHale said. “I think about tomorrow. I’m lucky, because when I croak I’m going to have nothing to worry about 10 years from now, or two years from now. I tell you what. I’m going to be able to lay on that pillow and go peacefully. I’m worried about today and tomorrow. That’s all I worry about. I can’t control anything other than that.”
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.