ducks
04-21-2005, 11:16 PM
No playoffs: Wolves reflect on season gone sour
By DAVE CAMPBELL, AP Sports Writer
April 21, 2005
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AP - Apr 21, 6:22 pm EDT
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves were left to ponder what went wrong in a season that began with championship hopes and deep-in-the-playoffs expectations yet ended short of the postseason.
Why a team coming off a conference finals appearance with every key player returning could win only 44 games and manage a ninth-place finish in the West is one of the game's great mysteries.
But the Wolves were sure of at least this much: You won't win if you don't work for it.
``You've got to be motivated to come in at the beginning of the year, get off to a good start, show people what you're capable of doing, try to improve over the offseason,'' said Wally Szczerbiak, one of several players who could be dealt during what promises to be an active summer. ``I just think for whatever reason, we didn't have that sense of urgency.''
Vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale -- figuring he wouldn't be able to consummate any trades before the Feb. 24 deadline -- fired longtime friend and coach Flip Saunders on Feb. 12.
Minnesota fell a game below .500 and had lost by 18 points the night before to lowly Utah, which finished with the NBA's fourth-worst record, so Saunders' removal after 10 years and eight trips to the playoffs wasn't all that surprising.
McHale's decision to take on the bench himself was, however, a shock.
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His back-to-basics approach gave the team a spark at times. He went 19-12 in his 31-game experiment, but Minnesota ultimately couldn't break its bad habits. Inconsistent effort (especially against lesser opponents) and soft defense (especially against the pick-and-roll) were the biggest problems.
The incorporation of Szczerbiak, Troy Hudson and Michael Olowokandi -- each missed large chunks of the 2003-04 season with injuries -- back into the offensive sets and playing rotation was not a smooth transition, either.
``This has probably been the worst year I have had, basketball-wise, in my life,'' McHale said.
Saunders accepted Szczerbiak's offer to come off the bench and put defensive ace Trenton Hassell in the starting lineup in January, but down the stretch Szczerbiak made clear his disappointment with a reserve role -- stressing that his suggestion was made only for the sake of the team.
Though Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, two critical contributors toward last year's success, set an ominous tone by complaining about their contracts before the season started, players insisted that bad chemistry didn't create their downfall.
``We never broke apart,'' Szczerbiak said. ``We stayed tight as ever. This is probably the tightest group I've ever been with. Guys really get along. But for some reason, on the court it just didn't work out.''
That means there will likely be significant offseason changes made to the roster, once McHale decides if he wants to come back as the basketball boss. If he does, as expected, he'll then have to hire a permanent replacement for Saunders. Then the personnel moves must be made.
Sprewell is a free agent and unlikely to return, unless he's willing to accept a huge pay cut from his cap-strapped owner, Glen Taylor. Szczerbiak and Cassell are prime candidates for trades, though that will be difficult given their salaries.
With eight players signed for next season, Minnesota's best bet for an instant upgrade is to get lucky in the lottery and obtain one of the top three draft choices. Otherwise, as the best team to not qualify for the postseason, the Timberwolves will be stuck picking at No. 14.
With Kevin Garnett, last year's league MVP, the Wolves have a solid place to start the overhaul. Though a sore knee bothered him occasionally and his play wasn't quite up to last season's level, the 11-year veteran Garnett won another rebounding title and led the NBA with 69 double-doubles.
``We have some really good guys to build around,'' said Taylor, who approved for this season an increase in the payroll to more than $70 million. ``So it isn't like we're like a lot of teams.''
A lot of those teams wound up beating the Wolves this year. The litany of bad losses was lowlighted by the defeat at Atlanta on April 9, with the playoffs still a real possibility. The Hawks were the NBA's worst team this season with just 13 wins.
``You get what you deserve in this league,'' McHale said. ``We came into camp with a sense of complacency. In sports, if you want to get your rear end kicked, come in complacent.'
By DAVE CAMPBELL, AP Sports Writer
April 21, 2005
Photo
AP - Apr 21, 6:22 pm EDT
More Photos
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves were left to ponder what went wrong in a season that began with championship hopes and deep-in-the-playoffs expectations yet ended short of the postseason.
Why a team coming off a conference finals appearance with every key player returning could win only 44 games and manage a ninth-place finish in the West is one of the game's great mysteries.
But the Wolves were sure of at least this much: You won't win if you don't work for it.
``You've got to be motivated to come in at the beginning of the year, get off to a good start, show people what you're capable of doing, try to improve over the offseason,'' said Wally Szczerbiak, one of several players who could be dealt during what promises to be an active summer. ``I just think for whatever reason, we didn't have that sense of urgency.''
Vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale -- figuring he wouldn't be able to consummate any trades before the Feb. 24 deadline -- fired longtime friend and coach Flip Saunders on Feb. 12.
Minnesota fell a game below .500 and had lost by 18 points the night before to lowly Utah, which finished with the NBA's fourth-worst record, so Saunders' removal after 10 years and eight trips to the playoffs wasn't all that surprising.
McHale's decision to take on the bench himself was, however, a shock.
ADVERTISEMENT
His back-to-basics approach gave the team a spark at times. He went 19-12 in his 31-game experiment, but Minnesota ultimately couldn't break its bad habits. Inconsistent effort (especially against lesser opponents) and soft defense (especially against the pick-and-roll) were the biggest problems.
The incorporation of Szczerbiak, Troy Hudson and Michael Olowokandi -- each missed large chunks of the 2003-04 season with injuries -- back into the offensive sets and playing rotation was not a smooth transition, either.
``This has probably been the worst year I have had, basketball-wise, in my life,'' McHale said.
Saunders accepted Szczerbiak's offer to come off the bench and put defensive ace Trenton Hassell in the starting lineup in January, but down the stretch Szczerbiak made clear his disappointment with a reserve role -- stressing that his suggestion was made only for the sake of the team.
Though Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, two critical contributors toward last year's success, set an ominous tone by complaining about their contracts before the season started, players insisted that bad chemistry didn't create their downfall.
``We never broke apart,'' Szczerbiak said. ``We stayed tight as ever. This is probably the tightest group I've ever been with. Guys really get along. But for some reason, on the court it just didn't work out.''
That means there will likely be significant offseason changes made to the roster, once McHale decides if he wants to come back as the basketball boss. If he does, as expected, he'll then have to hire a permanent replacement for Saunders. Then the personnel moves must be made.
Sprewell is a free agent and unlikely to return, unless he's willing to accept a huge pay cut from his cap-strapped owner, Glen Taylor. Szczerbiak and Cassell are prime candidates for trades, though that will be difficult given their salaries.
With eight players signed for next season, Minnesota's best bet for an instant upgrade is to get lucky in the lottery and obtain one of the top three draft choices. Otherwise, as the best team to not qualify for the postseason, the Timberwolves will be stuck picking at No. 14.
With Kevin Garnett, last year's league MVP, the Wolves have a solid place to start the overhaul. Though a sore knee bothered him occasionally and his play wasn't quite up to last season's level, the 11-year veteran Garnett won another rebounding title and led the NBA with 69 double-doubles.
``We have some really good guys to build around,'' said Taylor, who approved for this season an increase in the payroll to more than $70 million. ``So it isn't like we're like a lot of teams.''
A lot of those teams wound up beating the Wolves this year. The litany of bad losses was lowlighted by the defeat at Atlanta on April 9, with the playoffs still a real possibility. The Hawks were the NBA's worst team this season with just 13 wins.
``You get what you deserve in this league,'' McHale said. ``We came into camp with a sense of complacency. In sports, if you want to get your rear end kicked, come in complacent.'