Marko Jaric and Trenton Hassell to Denver for Kenyon Martin?

[ducks]

Rumors persist that the Timberwolves will trade Marko Jaric and Trenton Hassell to Denver for Kenyon Martin. Wolves VP Kevin McHale wouldn't comment on the possibility Thursday.

) The Wolves, who are desperate for front-court help, checked into the possibility of signing free-agent 7-footer Joel Przybilla but were told the former Gopher was set to re-sign with Portland, which he did last week. Przybilla's $30 million, five-year price tag was more than the Wolves could afford.

) Joe Mauer's father, Jake, gave his All-Star Game tickets behind home plate to his dad and wife Teresa's parents and instead watched the game in Pittsburgh in third-deck seats that cost $125 apiece. Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland also watched from the third deck.

Overheard

) New Wolves guard Mike James, asked what star teammate Kevin Garnett told him when he was recruiting him as a free agent: "That he just doesn't want me, that he needs me."

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/columnists/charley_walters/15034446.htm

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

If he were healthy it would be the steal of the season.

[sickdsm]

Yet the FO of the wolves said the contract was too high when asked about Darius miles for Jaric/madsen. Meanwhile Miles fills a greater need at the three when KMart poses a problem. He's way too small for a 5, Basically forcing KG to play center.



Miles is the better trade scenario.

[strangeweather]

Honestly, I wouldn't want either Miles or Martin on my team.

McHale makes moves like a junkie desperate for a score.

[sickdsm]

Bad Analogy. A junkie knows what he's getting and its exactly what he wants and desires.


Marko, Marcus, We Hardly Knew Ye

The Mike James Era in the Wolves point guard continuum has only just begun and early polls _ OK, there are no polls, how about gut feeling? _ suggest one third of the populace is thrilled, another third is bored and the remaining third is curious.

The curious third wonders: Though the Wolves soon will be saying all the right things about about how much they adore the qualities they believe James brings _ shooting, scoring, fearlessness, durability _ how long will the love affair last? Will it be more of an Era or a Moment?

You don't have to be a Wolves cynic to ask. You only have to be a Wolves historian.

Turn the clock back to last summer. The Wolves sent Sam Cassell to the Clippers for Marko Jaric, and a No. 1 draft choice. "You'd like to have not [traded the draft pick], but getting Marko is something we wanted to do,'' Kevin McHale said then.

Not had to do, wanted to do.

Marko was the Wolves' answer at the point, so much so that, even though McHale knew he probably had to trade Cassell somewhere due to left-over baggage from the lost season of 2004-05, he was willing to include that No. 1 choice to get his man, Marko. McHale told the Star Tribune that Jaric's size would help the Wolve defensively, and he could do many more things from the point guard position. "I just thought it was time to go a little younger _ Marko's 26 _ and a little bigger at that position and a little more multi-dimensional. Sammy's a pure point.''

(McHale's praise of Marko at the time is not to be confused with his praise of free-agent find Tikoloz Tskitishvili, of whom he said, "After a few days, I said, `Wow, a kid who can shoot the three, can run, jump, is very athletic and is 7-foot.' I was thinking, `How is this kid not playing in the NBA?' Not `I wonder if this kid can play in the NBA.' ''

Skita played a grand total of 13 minutes for the Wolves.)

Move the clock to late January, 2006. McHale was attempting to explain his pulling the trigger on a multi-player trade with the Boston Celtics. Apparently, after less than three months, the Wolves' executive already had grown bored with the multi-dimensional Marko. So much so that he was willing to give up yet another No. 1 draft choice to get his new answer at the point.

Forget that size nonsense. What McHale really wanted and needed was quickness at the point. "I wouldn't have made the trade without [Marcus] Banks,'' he said. "He's like getting a lottery pick. He's very fast. He's a point guard who can push the ball from end to end. We don't have that....He's strong, quick, young and a good defender.''

Six months later, Jaric, the bigger, multi-dimensional answer at the point, is on the block, Banks, the quicksilver key to the Celtics deal that included inheriting one of the worst contracts (Mark Blount's) in the league has been put on the back burner, James is the man at the point for the Wolves, and two more No. 1 draft choices have been recklessly sacrificed.

Bad judgment by McHale? Brutal impatience by McHale? Lack of conviction by McHale?

Make your pick.

It is precisely that track record which might prompt the curious third of the hoops populace to take a deep breath before calling this latest McHale signing a Wolves epiphany.

Who's to say McHale might not get bored with it by next February anyway?

In that unfortunate event, McHale could trade James (thereby accelerating the money due him according to contract fine print that only the Wolves were willing to throw in) and perhaps offer another No. 1 draft choice as part of the deal.

That would be the ninth No. 1 pick sacrificed on McHale's watch.

As it is today, eight have been given, taken or thrown away. That includes drafting Paul Grant, William Avery and Ndudi Ebi, losing three No. 1s to the illegal signing of the ordinary Joe Smith and handing two more No. 1s over to other teams for Jaric and Banks.

The Wolves overpay for Marko and overpay for Banks and what do they learn from the lesson? They overpay for James, going further than the Mavericks, NBA finalists a year ago, or the Rockets would.

So will the James Moment last longer than the Marko Moment or the Marcus Moment? Might it become an Era? Hey, anything's possible. What's that old saying? Even a blind Ostrich finds the occasional acorn.


posted Wednesday, July 12, 2006 2:13 PM by KFAN Dan Barreiro | 3 Comments

[strangeweather]

Bad Analogy. A junkie knows what he's getting and its exactly what he wants and desires.
I stand corrected. :lol

[jman3000]

and people bitch and moan about our front office......