An ESPN article asks several NBA pundits to answer this question: Which
current cellar dweller may turn into a champ?

David Thorpe's answer: The Timberwolves

"Just three years ago, the Miami Heat came off a bad year and started
the new season with a rookie coach, losing their first seven games.

Yet, less than two seasons later, that franchise lost in the Eastern
Conference Finals, and then won the title the next year. I think the
Minnesota Timberwolves can build a similar team.

The Heat added Shaq, giving them an All-Star post player to go along
with Dwyane Wade. The Wolves already have Kevin Garnett, a dominant
scorer/rebounder/defender, and they drafted Randy Foye, who showed this
summer (and in college) that he has a real chance to be Wade-like very
soon.

Eddie Jones and Damon Jones provided perimeter scoring and leadership
that proved pivotal to the Heat, while the Wolves now have Mike James,
coming off a career year (20 ppg and 44 percent from 3) and Ricky Davis
(19.4 ppg).

Udonis Haslem and Eddie Jones were great defenders and knew how to play
their roles to perfection. Trenton Hassell and Justin Reed can play
similar roles in Minnesota.

Mark Blount had his two best rebounding months in March and April last
year. KG will continue to influence him toward playing to his
potential. The Wolves need some additional help inside, and they need
Foye to develop rapidly, so a trade involving Ricky Davis could help on
both accounts.

Now, if Coach Dwane Casey can go to school as fast as Coach Van Gundy
did in Miami, and Foye can "be like Dwayne," the Wolves just may pull a
Miami and contend for the title in 2008.

David Thorpe is Executive Director of the Pro Training Center in
Clearwater, FL, where he works as a personal coach for Udonis Haslem,
Kevin Martin and other NBA players."

Should I reserve 2010 season tickets?

ikrushlots@aol.com wrote:

<grin> I''d wait until Blount rebounds better than Kandi,
the Wolves trade Davis for something other than a chump,
then sign Shaq and bring Van Gundy in for Casey.

Of course, if McHale steps down, you might even opt for
2007/8 tics.

levi wrote:

While I think the Wally trade was a big mistake, I can't complain with
what McHale has done this summer. I wouldn't be surprised if James
ends up the best free agent signing of the summer. I also think Foye
will be one of the top rookies. While it would be jumping the gun to
call him the next Wade, I do believe his ceiling is in that vicinity.

I'd like to trade Davis for a quality player, but I do think he can
work out with the Wolves, *as long as he is not the number two player
on the team*. With James and Foye, along with Hassel showing he can be
competent at times on offense, there is no need for Davis to be a
primary scorer (I also think Bracey Wright is going to surprise people)
However, he can be a very good *scoring 6th man* off the bench. He
flourished in that role when Boston made that move, and it could work
here.

IMO, the Wolves success this season hinges on Eddie Griffin. If he can
be that 3-4 block guy at C that can protect the lane and scoop up 7-8
rebounds/game (I don't care what he does offensively), the Wolves will
be in really good shape. Possibly even contenders for a top 4 slot in
the WC. He has the talent and ability to do it. It all depends on his
mental makeup this season. If he doesn't perform, the Wolves will at
best be in the hunt for the the 8 spot, and might not even make the
playoffs.

An aside. I know how much you disliked Wally, but I think he would
have been the perfect fit with this group of players. Having Wally's
shooting touch would be a great weapon along side guys like Foye and
James.

Here are some Randy Foye clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k79dJiPBZyU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LeLDOw--wo

Mike James is pissed (I liked what he had to say):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIXwkkZyi9k

his fiery attitude is going to be great for this team. In the clip
below, you gotta love how he got in Juwan Howard's face, after taking
him to the hole.

James highlights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6YQHFOniaw
Nice. Dude can get to the basket.

First Krush, thanks for the video. I thrive on your optimism Krush,
even though I"m a cynical old fart, and think often you are misguided,
and I worry.

Second, how can you have all this stuff, when are you not on the
computer. Please tell me you do this on your employers time. THAT,
would make me happy.

OH and I appreciated MJ (hillarious that his initials are MJ by the
way) two things the most. He plans on being a terror in this league for
the next five years. Apparently boxing training will help him. He also
said that he understands "making his teammates happy."

With Foye at two, this could be more fun than some of us doom and
gloomers expect.

Now KG better go visit and or move in with Blount and tell him there is
nothing he can do for this team than rebound and defend the post.
PERIOD.

Andy H wrote:

No problemo Andy. Glad you liked them.

I didn't really make a prediction, as I said the Wolves *could* compete
for a top 4 spot. I also said they could only be competing for an 8
spot at best. If I have the balls to come our and make a true "top 4"
prediction before the season, I'll gladly accept the "optimistic" tag


haha . . .I do alot of multi-tasking. DVR'ed the steelers game and
watched it after my wife and daughter went to bed. I rarely sit
through a full game without doing something else. I feel like I'm
wasting too much time if I do. Watched the game. Paid bills. Looked
at some clips on youtube, went over my market strategy for tomorrow (I
trade stocks and commodities in my spare time, along with blogging on
the market). Worked out while cleaning up in between sets. Went over
next Sunday's NFL line (I start every season with $500, no more and no
less, and see where it takes me. I've had years where I flame out and
years where I've twenty-bagged it. It's been great so far, as the
oddsmakers started the season undervaluing SD, Vikings and Jags--how
the heck were the jags +120 at home? Easy money.) Edited home movie
clips of my daughter to send to my parents.

You'd be surprised how much you can do in the 3+ hours of game time,
although I am a little obsessed about it.

Here's what canadian newspaper has to say about the Wolves.

http://www.tsn.ca/nba/news_story/?ID=177975&hubname=nba

I hope Foye and James do turn out to be better natured Sam I Am and
Spree, and KG has some enthusiasm to stay. The piece is pretty
optimistic.

ikrushlots@aol.com wrote:

Well, I can. No success with getting a quality big man
(or two) to play alongside KG. All he's gotten for the Wolves
this summer is tweeners, hopefuls, and never weres.

Go look at what San Antonio did.


Possibly. But would he be your starter over Banks?
I doubt it. Somehow, McHale was unable to get
Marcus and his agent to see that being the starter,
for less than they were asking for, is better than
a few minutes per game as backup in Phoenix.


I'm reserving judgement, but that it is incredibly unlikely.
More like Sid Hartmann type hype.


Dude, you're hanging your hopes on a documented wanker.

Plus, Eddie is neither large enough, nor tough enough, to be the
Wolves starting center, in fact, play center at all. We're talking
about Joe Smith with a drinking and drug problem here.

Did you read the label on that Kool-Aid you're drinking?

<snip>

levi wrote:

Who could they have got? Every quality big man signed with there own
teams, for big bucks. Maybe they could have made a run for Wright or
Mohammed, but niether is any better than EG. With the big man free
agent crop, the best thing to do is go the way of Phoenix, Toronto and
Dallas and stock your squad with talented perimeter players.


I wouldn't call James any of the above.


What did they do? They signined underachieving, injury-prone Elson.
Insidehoops.com had James ranked the 6th best free agent and Elson the
28th. I concur.


Are you kidding me? James averaged *20 and 6*, and your going to sit
him for a guy who hasn't done a thing in this league? I really liked
Banks talent, but no way in hell would I have started him over James.
What are *you* drinking, Levi


I think you have it backwards. McHale did not make a big play on Banks
because they wanted James. If Mchale felt strongly about Banks, he
would have used the James money on Banks. They went all-in for James
and it paid off big time. It should be noted that KG also went all out
for James, helping "recruit" him. This is something he usually does
not do.


I merely pointed out that EG is the key. I am not expecting that he
will live up to his talent. In fact, I think there is a better chance
he tanks. I don't care about the off the court stuff, but what told me
alot about the guy was the fact that he was not willing to fix his eyes
during the season.


We've argued enough in the past about what type of center is needed in
the NBA. I'll just restate my belief that the NBA is changing and the
big strong NBA center is going the way of the dinosaur. The "new" NBA
requires a quick, athletic center, which is EG. Shaq is the exception
to this rule, and the Wolves don't need to worry about him.


Yup, it's laced with cognitive enhancers

Is there any news about Eddie, and his eye surgery? Or was he too busy
with prayer meetings, and Bill W meetings to get r done?