SBNation.com User Blog: Andy G

Has the NBA Gone Mainstream?

Andy G — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 22:20:46 -0000

Wolves compared to Thunder, Kahn compared to Presti (Insider)

Andy G — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:25:24 -0000

Wolves compared to Thunder, Kahn compared to Presti (Insider)

Bradford Doolittle of Basketball Prospectus makes a rather favorable comparison for both this team and its President of Basketball.

Love Believes He is Best Power Forward

Andy G — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:07:14 -0000

Love Believes He is Best Power Forward

I view this sort of confidence from the team's leader as a good thing for the Wolves--I guess I could have done with this Ricky Henderson-type of comment, though:

"Greatness surrounds itself with greatness."

Klosterman on The Triangle

Andy G — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:15:41 -0000

Klosterman on The Triangle

Chuck Klosterman interviewed fellow North Dakotan, Phil Jackson, about The Triangle Offense.

How Do You Feel About Michael Beasley? (Revised, with poll!)

Andy G — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:32:07 -0000

Our virtual crazy uncle PoorDick recently FanPosted a regrettable comment I made in a separate thread, where I suggested that most Wolves fans "hate" Michael Beasley. That was a poor word choice. But, there has been increasing discussion about this most-interesting Wolves player of late. Some seem to prefer that we ditch Supercool Beas for whatever we can get and others like myself think he's a couple of minor upgrades away from excellent offensive play.

Let's try a poll that may actually bring some meaningful discussion.

Poll

Which of the following best summarizes your opinion of Michael Beasley?

He is an inefficient volume scorer and the Wolves would be better off without him.

15 votes

He is an inefficient volume scorer, but I think he serves a useful purpose and/or might improve. I don't care whether he stays or goes.

93 votes

His perceived inefficiency has more to do with his role in Rambis' offense than it does his ability level. He is a good offensive player who will thrive under better coaching even without improved skills.

133 votes

He is an excellent offensive player.

23 votes

264 votes | Poll has closed

Wolves Finalizing Deal with J.J. Barea

Andy G — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:26:05 -0000

Wolves Finalizing Deal with J.J. Barea

He isn't long. He isn't athletic. But he is a champion who plays good offense.

Brandon Roy to Announce Medical Retirement

Andy G — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:09:46 -0000

Brandon Roy to Announce Medical Retirement

Love Down 25 Pounds

Andy G — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:04:57 -0000

Love Down 25 Pounds

And lots of other stuff. Between he and Beasley, the Wolves are looking to be Team Weight Watchers, this year.

The "Reset" Proposal

Andy G — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:50:17 -0000

The "Reset" Proposal

Howard Beck has a copy of David Stern's letter, contrasting the current offer to what will be the next offer from ownership, if this one isn't accepted by Wednesday. Yikes.

Rubio shooting well?

Andy G — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 20:21:12 -0000

Rubio shooting well?

Enes Kanter thinks so.

The Nuggets Fan Perspective

Andy G — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:57:07 -0000

The Nuggets Fan Perspective

"Our interest in ~~Minnesota~~ Denver is clear enough. If we want the ~~Timberwolves~~ Nuggets to be competitive in the brave, new NBA that emerges from the current dispute, we want Stern to win."

Michael Beasley All-Star Classic

Andy G — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:28:59 -0000

Michael Beasley All-Star Classic

Supercool Beas is bringing NBA Basketball to the Twin Cities, for a charity event. Pretty impressive roster, actually.

KG a part of the problem, not solution.

Andy G — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:50:43 -0000

KG a part of the problem, not solution.

I still remember when 6 years, $102 Million wasn't enough for KG. Holding the line paid off for his paycheck at that point, and helped cost the Wolves a dynasty with he and Marbury. Looks like he still knows how to play hardball with the grey-haireds, at the expense of the fans.

(Then again, consider the source here!)

Arrested Development Returns

Andy G — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:26:14 -0000

Arrested Development Returns

I'd guess many of you loved this show, as I did. The return could be a flop, but I'll be excited to see it back for another season.

Westbrook-Perkins Feud

Andy G — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:23:02 -0000

Westbrook-Perkins Feud

The "feud" is more the premise of this article than the point. I don't think the Thunder will trade Westbrook just because he argues with Perkins. I also don't think they'll trade him just because he and Durant are less than perfect complements. But put those two things together...he's a guy that should be on the Wolves radar, that's for sure.

Glen Taylor on Adelman Hiring Process

Andy G — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:09:59 -0000

Glen Taylor on Adelman Hiring Process

The owner weighs in on how it all went down.

Blazers, McMillan will miss Bayno

Andy G — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:01:42 -0000

Blazers, McMillan will miss Bayno

Apparently, the Wolves offered Bayno a four-year deal, when the Blazers would only offer assistants one-year contracts. Maybe he's the long-term head coach that they (whoever "they" are) have in mind, when Adelman retires. Seems like a good hire. I guess we'll see.

Brad Miller on Adelman

Andy G — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:33:05 -0000

Brad Miller on Adelman

Miller weighs in on his new (for the third time in his career) coach.

Woj on Kahn, Adelman Hire

Andy G — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:57:16 -0000

Woj on Kahn, Adelman Hire

What an odd time to blast David Kahn. In any case, I'm sure plenty of readers will enjoy this take from one of the biggest hacks in the business.

A Random Discussion for a Friday

Andy G — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:19:57 -0000

Until Taylor Corp. decides on a head coach, Michael Beasley breaks another bone (or law), or Ricky Rubio hits double figures in a FIBA game, there isn't much to discuss about the Wolves. So, I thought I'd throw out a completely random comment about Michael Jordan that might stir some debate.

The Bulls third championship came in 1993, after a season in which they won 57 games. Jordan, Pippen, Grant, and Armstrong each played 77 games or more, so it wasn't a fluky win-total in terms of how it represented their performance, that season. They beat a Phoenix Suns team in 6 games, with that huge Paxson trey in Game 6. Had the shot missed, they go to a Game 7 on the road.

Michael Jordan, considered by many to be the unquestionably-greatest player of all time, then changes sports to play minor league baseball. The Bulls don't get anything in return for the reigning Finals MVP. I'm not sure if that type of uncompensated loss has happened at any other time in the NBA. In other words, the downgrade should have been very dramatic.

The following season, the Bulls won 55 games, two short of their previous total with a healthy MJ. In this season, Pippen actually missed 10 games, and they had a 58-win pace for the 72 games he played. The Bulls swept Cleveland (3-0) in Round 1 of the playoffs. In Round 2, they met the eventual East Champs and Game 7 of the Finalists, Knicks. Had this not happened, the Bulls probably would have moved on to face the Pacers in the East Finals, and who knows beyond that. In any case, they lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Semifinals, after a 55-win season. Certainly, this is worse than the 57-win, championship season one year earlier. But having just lost Michael Jordan and replaced him with some Pete Myers and rookie Toni Kukoc, one would expect a more dramatic change.

The following year, Jordan came back midway through the year and the Bulls lost to Shaq and Penny. Most blame that on MJ being out of shape and/or rusty. What many forget is that Horace Grant, a staple on the first Three-Peat Bulls, was now on the other side, playing for the Magic instead of the Bulls. When the Bulls regained glory with what was possibly the best team ever (1996, 72-wins), they inexplicably acquired Dennis Rodman who was one of the best forwards in the league at that time, and an upgrade over Ho Grant, who was no slouch in his own right.

All of this is to say that I think Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest player of all time. But there is an argument for a lot of others. In my lifetime, that includes Shaq, Duncan, Kobe, and LeBron. If I were older, I'd probably include Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and others.

Crittenton charged with murder

Andy G — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 22:46:10 -0000

Crittenton charged with murder

This might shed some light on the Gilbert Arenas story, with guns in the locker room. I wonder if Agent Zero was actually horsing around or if he was dealing with a more serious issue with his teammate, Javaris.

Z-Bo in the news again, for wrong reasons.

Andy G — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:12:44 -0000

Z-Bo in the news again, for wrong reasons.

I don't think the lockout is a good thing for Z-Bo. He has a hard enough time staying out of the papers when the league is up and running.

One Final Candidate (not really)

Andy G — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 02:29:19 -0000

One Final Candidate (not really)

Michael Ray Richardson sounds like an interesting and effective, even if borderline insane, minor league coach.

Interesting article.

Zgoda on Coaching Search

Andy G — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:07:27 -0000

Zgoda on Coaching Search

Jerry thinks we may have a coach by week's end, and shares his thoughts on who it might be, and why.

Why Rambis Has Not Been Fired

Andy G — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:30:38 -0000

Henry Abbott's Friday Lockout Bullets got me thinking about why Rambis hasn't been fired.

NBA coaches or employees can't have any contact with players. Got to believe that's a major boon for unemployed coaches (right this way, Larry Brown!) and unaffiliated private trainers and the like. Serious players will be seeking out serious help.

Henry Abbott's Friday Lockout Bullets got me thinking about why Rambis hasn't been fired.

NBA coaches or employees can't have any contact with players. Got to believe that's a major boon for unemployed coaches (right this way, Larry Brown!) and unaffiliated private trainers and the like. Serious players will be seeking out serious help.

Right now and for the foreseeable future, teams cannot have contact with players. Coaches cannot coach players. Or else:

Teams were told by the NBA front office that any violation will draw a $1 million fine and the possible loss of draft picks, league sources told Bucher. The first warning was issued during the first round of the playoffs, two months before the lockout was implemented.

Commissioner David Stern and the NBA front office say they will not tolerate any violations.

One league source told Bucher the message from the front office is that the punishment might not be limited to a seven-figure fine.

"The league office is digging in," one GM said. "They made it clear to everyone that they're going to crack down hard on any sign of contact with the players and they said they're going to be very vigilant."

So, what if the Wolves "coach" (Rambis) stays away all summer, while somebody like, say, Quin Snyder, voluntarily holds some "training sessions," perhaps with a teamwork emphasis?

If he were to magically appear on the Wolves sidelines in 2014 or whenever the labor dispute ends, wouldn't that give the Wolves an edge over the rest of the teams who didn't hold any coached practices?

Harrison Barnes & Kevin Durant

Andy G — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:46:45 -0000

Harrison Barnes & Kevin Durant

Sounds like Barnes is getting some good off-season reps in.

Wish he would have just gone pro.

Kahn is calling EVERYBODY.

Andy G — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:20:31 -0000

Kahn is calling EVERYBODY.

The fantasy GM approach. Gotta love it. Actually, I kind of do like it.

Givony on Biyombo

Andy G — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:18:46 -0000

Givony on Biyombo

Givony with high praise for Biyombo, via Twitter.

Ford Mock, 4.0 (Insider)

Andy G — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 21:10:25 -0000

Ford Mock, 4.0 (Insider)

Biyombo at 14. Might be a reach at 2 if Ford is even close to pegging this one.

Rubio needs to run with athletes.

Andy G — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 04:54:16 -0000

Rubio needs to run with athletes.

Sheridan weighs in on Rubio in the NBA game.

"For now, I will end this post with two predictions: Rubio will finish the 2011-12 season in the top five in steals, and his passing will lead to Michael Beasley at least tripling his total of 33 dunks in the 2009-10 season."