Wolves have no luck

[Riot]

Source
The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that guard Rashad McCants underwent successful microfracture surgery on his right knee. Team orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Fischer performed the surgery at the TRIA Orthopedic Center on Friday. McCants is expected to make a full recovery, with a rehabilitation timeline of four-six months.

"It's an unfortunate situation because Rashad has been working really hard this offseason, and was looking forward to playing in the upcoming summer league games," said Timberwolves Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale. "We expect Rashad to recover fully from the injury. He's a very talented young man, and we are going to make sure he is 100% healthy before he comes back."

McCants, a first-round pick (14th overall) in the 2005 NBA Draft from the University of North Carolina, averaged 7.9 points (.450 FG%) on 45.0% shooting from the field in 79 contests (12 starts) for Minnesota during the 2005-06 NBA season. The 6-4 guard set a Timberwolves franchise rookie record for three-point field goal percentage at 37.2%.

The best case scenario is 4-6 months. It is the same surgery Amare Stoudemire just had which means he will probably be out for the season. McCants is our 2nd best player and he is the guy who is suppose to step up into that #2 hole to play with Garnett. Him and Garnett had great chemistry and got along well. This is a serious setback for this season. He was going to be a huge part of what we were going to do.

GOD DAMN IT

[Buckley]

I doubt it will be the full season...McCants had the surgery in June, while Stoudemire was in October. He could possibly be back by January, he might miss the first part of the season, but you don't know.

[Its_asdf]

McCants is our 2nd best player

What happened to Ricky Davis?

[Fenix]

Lol. What if Mark Madsen gets injured. That is when the Wolves will be in the world of shit.

[maes]

Amare's recovery seemed unusually slow & painful to me, other players have had microfracture surgery and come back without much incident.

It's not necessarily a total loss yet.

[Mayerhendrix]

Still, it's probably better if Rashad stays out for a bit longer. He's still a young player and at this point it's important to think about his future instead of trying to come back and save the T-Wolves' season.

Plus, I don't see the Timberwolves going too far in the playoffs or even in the playoffs anytime soon. More of a reason for Rashad to heal fully rather than push for a quick comeback.

[Riot]

McCants is our 2nd best player

What happened to Ricky Davis?

No offense to Ricky Davis, who I think would be a great 6th man, but Rashad McCants has the potential to be a star. He and Kevin Garnett create quite the tandem and McCants has that ability to get to the rim and finish with either hand. Ricky has the ability, too, but he never uses it. He settles for mid-range jumpers.

The problem with this loss is the team is trying to convince Garnett that we can be a contender. McCants was expected to be the starting shooting guard and be the #2 or #3 scoring option this year. Now the team has to replace him and continue to add to the other weaknesses we have (center, point guard). This makes the off-season even more difficult for the team.

Honestly, the Timberwolves probably have the worst luck out of any franchise in professional sports. Everything that can go wrong usually does go wrong (Marbury, Grant, Sealy, Gugliotta, Brandon, Billups, Cassell/Sprewell, Avery, Rasho/Kandi, Joe Smith scandal, etc). It's just awful.

[Donatello]

I'd hardly call them giving Joe Smith an under-the-table illegal contract bad luck, but I agree with the rest

This is too bad, hopefully he's able to recover quickly.

[Riot]

I'd hardly call them giving Joe Smith an under-the-table illegal contract bad luck, but I agree with the rest

This is too bad, hopefully he's able to recover quickly.

Well think about this for a second. The Wolves weren't the only team who was doing that. Stern caught them (because they were stupid to write it down) and tried to "make an example" of them by being extremely harsh and taking way 4-5 first round picks.

[eisfeld]

[

No offense to Ricky Davis, who I think would be a great 6th man, but Rashad McCants has the potential to be a star. He and Kevin Garnett create quite the tandem and McCants has that ability to get to the rim and finish with either hand. Ricky has the ability, too, but he never uses it. He settles for mid-range jumpers.

You're calling someone who scores 19.4 ppg on nearly 45% shooting only a 6th man? I agree with the fact that he's more of a mid-range shooter, but this does not mean he is not effective. McCants can be a better SG, I do not doubt that, but not now.

[Riot]

[

No offense to Ricky Davis, who I think would be a great 6th man, but Rashad McCants has the potential to be a star. He and Kevin Garnett create quite the tandem and McCants has that ability to get to the rim and finish with either hand. Ricky has the ability, too, but he never uses it. He settles for mid-range jumpers.

You're calling someone who scores 19.4 ppg on nearly 45% shooting only a 6th man? I agree with the fact that he's more of a mid-range shooter, but this does not mean he is not effective. McCants can be a better SG, I do not doubt that, but not now.

Ricky put up some great statistics near the end of the season last year. However, he should not be a #2 option on a team. He is a great 6th man because he can come in and focus on getting buckets. He likes to go one-on-one and get his shots. It's hard to get into a groove as a team early when you have a player dominating the ball like that. He's deadly to bring off the bench.

[Silas]

When you talk about the bad luck,

Marbury, Grant, Sealy, Gugliotta, Brandon, Billups, Cassell/Sprewell, Avery, Rasho/Kandi, Joe Smith scandal, etc

I dont remember all of these. Spree/Cassell I remember, and Kandi being a washout and losing Marbury, and Sealy dying, but what were the others. I'd be interested to learn more about these...

[Riot]

William Avery and Paul Grant were two complete first round busts that this team drafted. I believe both of them are out of the league and both of them were selected in the first round. Grant only played 4 games for the Wolves ever.

Another bust that the Wolves selected was Isiah Rider (5th overall). The guy had talent but he was just a headcase. He never got his act together. The Wolves selected Laettner (3rd overall) the year before and we all know how that turned out. The team took Donyell Marshall (4th overall) the year after Rider. This team just had not had any success drafting until McHale came around (and it is still suspect). The team was consistently horrible and they always had a top pick but they ALWAYS blew it. Talk about bad luck. You'd think they would be able to get lucky atleast once (eventually they did with Kevin Garnett).

The Gugliotta situation is related to the Marbury one. Gugliotta was an all-star with the Timberwolves and he was really coming on. Him and Marbury did not get along and Marbury basically ran him out of town. A year later, Marbury demanded to be traded. So the team lost Gugliotta and Marbury because of Marbury.

Brandon was brought to the team in the Marbury deal and he played pretty darn well. He was the perfect point guard for Flip's system. He got hurt and he was never the same again. He was forced to retire because of his knee injuries. He kept trying to come back and the team was always optimistic about him coming back but it never worked out. This is what caused Chauncey Billups, a now Finals MVP, to leave the Timberwolves. Chauncey loved it here and and Garnett are best friends. However, Chauncey wanted a starting spot and the team would not give a promise to Chauncey because they thought Brandon was going to come back. He never did. We lost Billups.

The Joe Smith scandal is complicated and David Stern was too harsh on the Timberwolves for it. They basically told Joe that they would keep re-signing him for the minimum until they get bird rights for him and then give him a big contract. That is illegal and the NBA caught them doing that. So Stern took away 4-5 first round draft picks because he wanted this to stop in the NBA.

The Timberwolves also have had some bad luck in the playoffs, too. In 2002-2003 they had what was then their best season ever. They were rewarded with playing the LA Lakers in the first round. Lakers had injuries so they limped their way to the 5th seed but they were healthy by playoff time and they beat the Wolves in 6 games.

The next year, 2003-2004, the Wolves had their best season yet too. Then they got beat by the Lakers in 6 games in the WCF because Sam Cassell was injuried. The next year everyone knows that the team fell apart because of the contract disputes and age.

Finally, in the 2003 draft the team took Ndudi Ebi, who a lot of teams were high on including the Spurs, over Josh Howard. Ebi is now out of the league and Howard is one of the best players on the Dallas Mavericks who are in the NBA Finals.

As you can see, the Wolves have had no luck in their history. Some of it is their own fault but this track record of failure after failure has most Wolves fans furious and exhasted. This news of Rashad McCants having microfracture surgery brings tears to our eyes. This is the same surgery Terrell Brandon had and that ended his career. We are afraid that this might be another "what-if" situation with Garnett and another talented star. Guys like Marbury, Gugliotta, Cassell/Sprewell, Billups and Brandon left too early. We don't want to see it with McCants.

[air gordon]

making poor draft choices/trades/signings is not bad luck. IT'S BAD MANAGEMENT

just blame it on Ozzie

[Riot]

making poor draft choices/trades/signings is not bad luck. IT'S BAD MANAGEMENT

just blame it on Ozzie

When did I say anything about signings or trades? Draft choices really are a crapshoot anyways and the fact that NONE of them turned out before 1995 makes you think. The management was awful but you have to think a 2 year old would be able to get lucky on atleast one of them. The Billups, Cassell/Sprewell and Marbury situation are all bad luck. Everything that could go wrong usually does go wrong for Minnesota.

[air gordon]

goodness- 1st round draft choices are not crapshoots

every team has missed occasionally on draft picks. but to continually pick busts is not bad luck... again it's bad management

dude, this crying is just pathetic. but if you want to cry and play the hindsight is blinding game, feel free lol. i'd rather hear you bitch about Ozzie's greatness

[Riot]

Fine, you don't think taking players in the first round is bad luck? Then don't think it. Even without it the team has had crappy luck. And maybe I consider bad management part of the bad luck. It's just our luck that our management is shitty.

HA!

PS: Why do you bring Ozzie into every discussion now? Leave that to the baseball thread.

[air gordon]

lol where's the bad luck in taking players in the 1st round?

i guess minnesota twolve fans are just like Cubs fans. they'll continue to support the team despite management's constant blunders

what's the problem with me bringing up Ozzie? he's a great guy. "we" sox fans are lucky to have him

[Riot]

He's a great manager, for sure, but great guy? I don't think so.

[Silas]

Thanks for the post Riot, I thought it was interesting. The first round draft picks are, I believe, a mix of crapshoot and management. Sometimes even the best managers will say someone is good but he turns out to be a bust, sometimes managers will have their heart set on one guy no matter what people say, and that can end up being bad management, or really good if their lucky.

Anyway, thanks for explaining that stuff it was interesting.

[Axel]

This is all the more reason to trade KG away. Without McCants for a good chunk of the year, it's unlikely they'll be even close to a playoff berth, let alone .500.

[Riot]

This is all the more reason to trade KG away. Without McCants for a good chunk of the year, it's unlikely they'll be even close to a playoff berth, let alone .500.

What would trading KG accomplish? You would lose ticket sales, merchandise sales and sponsers. The team already owes two first round picks (Clippers and Celtics) so if you are going to rebuild you would need two picks just to get back to square one. The team has a lot of bad contracts (Jaric, Blount, Hudson, Hassell, etc) so getting under the cap would be difficult. There is no way this team can rebuild right now. They just have to try to add some nice assests next to Garnett and hope that the team clicks.

[Donatello]

What would trading KG accomplish?

Oh, they might, you know..... possibly win some games. <chuckle>

Kidding. I honestly don't think that trading Garnett would accomplish anything except alienating alot of fans.

[air gordon]

This is all the more reason to trade KG away. Without McCants for a good chunk of the year, it's unlikely they'll be even close to a playoff berth, let alone .500.

What would trading KG accomplish? You would lose ticket sales, merchandise sales and sponsers. The team already owes two first round picks (Clippers and Celtics) so if you are going to rebuild you would need two picks just to get back to square one. The team has a lot of bad contracts (Jaric, Blount, Hudson, Hassell, etc) so getting under the cap would be difficult. There is no way this team can rebuild right now. They just have to try to add some nice assests next to Garnett and hope that the team clicks.

hearing about this Mccants injury and after reading yet another Garnett trade rumor, i do believe that trading Garnett is the best thing to do.

Minnesota management owes it to the fans and to Garnett himself. They need to have the guts and get the franchise out of the mud. It's quite obvious that the franchise is going nowhere and there really isn't a true nucleus to build around. And a great player like Garnett deserves better

Some fans think praying the T'Wolves can catch lightning in a bottle and make the playoffs next season is a good thing. In reality, however, it's quite the opposite. Hanging on to KG and trying these little quick fixes to keep him happy/hoping they can barely make the playoffs only to get eliminated in the 1st round is just delaying the inevitable- rebuilding.

The longer Minnesota waits, the more they lower his trade value. Garnett will be turning 31 and probably again be putting in 38 minutes per contest

It would be wise to trade him now before Minny starts heading towards mediocrity during the next season. They'll be in a position of desparation then and less likely get equal value then if they were to trade him now

As Riot mentions, trading for mulitple 1st round draft picks + a combination of young players would be the best route to go IMO

now maybe some Minny fans will bring the issue of ticket sales and all that crap. but if there are any true fans for that organization, they will realize what managment is trying to do. or maybe T'Wolves fans are just like Cubs fans- they are suckers and will settle for mediocrity... they'll still pack the stadium to watch an inferior product. And perhaps this is why managment will never trade KG. as long as he's there, naive fans will show up no matter what product they put out there

[Riot]

If Kevin McHale and Glen Taylor trade Garnett then they will be forced to go too (in many people's opinions). The team has too many long term deals and already owes too many teams a first round pick, rebuilding would take years and years to do. You have one of the best players in the league in his prime...you should be able to reload around him. Garnett is committed to the team rebuilding around him and so is the team.

It only takes one or two moves to really sky-rocket a team into the postseason and into contention, especially when you have a guy like Garnett already on your roster. Casey will be better because he has one year under his belt and they added some more veterans to his coaching staff (Wittman is one of them).

As long as Garnett wants to stay here to make it work the team will stick with him. This team can and will get back to being a force in the Western Conference with Garnett. You can't trade the face of your franchise. Garnett is all the Timberwolves have and have ever had. Before Garnett there was Pooh Richardson and that is really it. He means too much to the franchise and to the city to deal him in his prime.