 By: Eric Page I think we can all agree that we liked what we saw from the Timberwolves starting five in the final month of the season last spring. Once Sam Mitchell settled on Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng, there were moments that unit really gelled, and you could see the potential coming to fruition. Unfortunately, those guys couldn’t play all 48 minutes. And when the Wolves went to the bench, it became glaringly apparent they had no depth. And you can’t win on a consistent basis without quality depth, especially if you’re bringing Adreiane “Payne-ful to watch,” Greg Smith, and 73-year-old Tayshaun Prince into the game. So, I was curious to see how the Wolves, under new coach and team president Tom Thibodeau, would approach this offseason, knowing they have a very solid, young core—and future All Stars in Wiggs and KAT—but next to no one to provide relief. I think some Wolves fans expected at least a medium-sized splash in free agency and were underwhelmed by the signing of Cole Aldrich, Jordan Hill, and Brandon Rush. But I think those three players together go a long way toward solving the Wolves depth issues and also each bring unique experience to help develop the team’s young core. Think about it. What were the last two teams in the NBA to successfully do what the Wolves are attempting to do in becoming a contender organically through drafting and developing elite young talent? Oklahoma City with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka; and Golden State with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Festus Ezeli, and Harrison Barnes. By bringing in Aldrich and Rush, Thibs is bringing a piece of the OKC and GSW cultures to the Wolves. That’s huge. Those guys were with those organizations when they made the transformation from mediocre to good to great. Some of that is going to rub off. In Hill, the Wolves got a proven big man with starting experience. He can score and rebound and defend. And like Aldrich and Rush, he has been to the playoffs. So, I got thinking about the depth of this year’s Wolves vs. the 2015-16 version, and, man, I’m really excited. Let me note here that I write this without knowing or really considering how much Kevin Garnett will play this season. In my mind, anything the Wolves get out of KG from here on out is a bonus, and he’ll provide his greatest impact off the court. Back to why I’m excited … Think back to early last year when you had Kevin Martin and Andre Miller logging significant minutes, or late in the year having to hold your nose when Payne-ful was on the floor along with Smith, then very unsteady rookies Nemanja Bjelica and Tyus Jones and the wildly erratic Shabazz Muhammad. And I’m sorry, Prince was a nice player a decade ago, but he just can’t play anymore. Now think about a bench rotation that includes Kris Dunn, Jones (the MVP of the Vegas Summer League version), Bjelica, Muhammad, Rush, Aldrich, and Hill. That’s a 12-man rotation Wolves fans should feel pretty good about. Here’s why: Kris Dunn Dunn is going to end up being the steal of the 2016 Draft, and, according to a poll of his peers, he is the best positioned player to win Rookie of the Year. Regardless of the hardware he takes home at the end of the season, Dunn is positioned to make an immediate impact in the Minnesota backcourt. He has shown he’s mature on the floor, can create for himself and his teammates, and has the potential to be an elite defender in the NBA. He has to improve on his outside shooting, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him playing starters minutes early in the season. Tyus Jones Jones showed what he’s capable of while leading the Wolves’ Vegas League team to the championship game and earning MVP honors over the summer. Jones doesn’t have to be the MVP of the team during the regular season, and he probably won’t see much more playing time per game than he did last year, but he only appeared in 37 games. He should improve on his 36-percent shooting, particularly from beyond the arc, where he made only 30 percent of his shots last year. Nemanja Bjelica Like many European players do when adjusting to the NBA, I expect Bjelica to take a big step in his sophomore season. It would be nice to see his 3-point shooting up over 40 percent (38 last year), and he needs to be able to play better, more physical defense. Bjelica showed signs last year, and I expect him to be more consistent in his second season in the league.
Brandon Rush
Rush is a career 40 percent 3-point shooter who can defend. That’s two areas the Wolves were sorely lacking last year. Having won a championship and been a starter in the league, including 25 games last year with the Warriors, he’ll provide leadership for the young players and bring some poise to the second unit. If he can stay healthy, he’ll be a valuable asset off the bench. Cole Aldrich Aldrich isn’t going to have to play a lot of minutes, but when he’s on the floor, he’ll be a reliable presence in the middle to give KAT some rest. Aldrich is a career 53-percent shooter and elite shot blocker at the rim, and he makes his free throws. He’s a huge upgrade from Smith. Jordan Hill Two years ago, Hill started 57 games for the Lakers and averaged 12 points and 8 boards a game. He’ll be a solid frontcourt scorer and defender who I’d expect to play around 15 minutes a night. Hill brings a toughness the Wolves really need, especially on the defensive end. Now, I don’t expect Thibs to have a 12-man rotation all season, but he’ll have plenty of options early in the year to find the right mix behind what is sure to be an improved starting five. Most people are predicting the Wolves will finish with anywhere from 38 to 43 wins, and you have to believe with added depth and experience that sort of improvement is within reach. Follow Eric Page on Twitter at @WolvesTake. Email Eric at WolvesTake@gmail.com.
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 Posted By: Dan Slaubaugh
The Minnesota Timberwolves community is extremely fortunate to have a large collection of dedicated, knowledgeable Wolves writers who cover the team year in and year out. Here at OTP, we are giving fans an opportunity to find out more about these talented individuals. Our final profile feature is AP guy Jon Krawczynski, who is one of the all-around good guys in the sports media industry. He's also fantastic at his job. Name: Jon Krawcyznski Affiliation: Associated Press Web Address: www.ap.org/ Twiter: @APKrawczynski Thanks for doing this Jon. Not many " big-time" media reporters are willing to do this kind of stuff. Thanks for having me. Happy to do it. How long have you been covering Minnesota sports? I’ve had two stints. Started covering Twin Cities sports as an intern for the Fargo Forum in 1999 and joined The Associated Press out of college in 2001. I worked as a part-time sports/part-time news guy for a couple years, moved to Alabama and Indiana for three years and then returned to cover sports full-time in the Twin Cities in 2005. What sparked your interest in journalism and what led to a career with the Associated Press? Well I always loved sports growing up. Played football and ran track in high school. And I always loved writing just as much. When it became clear I wasn’t going to play in the NBA or NFL, I figured the next best thing was to write about sports. I wrote for the school newspaper at Blaine, then at the University of St. Thomas and once I got that internship with the Forum things started to take shape. What will readers find by reading your content? Hopefully original content, compelling feature stories and breaking news that readers don’t find elsewhere. My favorite thing to do is write a good, in-depth feature that gives the reader an idea into the human behind the jersey. But I equally enjoy breaking news that no one else knows about, to give insight and analysis into the inner workings of the organization. Is there more pressure writing for one of the biggest media platforms in America? There is pressure, sure. But that’s what I like most about the job. I love deadline pressure for a game story or the competition of breaking a story before another outlet does. The AP is a global organization with a ton of talented reporters working for the company. I’m just trying to pull my weight with a great group. What do you love most about your job? See above. I love the pressure. The more, the better. That’s when I feel like I do my best work. What keeps you driven and motivated to cover Minnesota sports with excellence? All the great interactions I have with fans at games and on Twitter. They look to me for information and entertainment and I take that responsibility very seriously. I want to give readers/followers/listeners a reason to keep coming back. The Wolves are one of the NBA's best young squads. Why should fans be sure to follow the team next year? It should be highly entertaining. In my opinion, there is nothing better than high-level basketball. And the Wolves just haven’t been high level for far too long. But it’s turning. Towns and Wiggins are legit. Rubio is great fun to watch, as are LaVine and Muhammad. An athletic, hungry young team that should win a good amount of games under Tom Thibodeau’s guidance. Do you have a favorite Wolves memory in the time you've been covering them? I have not covered a playoff game. Returned to Minneapolis the year after the Western Conference finals appearance. The Corey Brewer 50-point game was completely unexpected and loads of fun. But by far the best experience I’ve had is KG’s first game back after being acquired from Brooklyn. The building was electric, the tribute video was amazing. Goosebumps everywhere. What was the most enjoyable storyline in the past NBA season and why? LeBron bringing the Cavs back from 3-1 and delivering on the promise he made two years ago for Cleveland. Seems obvious, but sometimes the obvious one is the right answer. Which are some of your favorite NBA and Timberwolves related writers you follow? So many: Zach Lowe, Lee Jenkins, Sam Amick, Jeff Zillgitt, Tim Bontemps, Chris Herring, Tim Reynolds, Tom Withers. Locally: Britt Robson, Zach Harper, Steve McPherson, Derek James. Rapid Fire (Flame Emojis) Favorite sports movie? Ugh, so many so let me go off the beaten path: Mystery, Alaska. Favorite Food? The pork dish at the top of the menu at Chimberazo (sorry, can’t spell it) Favorite Weather/Season? Fall. Favorite TV show? Game of Thrones. Hidden Talent? Can load and unload a dish washer with one hand while holding my daughter in the other. '95-'96 Bulls or '16-'17 Warriors? Da Bulls. Favorite NBA player of all-time? Toss-up between Gary Payton and Larry Bird. Space Jam or Like Mike? Space Jam. Always. When do the Wolves finally end the NBA's longest playoff drought? If not next season, 2017-18 for sure. But there’s a chance. 8/27/2016 0 Comments Wolves Media Profile: Tim Faklis Posted By: Dan Slaubaugh
The Minnesota Timberwolves community is extremely fortunate to have a large collection of dedicated, knowledgeable Wolves writers who cover the team year in and year out. Here at OTP, we are giving fans an opportunity to find out more about these talented individuals. Our sixteenth profile feature is A Wolf Among Wolves writer Tim Faklis. Name: Tim Faklis Affiliation: A Wolf Among Wolves Web Address: www.AWolfAmongWolves.com Twitter: @timfaklis Tim! I appreciate the time! Should be fun! Thanks for the invite! How long have you been covering the Wolves for A Wolf Among Wolves? This will be my third year for A Wolf Among Wolves, and I’ve loved every second of it. I’m part of the best Wolves blog on the internetz, as far as I’m concerned (no offense, OTP). What sparked your interest in writing and how did you get affiliated with AWAW? I’ve always loved writing. In high school, I had a crappy sports blog that no longer exists (thank goodness). I was a journalism major at Minnesota State – Mankato, and wrote for my school’s paper for a couple years to try to gain experience. I was both a news and a sports writer, and had some interest in both departments. After college, I tried some internet-style “cold calling” to some blogs around the web. I got lucky, because Eric in Madison over at Canis Hoopus gave me a chance to cover games for them right out of college. After one year with Canis, I received an email from A Wolf Among Wolves (Steve, specifically), asking if I’d be interested in joining up with them. I had gotten to know Zach, Steve and Billy on a personal level; that, combined with them being fantastic writers made it an easy choice for me. Do you have any interest in possibly moving up in the sports media world to cover the team at a bigger platform? Well, I’ve written for Sporting News the past couple years, and am doing stuff for VICE Sports (in addition to Sporting News) this season. In terms of doing that for full-time work, it’s something I’d be interested in if the opportunity ever presented itself, but in the meantime, I love my situation as it is. What will viewers find by reading your content? Maybe this is overly simplistic, but I like to write about whatever is on my mind. Whether it’s a simple game recap, a breakdown of Zach LaVine’s skillset, or a Wolves-centric Prince story, I’ll write whatever I care about. I’m not interested in writing something just for #content.I’ve been actively watching the Wolves since I was 7 years old, and love looking back at times of Wolves past. What keeps you driven and motivated to cover the team with excellence? We live in a state with absurdly good writers across the board. If I don’t bring my best, Wolves fans have a platter of other writers to go to. The writer base here is that good. The Wolves are one of the NBA’s best young squads. Why should fans be sure to follow the team next year? Their best players aren’t just a crop great, young talent. They’re crazy athletic, springy, and polished. Not only is there crazy amounts of potential there, there’s already an incredibly fun product that you’ll see immediately. Do you have a favorite Wolves memory in the time you’ve been covering them? KG’s first game back in Minnesota. As a media member, I’m supposed ot be a professional when sitting in the media section. I think I did that, but holy buckets was that difficult. Kevin Garnett was the childhood sports hero for me growing up, so the entire unfolding of that trade was about as surreal as it gets. What storyline are you most excited to watch unfold for the 2016/17 season? I’m as enamored with how good KAT can be as anyone. Like a lot of people here, I think he has “best player in the league” potential, and I’m looking forward to seeing how close he gets this year. Which are some of your favorite NBA and Wolves related writers you follow? It’s going to be impossible to name all the great Wolves writers we have around here. As I mentioned, the talent here is insane. I’ll just say Zach Harper, William Bohl and Steve McPherson and admit that I’m biased As for general NBA, Zach Lowe (real original, I know), Sean Highkin, Lee and Jenkins are a few of my favorites. Also, he’s more TV, but Amin Elhassan is fantastic on ESPN. Rapid Fire (Flame Emojis) Favorite sports movie? Remember the Titans Favorite food? I could eat Davanni’s hoagies all day (southwestern chicken, specifically) Favorite weather/season? Fall Favorite TV show? All-time: Sopranos. Currently on TV: Better Call Saul or Game of Thrones Hidden talent? I’m relatively public about it, and the actual level of “talent” is debatable, but I’m in a band and play bass/lead guitar. '95-'96 Bulls or '15-'16 Warriors? 96 Bulls, until Draymond Green starts changing up the hair a la Dennis Rodman Favorite NBA player of all-time? The Big Ticket Space Jam or Like Mike? Space Jam When do the Wolves finally end NBA's longest playoff drought? I’ll say it: THIS YEAR WE COMIN LET’S GO  Posted By: Dan Slaubaugh
The Minnesota Timberwolves community is extremely fortunate to have a large collection of dedicated, knowledgeable Wolves writers who cover the team year in and year out. Here at OTP, we are giving fans an opportunity to find out more about these talented individuals. Our fifteenth profile feature is 1500ESPN Wolves analyst Steve McPherson. Name: Steve McPherson Affiliation: ESPN 1500 Web Address: www.ESPN1500.com Twitter: @steventurous Steve! I appreciate the time! Should be fun! Thanks for having me, Dan! How long have you been covering the Wolves for 1500ESPN? I’ve been writing stuff for 1500 ESPN on the Wolves for about two seasons now, doing a column once a week there. I also write and help run A Wolf Among Wolves, where I’ve been for four years now, and cover the NBA more generally for Rolling Stone and a few other places occasionally. What sparked your interest in writing and how did you get affiliated with 1500ESPN? I first started writing seriously in 2005 when I started writing concert reviews for a local website called howwastheshow.com. Pretty quickly, I started writing for an alt-weekly here called Pulse of the Twin Cities and became the music editor. Between editorial positions and freelance, I was a music journalist for about five years before going back to school for an MFA in writing. Toward the end of that program, I started a blog about the Wolves and the NBA called Feelings Aren’t Numbers. Since then it’s been a slow, grinding ride directly to the middle. What will viewers find by reading your content? Although I write game recaps regularly for AWAW, I tend to veer toward the more human element of the game and less of the straight stats and play-by-play. Sometimes it’s fun to go really in-depth on a particular play or sequence of plays, but I also like to go really big with overarching themes for the season as a whole. Basically, I like to think really broadly or really granularly about the game and I hope that’s what I bring. What keeps you driven and motivated to cover the team with excellence? At first, I didn’t all that much about basketball from a technical perspective. I never played the game in an organized way so I had a lot to learn about the mechanics of the game on the court. I’m no expert now, but I feel like I’ve gotten so much of that that I’ve moved more toward being interested in the people playing the game and that seems like an almost endless font of new material and stories to work with. The Wolves are one of the NBA’s best young squads. Why should fans be sure to follow the team next year? As much as I enjoy watching a well-oiled machine like the Warriors or the Spurs, I get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing the moment when things click for a team, and I think fans can expect to see a lot of that with the Wolves this upcoming season. For all their potential, they don’t really have an on-court identity yet, and I think this will be the season where we really start to see that come out. I think that will be a lot of fun. Do you have a favorite Wolves memory in the time you’ve been covering them? One of my favorite Wolves-related moments was when I was coming back from this past season’s All-Star Game in Toronto. My flight – and everyone’s flight from Toronto, apparently – was delayed, so I found my gate and then went to grab something to eat. When I came back, I saw that Zach LaVine was on my flight. He was with his parents and sister, baseball hat pulled down so he could get some sleep and next to him on the floor was his carry-on, on top of which was the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest trophy. It was such an odd juxtaposition and a good reminder of just how young this team is. What storyline are you most excited to watch unfold for the 2016/17 season? Given that everyone is expecting a rematch of the Warriors and Cavaliers in the Finals, I think the most interesting thing to watch is what teams will do instead of trying to win. That sounds flip, but I mean that I think for a long time, the league has often been a follow-the-leader league where one team gets a Big Three, then everyone else tries to get a Big Three, and so on. It’s going to be very hard for any other teams to duplicate what’s been done to build Cleveland and Golden State, so they’re going to have to start finding other ways. Does Philly go super big? Does Houston go all offense and completely punt defense? I think some teams will feel freed up to try some more outlandish stuff, and that’s what I’m interested in. Which are some of your favorite NBA and Wolves related writers you follow? My favorite NBA writers are Lee Jenkins, Zach Lowe and Jonathan Abrams, although I read a lot of stuff from a lot of people more based on the topic or approach than the writer. As far as Wolves people, I love all the dudes at AWAW, plus Britt Robson and so many others. Honestly, the Wolves overall are one of the best-covered teams, I think, so I read a lot of what everyone has to say. Rapid Fire (Flame Emojis) Favorite sports movie? The Natural, but honestly, my favorite sports-related entertainment is Friday Night Lights. Favorite food? As a general rule, pizza. Not all pizza is created equal, obviously, but the very best is amazing and it has all the major food groups. Hard to go wrong. Favorite weather/season? I love a good crisp autumn day – vest weather, I would say. Ideally, I like to be able to wear jeans and a hoodie with a down vest, maybe a little overcast but also clear blue is good. Favorite TV show? I still believe The Wire is the best TV show that’s ever been made, but there are so many good ones now. Just finished and really enjoyed Stranger Things. Hidden talent? I don’t know how hidden it is, but before I was a writer, I was a musician – a guitarist. I still play a good number of shows around the Twin Cities. '95-'96 Bulls or '15-'16 Warriors? In a game, I feel like it matters hugely what set of rules they’re using. In terms of just personally and aesthetically, it’s very easy to pine for what you can’t have, so I’m going with the ’95-’96 Bulls. I’d love the chance to see them again knowing what I know now, instead of what I knew then, which was nothing. Favorite NBA player of all-time? I’m not going to overthink this one: Kevin Garnett. Space Jam or Like Mike? Space Jam. When do the Wolves finally end NBA's longest playoff drought? I’m going to be conservative and say not this season, but next one. 8/23/2016 0 Comments Wolves Media Profile: Derek James Posted By: Dan Slaubaugh
The Minnesota Timberwolves community is extremely fortunate to have a large collection of dedicated, knowledgeable Wolves writers who cover the team year in and year out. Here at OTP, we are giving fans an opportunity to find out more about these talented individuals. Our thirteenth profile feature is 1500ESPN Wolves analyst Derek James. Name: Derek James Affiliation: ESPN 1500 Web Address: www.1500ESPN.com Twitter: @DerekJamesNBA How long have you been covering the Wolves for 1500ESPN? This will be my third season with 1500ESPN and my sixth season covering the Timberwolves overall. What sparked your interest in writing and how did you get affiliated with 1500ESPN? I’ve always loved writing and it’s one of the few things I think I’m good at. A couple years back I went to the Timberwolves training camp opening event “Dunks After Dark” in Mankato and wrote about the play of Andrew Wiggins. It was that piece that caught the eye of my editor, Derek Wetmore, and he asked if I’d like to join the team. It was pretty easy to say yes. What will viewers find by reading your content? This is always tricky because how you view yourself is often different than how others perceive you. But I’m gonna do my best here. I like to think that I provide objective, level-headed analysis of the team. I usually try to balance that analysis with numbers, quotes from players and coaches, and what I observe in the game. It’s always important for me to keep it fresh, not only for the reader, but for myself as well. What keeps you driven and motivated to cover the team with excellence? More than anything, I would say that I’m a fan of writing and basketball and strive to meet my own expectations with my work. If I do that, I think the reader appreciates that and wants to keep coming back. I also want to put my best foot forward because you never know who’s reading. The biggest challenge with this comes during a 50+ loss season and you’re trying to think of new angles when the story doesn’t change much. The Wolves are one of the NBA’s best young squads. Why should fans be sure to follow the team next year? This is a core of great young players and people. They’re a lot of fun to be around. One of the best parts of following a blossoming team is watching them grow and evolve into a playoff team. Will the Timberwolves get their this year? The next two years? Ever? I think that’s where the intrigue lies with this team. Do you have a favorite Wolves memory in the time you’ve been covering them? Last night’s home opener tribute to Flip Saunders was memorable but was a very somber occasion. A happier memory would be covering Corey Brewer’s 51-point game. That’s certainly not just another day at the office. What storyline are you most excited to watch unfold for the 2016/17 season? I’m interested in seeing how the Warriors follow up a 73-win season with Kevin Durant. I don’t think it’ll be nearly as easy as some expect and watching them come together will be fun. Which are some of your favorite NBA and Wolves related writers you follow? There are so many smart and talented people in this community, that I would hate to miss anyone. If someone is following me, chances are they’re following national guys like Zach Lowe, Lee Jenkins, Rob Mahoney, Zach Harper, and Matt Moore. Locally, the Wolves have a ton of talent. There’s Britt Robson, Steve McPherson, Jon Krawczynski as the big names, but a ton of others at Canis Hoopus, Punch Drunk Wolves, and a Wolf Among Wolves. If I didn’t mention anyone, it’s not personal. Rapid Fire (Flame Emojis) Favorite sports movie? Uh, let’s say Remember the Titans Favorite food? Burgers/Pizza/Sushi depending on the day. Favorite weather/season? Summer. I’m a terrible Minnesotan. Favorite TV show? Breaking Bad for first showing me how great TV can be. Hidden talent? To the people I work with at my day job, I always say writing. '95-'96 Bulls or '15-'16 Warriors? Warriors if they can get the Bulls to play their game. Favorite NBA player of all-time? Kevin Garnett Space Jam or Like Mike? Please, Space Jam. When do the Wolves finally end the NBA's longest playoff drought? 2018. |
