Wolves Media Profile: Alex Berg

 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 tenth profile feature is Alex Berg, who is a contributing writer for OTP. 

Name: Alex Berg
Affiliation: On The Prowl
Web Address: www.ontheprowlmn.com
​Twitter: @AlexBerg22

Alex! I appreciate the time! Should be fun!
 
Thanks for having me! This has been a really cool series, I'm happy to be a part of it. 
 
How long have you been covering the Wolves for On The Prowl?
 
Since last December.
 
What sparked your interest in writing and how did you get affiliated with On The Prowl?
 
I became interested in writing toward the end of my senior year of high school. I met with Tim Kennedy, who at the time was the Sports Information Director at Gustavous Aldophus College in St. Peter, MN. He suggested looking into a newspaper job to "get my foot in the door" in sports. Luckily, I have been able to cover sports for several different outlets.
As for becoming affiliated with OTP, I saw Zach More (a fellow New Ulm-native) reference the account on Twitter, so I gave it a follow. Shortly after, I saw it was looking for an additional member to the team. I then applied and gratefully received the position. It's been great so far. 
 
What will viewers find by reading your content?
 
HOT TAKES! In all seriousness, I hope readers feel that my content is based off respectable opinions that are formed from watching games, tracking trends and statistics and analyzing what I see. I can't guarantee readers will always agree with me, but I hope it is respectable. 
 
What keeps you driven and motivated to cover the team with excellence?
 
I always want to do my best in anything I do. If I do not give an article my best effort, I am cheating both myself and OTP.
 
Do you have any interest in possibly moving up in the sports media world to cover the team at a bigger platform?
 
Not in the foreseeable future. I am currently happily busy at my full-time job. I am very grateful for OTP's flexibility with me and my schedule. 

The Wolves are one of the NBA’s best young squads. Why should fans be sure to follow the team next year?
 
Well if fans have been following for the last 12 years, I don't know why they would stop now. But in general, this should be one of the trendy teams for casual basketball fans to latch on to. I've often been outspoken on the debate, but I think this season will prove that Minneapolis can be a "basketball city," provided the basketball team is good. 
 
Do you have a favorite Wolves memory in the time you’ve been covering them?

My favorite Wolves game was the win over Golden State. It was the first game in a long time where I felt true back-and-forth emotion. It was pretty fun to get angry, nervous, overjoyed, etc. over a Wolves game again.
On a personal note, my proudest moment as a writer for OTP last season was when NBA writer Steve Aschburner "liked" a tweet including an article I had posted. Knowing that one of my favorite NBA writers saw and allegedly liked what I wrote was a really cool thing for me.
 
What storyline are you most excited to watch unfold for the 2016/17 season?
 
I want to see if the Brooklyn Nets can win ten games. Have you seen how bad.. Oh, you mean for the Wolves? I'm excited (and still a little nervous, to be honest) to see how the team will develop with new head coach Tom Thibodeau. In particular, I think Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins will be my two guys to watch under Thibs. Both guys are interesting for different reasons under the new regime, and if the right buttons are pushed; watch out, NBA. 
 
Which are some of your favorite NBA and Wolves related writers you follow?
 
There are so many, so apologies to everyone I miss. First off, the Wolves fans have no idea how spoiled they are to listen to Jim Petersen on a nightly basis. He's so good and it transitions right into Twitter. Jon Krawczynski is an outstanding writer and as good of a Wolves source as you'll ever find. Radio broadcaster Alan Horton is also great, both on the air and Twitter. Zach Harper is a great writer and his Twitter account is so entertaining -- a must follow for NBA fans. Kyle Ratke does great things for the Wolves website and his sense of humor makes for a very good Twitter follow. Dan Barreiro has to be mentioned, for me. Some great satirical stuff on his account, but also hits some basketball topics on his radio show unlike anyone else in the local market. Other favorite follows include Matt Femrite, Patrick Fenelon, John Meyer, StreetHistory, Real Super Dave, Seth Partnow and Brian Windhorst (seriously, his work on the True Hoop podcast is second to none.) Apologies again to anyone I missed. Except for a couple Warriors writers, don't follow them. 
 
Rapid Fire (Flame Emojis)
 
Favorite sports movie? 61* or Miracle 

Favorite food? Steak

Favorite weather/season? Summer 

Favorite TV show? Castle

Hidden talent? Not sure if it is a talent or just a weird priority,  but I basically shoot the same percentage from 35-feet out as I do 18-feet out in basketball. No, it isn't a high percentage.

'95-'96 Bulls or '15-'16 Warriors? 15-16 Warriors (GIVE ME ALL THE FLAME EMOJIS) 

Favorite NBA player of all-time? Kevin Garnett

Space Jam or Like Mike? Space Jam

When do the Wolves finally end NBA's longest playoff drought? Tough one.. Going optimistic, April 2017.