Blog Archives
Getty Images
If it takes two to tango, the unholy dance of David Kahn and Don Nelson together is halfway to the dance floor. After rumors popped up earlier this week of a potential meeting between the two for Nelson to take over as head coach following Kurt Rambis’ departure, Jerry Zgoda of the Minnesota Star-Tribune spoke with Nelson from his home in Maui and the 70-year-old talent-burying, beer-swilling, run-and-gun-and-run-some-more Hall of Famer made it pretty clear. He wants to coach again in Minnesota.
Don Nelson will gladly trade those breezy Hawaiian trade winds for Minnesota winters and the chance to coach again, this time with the Timberwolves.
“I think it’d be a great fit,” he said. “I love Minnesota.”
…
“They have an opening,” Nelson said, “and I don’t have a job.”
via NBA coaching great Don Nelson: ‘I love Minnesota’ | StarTribune.com.
Now, that’s just Nelson wanting in. But at this late stage in the game, with most of the assistants who would take a gig for a team like Minnesota already snatched up, and with veterans like Rick Adelman wanting more control over the franchise, Nelson could look pretty good to Kahn. The Wolves brought in Nelson, so there must be a level of interest to start, and since it’s reciprocated, publicly, this thing has some long legs.
Granted, those legs can’t move laterally to keep defensive position, but still.
Zgoda also spoke to Nelson about Anthony Randolph who Nelson coached as a rookie and sophomore (and buried for the most part), with Nelson saying some unflattering things, and saying the same kind of things about Michael Beasley. But Nelson believes that the Wolves need to be better defensively, and that they can be that because they have Kevin Love who rebounds. Even though that has zero impact on actually stopping easy shots. Or that Nelson hasn’t been known to help a team defensively in the past twenty years. But whatever, just go with it, he’s rolling (hopefully not literally).
Nelson is used to coaching young teams. This team’s young. He needs talented guards. He’s got one in Ricky Rubio. His teams need versatile big men. He’s got Kevin Love.
But for a fanbase that has yearned for a winner for… well, ever, Nelson has to look like a horror movie figure walking into their place as their new roommate. Dibs on the remote!
AP
We’ve known for a month this was coming — maybe longer, when your team wins 17 games the coach’s seat is going to be hot. But David Kahn and the Timberwolves dragged this out in an embarrassing fashion.
Now it is official, both the Associated Press and others such as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo (who had it first) have confirmed the firing is official.
For the past month, the Timberwolves seemed to be trying to embarrass Rambis into quitting, like they were trying to get out of paying the remaining $4 million on his deal that way. Rambis, you and I have one thing common: We will put up with a lot of humiliation for $4 million. He would not quit when asked to do a written report on the team, while the team dragged out the process hurting his chances of getting another job next season, while they flirted with putting him at a desk in the front office.
All this made the Wolves look bad. All this means the top coaching candidates out there would think twice about stepping into that situation as coach.
Now he’s out. Portland assistant Bernie Bickerstaff will be brought in to interview (and his son J.B. is already a Wolves assistant coach). Milwaukee assistant Kelvin Sampson also is rumored to be in the running.
Watch Free Tulsa Shock vs Seattle Storm Live 30 July, 2011
WNBA
Saturday, 30 July, 2011 08:00 pm ET
|
|
|
Live streaming Chicago Sky v Los Angeles Sparks tv watch 30 July, 2011
WNBA
Saturday, 30 July, 2011 08:00 pm ET
|
|
|
FREE South Korea U20 v Mali U20 Live Stream 30.07.2011
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Saturday, 30 July, 2011 06:00 pm ET
|
|
|
Feirense v Académica Coimbra online free 30.07.2011
Club Friendly
Saturday, 30 July, 2011 02:30 pm ET
|
|
|
Watch Free Los Angeles Galaxy vs Vancouver Whitecaps Live 30 July, 2011
MLS
Saturday, 30 July, 2011 07:30 pm ET
|
|
|
Nadia Petrova – Irina Falconi livestream 30 July, 2011
WTA Washington
Saturday, 30 July, 2011 04:30 pm ET
|
|
|
Lierse vs Kortrijk Live Stream 30 July, 2011
Belgian Jupiler Pro League
Saturday, 30 July, 2011 02:00 pm ET
|
|
|
Getty Images
Hey, so that whole thing about Besiktas being in trouble for football match-fixing?
Yeah, bad timing on that.
Jonathan Givony from Draft Express reports that Besiktas was nearing a deal for Kobe Bryant for $450,000 a month. That’s a $250k increase over what Deron Williams is reportedly getting. Which makes sense, since Bryant is arguably the biggest internationally known basketball player in the world.
So, yeah, having your account frozen, if the earlier report is accurate, that’s a bit of bad luck, that.
Deron Williams and Kobe Bryant on the same team would be the biggest ticket in Europe for basketball. It would likely open doors to television opportunities and increase sponsorship exponentially. If Besiktas’ personnel is cleared of the charges and Bryant does agree to come over, that changes the whole complexion of their future. It also sends a strong message to the owners that the best players will be going over.
The problem, naturally is that the $450,000 Besiktas would pay Bryant is money that could go to multiple members of the NBA non-elite, who are the ones that will struggle the most in the lockout. If the players are doing this only for themselves, great, should be a nice working vacation. But if this is being done to try and break ownership, some of that money needs to be spread to the rest of the players. Otherwise, all the stars will be doing is taking away more opportunities for the majority of the union to survive a prolonged lockout.
Williams and Bryant. He’d finally have a point guard worthy of his talents.
