Timberwolves Q & A

[rookieoftheyear]

Mar 23, 2014 0:07:49 GMT malice said:

You've done well (and were one of my votes for GMOTY), your team is competitive now, and well-poised for the future. What improvements are you looking to make over the coming season, and will you do better than the season just gone?

15. Although we as an organization have done a good job assembling pieces, the job is far from complete. The coaches are continuously developing with the team and trying to figure out what style of play suits the players best. After reviewing all the tape we're very confident heading into next season, I've decided to fire the head coach and take on that role personally as GM/Coach. Not only should we improve in the win column but we should have better locker room command, conditioning for players(cut injuries), and consistency & focus which we've lacked for much of the year. This is a lot to demand but you have to do so to be the best 

[BoshtrichBurger]

Would you consider your team to be a 'grit and grind' type of team, or is the team more of a 'chuck' type?

[rookieoftheyear]

Mar 23, 2014 11:28:30 GMT BoshtrichBurger said:

Would you consider your team to be a 'grit and grind' type of team, or is the team more of a 'chuck' type?

16. Last year, we played the season as a grit & grind team pounding it inside & relying on defense. This season we figure to be more versatile & will have the luxury of playing both styles. Some of this will depend on how our players look when they report back to training camp but it's certainly a luxury we having being able to adopt both styles. 

[shorty]

Do you think you can win a championship this season with your mixed bag of old and young players?

[rookieoftheyear]

Mar 25, 2014 7:07:44 GMT shorty said:

Do you think you can win a championship this season with your mixed bag of old and young players?

17. Yes, that is the expectation heading into this season. We're very confident in our players and feel that heading into the season, we have the most talent 1-12 in the Western Conference. Obviously we'll have to figure out things like game plans, rotations, chemistry, & other important things but that shall be worked out. Our championship window is wide open and we're hoping to bring the first championship to the Minnesota Timberwolves organization. 

[malice]

Who do you see as your main competition in getting the Larry O'Brien into your trophy cabinet?

[daedalus]

How concerned are you with the trend of Tim Duncan's FG%? (It has decreased every season since the beginning of the league) What are some ways you are looking to buck that trend?

[rookieoftheyear]

Mar 26, 2014 2:06:35 GMT malice said:

Who do you see as your main competition in getting the Larry O'Brien into your trophy cabinet?

18. Well with that question you obviously have to start with the defending champion Houston Rockets, with all their key pieces returning they're at the top of the list. Other teams we'll have to worry about are the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, and Denver Nuggets who we've struggled against over the years. I don't want to discuss the East as it'll have to start from within and us beating the teams in our conference first. There are surprises ever year but those are the teams we have circled to start the year. 

[rookieoftheyear]

Mar 26, 2014 2:18:11 GMT daedalus said:

How concerned are you with the trend of Tim Duncan's FG%? (It has decreased every season since the beginning of the league) What are some ways you are looking to buck that trend?

19. That's actually not much of a concern at all. We'd be more then happy with an increase in his FG% but with all the other strong points he offers there isn't much to complain about. He provides us with extra possessions with his offensive rebounding and gets to the line at a great rate. Those are traits we value very much and feel that those more then make up for the continuous drop in FG%. 

[shorty]

Whose team is this? Aka who is the face of the franchise (name a co-face if necessary) The Grizzlies are Kobe's team despite them having other star players. The Blazers are Cp3's team even tho they now have Shaq. The Rockets are VC and Ray's team. You have a bunch of elite players on your team, and when ESPN advertises matchups on national TV, they will tell everyone to watch ____________ and the Minnesota Timberwolves

[getbeard]

Are you at all worried about the possibility of losing any guys down the road due to being in a jam with the HC once some of your young studs come off their rookie deals?

[rookieoftheyear]

Mar 26, 2014 22:34:02 GMT shorty said:

Whose team is this? Aka who is the face of the franchise (name a co-face if necessary) The Grizzlies are Kobe's team despite them having other star players. The Blazers are Cp3's team even tho they now have Shaq. The Rockets are VC and Ray's team. You have a bunch of elite players on your team, and when ESPN advertises matchups on national TV, they will tell everyone to watch ____________ and the Minnesota Timberwolves

20. Derrick Rose. Although he's only a rookie he's the face of the franchise. We have handed Derrick the keys and expect him to lead us well. Few young players have come into the league with not only his talent, but his leadership skills as well which are his greatest quality. He has already demanded and earned the respect from the vets on the team so we're confident in being able to call him "Face of the Franchise."

[rookieoftheyear]

Mar 28, 2014 5:53:02 GMT getbeard said:

Are you at all worried about the possibility of losing any guys down the road due to being in a jam with the HC once some of your young studs come off their rookie deals?

21. Not at all. We have seen the situation coming and have been brainstorming ideas to make it work. We're confident in being able to mix things up and make it work when the time comes. 

[shorty]

Do you think that the Wolves were under/over represented at ASW, or just about right?

[malice]

Final run home: what are the expectations in Minnesota?

[rookieoftheyear]

Apr 4, 2014 19:30:19 GMT shorty said:

Do you think that the Wolves were under/over represented at ASW, or just about right?

22. We actually only expected to get one all star (Elton Brand) heading into All-Star weekend. We got the call from the league office that Tim Duncan was selected which we weren't sure was going to happen. We'll have to say we're glad to get 2 representatives though. 

[rookieoftheyear]

Apr 5, 2014 2:07:16 GMT malice said:

Final run home: what are the expectations in Minnesota?

23. We expect to get into the playoffs and compete for the championship plain and simple. Anything less will be disappointing. 

[malice]

Currently you sit in 4th, and given "anything less" than a championship might be disappointing - what moves are you planning on making between now and the post season?

[itnas123]

What do you think is Derrick Rose's ceiling?

[shorty]

What teams around the league have impressed you the most this season?

[celticfan]

Duncan has really struggled this season scoring. Will that be a problem for you guys in the playoffs?

[rookieoftheyear]

Apr 6, 2014 0:16:23 GMT malice said:

Currently you sit in 4th, and given "anything less" than a championship might be disappointing - what moves are you planning on making between now and the post season?

24. We feel we are in good position and don't plan to make any moves at the moment. Of course we're still open to ideas but at the same time would have no problem going into the playoffs with this same group of guys. Our team is extremely deep and it took some time to put together a rotation and find out which players will fill which roles but it looks like we've finally done that. Don't be surprised to see is close out strong and win the division. 

[rookieoftheyear]

Apr 6, 2014 4:59:21 GMT itnas123 said:

What do you think is Derrick Rose's ceiling?

25. UNLIMITED. With all the tools Derrick Rose already has we don't see a limit to how much he can develop. He still has glaring holes in his game particularly finishing around the rim and his jump shot but has tremendous promise. We feel he can and will develop into a top scoring, passing, and defending point guard and will be the top player at the position for years to come. 

[rookieoftheyear]

Apr 6, 2014 6:34:54 GMT shorty said:

What teams around the league have impressed you the most this season?

26. I have been impressed by multiple teams for different reasons this season. The Bulls impressed me with their TREMENDOUS defense and that ridiculous stretch where they seemed to win every game, Nets have impressed me playing so well and balanced with no clear star level player, the Jazz have impressed me looking like the top team in the league for much of the season, and the Magic have impressed me as they seem like a more consistent team after losing Dirk. There are plenty of impressive teams around the league but those are a few that stand out. 

[rookieoftheyear]

Apr 6, 2014 13:51:49 GMT celticfan said:

Duncan has really struggled this season scoring. Will that be a problem for you guys in the playoffs?

27. Although it has been disappointing, we don't really loon at his struggles scoring as a concern in the playoffs. With him being a 3rd/4th scoring option most games that's not too much to worry about. He more then makes up for it as his presence allows us to shutdown most opposing bigs.  

[malice]

Given the amazing turn-around you've engineered for this team, what needs to occur for the Wolves to take the next step and bring home a championship... or even just make the Finals?

[rookieoftheyear]

Apr 8, 2014 7:27:24 GMT malice said:

Given the amazing turn-around you've engineered for this team, what needs to occur for the Wolves to take the next step and bring home a championship... or even just make the Finals?

28. What we need is consistency and to continuously take strides defensively. Our team has a tendency to follow up great wins with bad losses. With every playoff team being a thread we'll need to bring it every game. Our defense also gets us in holes our offense can't shoot us out of at times. With that said we're still confident heading into the playoffs and see a championship in the near future. 

[getbeard]

With quite a run as of late, you are now looking at possible HC throughout the playoffs. How important would that be, and is it necessary to winning a title?

[rookieoftheyear]

Apr 8, 2014 17:12:15 GMT getbeard said:

With quite a run as of late, you are now looking at possible HC throughout the playoffs. How important would that be, and is it necessary to winning a title?

29. It would be EXTREMELY important. Of course we're not saying it's required to win a title and have playoff success but it makes the feat so much easier. The last few champions to come out of the western conference have been those with home court advantage. That's why it is essential that we finish out this last month of the season strong and have momentum heading into the playoffs along with hopefully getting home court advantage. 

[daedalus]

I imagine you have Day 100's game against the Grizzlies circled multiple times. What other games during the run up to the playoffs are you placing the biggest emphasis on?