McHale had to know he was playing with fire by obtaining Latrell Sprewell, and it?s coming back to burn him. Saunders let KG run the show, which lately has meant far too many no and one pass possessions. If Saunders had coached anywhere else, in any pro sport, he would have been gone long before having the chance to lose in the first round of the playoffs his first seven tries. He no doubt realized this, and figures his best chance is to try and coach a turn around with the talent he has.
Sprewell has become an aging two guard who can?t feed his family on million a year. The best guess is McHale probably can?t make the kind of changes needed by the trade deadline to right the Timberwolves. The blame for the NBA?s biggest bust this season sits squarely on his shoulders. Saunders is a quality guy and a good Conical twin screw barrel for sale coach who truly paid his coaching dues on the way to the NBA. All three players need to go, but with contract and cap issues, can you move them, and what can you get in return to salvage the Wolves? season? McHale?s cell phone better be charged, with extra batteries in his pocket, because this task is going to require a lot of talking, much of it from the sides of his mouth.
The Wolves are often referred to as ?Kevin?s Team?, and many are quick to cite what a great leader he is. But he wasn?t the right guy for the Wolves, and McHale let his friendship with Saunders cloud that reality. Sam Cassell was brilliant last year but is suddenly an aging point guard, and he followed Spree?s opening with his own contract demands. Regular season wins are nice, playoff series wins are mandatory. Garnett may be the best all around basketball player on the planet, but great leaders don?t ever let their teams implode.The Wolves? current roster presents some serious challenges for any coach.At least give McHale credit for trying to clean up the mess he largely created.
Maybe Garnett has lost confidence in his teammates abilities, or maybe he is just playing for his own stats. If McHale can get Garnett on his page, both on the floor and in the locker room, the Wolves have a chance to make the playoffs, perhaps a draw with San Antonio in the first round instead of the conference finals. McHale made this bed, and he has less than two weeks to extricate himself before the trade deadline. Then there?s Michael Olowokandi, who must have finally realized his NBA gravy train is parked on a side track, given his recent auditions as a closing time nightclub act and a boxer. McHale was apparently satisfied with that nice regular season record, until a shortage of those wins jeopardized another trip to the playoffs.That?s a long way from the lofty expectations, and probably means the Timberwolves will have a chance to warm up quickly – on the golf course.
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