Thursday, July 29, 2010
AN EARFUL WITH YOUR GROCERIES?
Sometimes, you never know where you are going to get an ear full. Good for me that this time it was a free spirited conversation as I was whittling my to-do list. Yep, a little old lady who was buying groceries behind me at Cub recognized me and couldn’t wait to get what she wanted. Answers. She wanted me to know a few things. Nothing better than to grab a few of the essentials and then get pinned in a cash register full court press with little Mrs. Fleming from down the street. Nothing mixes like Triangle talk and Triscuits. You gotta’ love combining rube rage (even if it’s AARP sanctioned) with ripe grapes and tomatoes. I was all over it!
One, she’s a basketball fan and she (I love that she’s a fan at…maybe 60?!) and she had a couple of good questions. She is LOL (little old lady) and her question to Rod:”I don’t get it; I thought the Timberwolves were very happy with the young talent they started to put together last year. All these trades and draft picks and so much shuffling. What’s it all about?”
While bagging the fruit loops, the fresh strawberries and the crunchy peanut butter (among so many other items), I told LOL this. “The Wolves ARE more athletic and it appears that most basketball watchers agree that THIS roster is already upgraded from last year”.
Not slowing so she can get a word in edgewise, I added “The Wolves will run more and hopefully finish more successfully as well. The recent signing of free agent Luke Ridnour gives the Wolves a solid veteran (covered him as a lad in the Pacific Northwest) and an upgrade in the shooting department too. Even with Jonny Flynn’s surgery and rehab (out for as much as four months), the Wolves will be in good shape in the backcourt”.
LOL didn’t help pay the bill and in an extreme show of Minnesota Nice, I didn’t call her on it. As the cart was filling full of organized groceries (bagged my own, brought my own variety of carry-out bags too), I got the dreaded “R” question. LOL let me have it, “ok, sports guy, WHEN is Ricky Rubio coming? Or IS he?” I was hoping that my short, textbook answer would suffice this daring LOL. If not, she was going to get treated like Betty White in that funny Snickers commercial or she was going to guide my cart to the car.
My Rubio thoughts are like many who spend a great deal of time around the team but have NO inside knowledge of those Kahn-Rubio discussions. I told the LOL, “I think he’s here next year. He’ll be 21, free to get his professional ticket to America and the Wolves will have the roster that much closer to being Rubio ready”. I then threw in the line that my 4-year old daughter just hates, saying “just be patient. It’ll make it that much better when he arrives”. LOL looked, gave a have baked thanks and exited parking lot left.
Listen. 15 wins last season and losers in nearly all of the last 23 games, the Wolves have done a lot of things that will make them better this coming season. Provided the new additions give it a good show, I like the addition of some of the bigs in the line-up. I was one of the Darko guys and I like big Nikola Pekovic.
Wayne Ellington and rookie Lazar Hayward were impressive in the Vegas summer league and they should both make solid contributions this season. I like the Wesley Johnson pick in the NBA draft and wasn’t one of the Kentucky Cousins’ fans.
The traded two-some of Michael Beasley and Martell Webster arrive in Minnesota with something to prove, to the teams that let them go and themselves. Are they worthy of the hype that’s surrounded them? Now we will find out. Coach Rambis and this franchise are waiting for those young stars to stand up and stand out.
Flynn on the Mend:
Good to see that Wolves guard Jonny Flynn surgery was successful. Flynn had a labral tear repaired and Doctor’s removed extra bone to his left hip. The recovery time for this type of injury is normally three to four months.
Flynn played in 81 games last season and averaged 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
All You Need IS Love:
More than a few of the skeptics didn’t give him much of a chance of sticking past the first cuts and now it appears this Wolves standout will have the last laugh.
Kevin Love looks like a good fit on Team USA after it trimmed its roster to 15 on Wednesday. More cuts are ahead as Team USA must submit a 12-man roster by August 26 (two days before the Americans open pool play against Croatia in Turkey at the 2010 FIBA World Championship). Congrats to K-Love! He’s a strong rebounder, a good shooter and a dedicated guy who hates to lose. He’s got that intangible that many players lack after a while. K-Love gives a rip about his team, whether it’s the Wolves or his American team.
Anyway, hope your summer is going well and you are enjoying the weather wherever you are. The third season of Sports Final is approaching and more on that to come in the next few weeks. In the meantime, I love to get an earful. This blog is a two-way street, drop me your thoughts at rod@sportfinaltv.com. 87-days ‘til NBA opening night!
If you like good shows on TV, it's time to catch SPORTS FINAL before you call it a night. Sports Final is now at 10pm on Sunday night's and it's moved to a new home on the CW/Twin Cities-23. Sports Final will bring you inside your favorite teams, including the T'Wolves, with exclusive interviews, team notes and as always, offering you the best guests and a full interactive website. I'm back with longtime colleague 'Coach' Dean Dalton and we couldn't be more excited about the Vikings strong showing this season and all the possibilities surrounding the Wolves in this new NBA season.
