Thursday, April 16, 2009

And so it goes

As the lone Minnesota Timberwolves reporter for the Victoria Times, a blog based in Minnesota (but not limited to Minnesota sports), I take my job very seriously. For example, I think it’s my duty to report to you that the Timberwolves season has officially ended. I was surprised to find out. It’s not like I went to a single game this year, or know anything about the NBA, but apparently their season is 82 games. Hey, learn something new every day!

I also learned that their slogan for 2009-2010 season has been announced "Year of the Fan".

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I have to say, it’s pretty nice of them to honor the fan who sat through the entire season. Or at least we assume it’s that person, and not just some random fan. Anyone who sits through an entire year of a bad team deserves to be honored for their dedication (I’ve sat through bad months of Twins baseball and will continue to do so; it’s miserable as a fan of the team. I’m a fan of the game, which is why I continue to attend). Based on the Timberwolves record, it was probably just the one fan that they're honoring. You know you're having a bad season when another local team (the Minnesota Wild) sarcastically feels better about their defeats because at least they're not as bad as you.

The Timberwolves ended their season with a 24-58 record, being 20-43 since Kevin McHale took over mid-year. That means Kevin McHale 31.7% win percentage. The Timberwolves in general had a 29.2% win percentage, and quick math will tell you that the previous coach had a 21.1% win percentage, but with the ever-important limited games statistic that needed accounting for.

What I found unique about this situation is that the head coach, for once, made the bed he had to lay in. Kevin McHale had been the general manager--the guy calling the shots about who played for his team, and who didn’t. If desired, Jacques Lemaire (of the Minnesota Wild) and Ron Gardenhire (of the Minnesota Twins) don’t get to pick the players (while Doug Reisbrough and Bill Smith don’t call the plays used by the manager/coaches during the game). Kevin McHale had no such excuses once he took over. He chose the players for his team when he was general manager, and he coached his team when he was coach. He can’t blame anyone else--other than the players--and those players were picked by him.

Timberwolves update: 24-58 (0-3 since last time, 20-43 since McHale).

Joe Mauer Injury Status: He might start a rehab assignment in the next couple of weeks. It all depends on how running goes.

Scott Baker Injury Status: They say he’s healthy, but after checking last night’s box score, I disagree.

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