It’s good to be back. I enjoyed my three-month hiatus, but all the things I was going to accomplish with my additional time didn’t happen. Although, I think my naps grew in number and length.
There haven’t been a lot of positive things to write about on the Minnesota sports scene until the recent resurgence of the Minnesota Gophers and Timberwolves.
Tubby Smith’s Gophers have won three out of four games recently with freshman Joe Coleman leading the way. Even so, a guy wonders about the future of a 6-4 forward who works best around the basket. Six-four is small for a college forward. Swingman sounds better and it’s possible Coleman will be able to flourish in that role. It would be very helpful for Coleman to develop a longer shooting range which would open up the floor for him. Probably the best example of a very effective short forward is Hall of Famer Charles Barkley who was a great power forward and rebounded at only 6-5.
It’s good the Gophers have started to win a few. The losses were starting to get to Tubby Smith. In a recent press conference, he threw Ralph Sampson III under the bus for not driving to the basket. He did the same thing last year with Blake Hoffarber who was playing out of position and was a spot up shooter. Tubby knew Sampson’s game and it was perfectly acceptable until the Gophers lost a few in a row and Smith needed a scapegoat. Tubby needs to accept responsibility for his team. That’s why he gets the millions. It’s easy to win and be gracious, but it’s more difficult to lose and show grace.
The Timberwolves have captured the attention of Minnesota basketball fans and to a lesser degree the nation. Coach Rick Adelman and point guard Ricky Rubio have transformed the team. They now play defense and look for the open man. Analyst Charles Barkley called Kevin Love the best power forward in the league. That’s quite a statement given the great athletes out there. Love has played extremely well to date and although Minnesota is in a tough division, he and Rubio may lead the Wolves to the playoffs.
There is one caveat concerning Kevin Love. It’s perhaps easier to be a star on a losing team when you are the whole show and it really doesn’t matter much if you win or lose. It is more difficult when you have to subjugate your game to the team’s needs. I believe Love will be a team player. The team’s success is more important to him than individual statistics. In any case, it is fun to watch the Timberwolves and know they have a future. Kevin McHale made the right move when he traded O.J. Mayo for Kevin Love.
Our Minnesota Twins are less than a month away from Spring Training. They are starting three days earlier than last year. After watching last year’s team, they can use all the Spring Training they can get. The best move they made all last year was rehiring Terry Ryan as General Manager. Ryan has done O.K., but I had higher expectations. The current thinking seems to be, if not exactly poor mouthing the team’s available money, at least indicating that there is not much available. The new acquisitions by the Twins seem to follow that thinking. My feeling is that with the new stadium and the money it generates this is not the time to pinch pennies. However, we’ll cross our fingers, look to the future and hope for the best for Ryan and the team.
