The coach that owner Glen Taylor fired, Thibodeau, led the team to its only playoff spot in 15 years. How smart is that? Taylor’s a billionaire, but he’s not a good owner.
The Timberwolves are an embarrassment to the NBA—it pains me to admit it. When Taylor gassed Thibodeau last year after Taylor refused to give All-Star Jimmy Butler a five-year $125 million extension, they compounded the mistake by dumping Thibodeau, a man who led Chicago to the playoffs five years in a row.
They still owe him $20 million, so they hired Flip’s son as an assistant—he’s not ready to coach. We are stuck in the middle of this 16-36 disaster of a season headed to the lottery again.
The Wolves traded forward Andrew Wiggins to Golden State; he was averaging 22.7 points per game. They traded him for ex-All-Star D’Angelo Russell, a guard who is gifted. However, he’s now on his fourth team, and he’s just 23 years old.
Get used to Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman also. James Johnson is here from Miami after the Wolves traded veteran Gorgi Deng to Memphis, all part of a seven-player three-team deal.
Karl Anthony Towns, working on a five-year $190 million contract, has missed 17 games this year, 15 to injuries, and is averaging a career-high 27 points a game. He’s frustrated and tired of losing, and now he’s not an All-Star.
Playoffs? Forget about it. It’s not going to happen in 2020. It’s a critical time for the Timberwolves. Let’s hope for the best.
Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, on WDGY-AM 740 Monday and Friday at 9:10 am, and at www.Gamedaygold.com. He also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on “Almanac” (TPT channel 2). Follow him on Twitter at FitzBeatSr. Larry welcomes reader responses to info@larry-fitzgerald.com or visit Larry-Fitzgerald.com.