Gopher Recruiting

I am not sure most Gopher fans have really realized the massive transition that has happened for the local football and basketball team.  Recruiting does not equal success, but it is a massive component of it.  The Football team has the #23 rated class by Rivals.  In the last 5 years it has always been in the 50's and 60's.  That is a huge improvement.  Not only that Brewster has guys that are ranked very high listing MN as an option, that is a huge step.

For Basketball, yes Tubby is a great coach.  But He and Vince Taylor have the #20 rated class according to Rivals.  We haven't seen that level of recruiting in a long time.  

The Bandwagon may not be real full now.  But big changes are afoot for both teams. 

Emerging Problem for the Wolves

A common mistake in pro sports is to swing the pendulum to far from one side to the other.  The Wolves salary situation was an absolute fiasco, with lots of years and lots of money committed to players with not a lot of talent.  Now with a young team with potential they face possibly losing several players that they should lock up, not for big money, long deals, but for reasonable 2-3 year incentive laden deals.  

According to HoopsHype the Wolves still are at 14th in the league in salary.  They will be in a better position next year but stand to lose 3 players that they may regret losing.

Craig Smith who has shown flashes of brilliance is not signed for next year.

Nor is Ryan Gomes or Gerald Green.

None of these guys are borderline all-stars but they all have value starting with Smith.

They need to re-sign Smith pronto as well as Gomes.  Even Green whose option they did not pick up will be snatched up if the Wolves don't resign him.

Portland is a model for us.  They were an overpriced thug team in a bad salary situation.  They stockpiled young talent and eventually it started to click.  The Wolves need to keep these young players and if they have too many.  Solid young players are always easy to move.  Better to get something than let them walk.

A Defense of Kevin Garnett - Part 1

Way too often KG has been blamed for way too many things in his time in Minne.  It is true he was not the greatest player to ever play the game.  He was however fantastic.  I will state the criticisms I have hear most and then respond.

1. Not a clutch shooter.  He certainly passed up his fair share of shots, but he also faced constant doubles and triples at the end of games.  Without other solid options, the shots he had to make were much tougher than those players who had other good options to keep the defense honest.  Tim Duncan is a better clutch shooter.  He also had to take far fewer clutch shots over the course of a season because Manu, Parker and Big Shot Bob were hitting their fare share.  This criticism is far no myopic in it's view of KG.

2. An MVP should not have so many first round exits.  Anthony Peeler, Joe Smith, Dean Garrett, Trenton Hassell, Troy Hudson, the list goes on and on of guys that were starters in MN and never saw anything resembling starters minutes elsewhere.  This is absolutely and completely McHale's fault, not KG's.  He was not perfect.  He is a top 50 all time player.  Replace Tim Duncan with KG and the Spurs would have the same amount of titles.  Replace KG with Duncan and the Wolves would ahve had the same amount of 1st round exits.

3.   He lobbied to keep his friends on the team - A player is not the GM, just because he didn't unemotionally evaluate the team and it's players does not mean he was responsible for bad moves.  Moving or keeping guys was not his job.  He wanted help in any form he could get it. 

4.  He didn't police the locker-room.  According to some he was to be the GM, the policeman and the motivator.  The coach needs to do this.

KG was not perfect but way too many people locally don't understand what others nationally  do.  KG is a great team player and will help your team win big time.  He is not MJ or Kobe, but he can dominate in many ways.

Suggestion for the Vikings First Off-Season Move

The buzz as well it should be is on the great run the Purple are currently on.  But one can always look to the off-season.

The QB position will be talked about the most.  But the move that would make the most sense for this team to call the Tuna in Miami and ask him what he needs for Jason Taylor.  Taylor has been a top DE his entire career.  Now they need picks.  He would be a great add for a 3rd or 4th.  If he were a bit younger he would be worth much more.  His 10 sacks match the total of the Vikes current co-leaders.