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**Ruff Draft** · 10-24-2007, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Wolves VP of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale
Q: On how this trade came together:
A: We've talked about it for a while. It got done last night at about 12:30. We made the conference call this morning. It's a deal where we're getting a first-round pick, we're getting Walker, Doleac, and Simien back and Mark Blount and Ricky Davis are going to Miami. It's a deal where I'm not sure that all the players going to report here, we've got to see where everybody's health is and stuff like that. We have some other stuff that we're probably going to do. There's a lot of business going on.

Q: On how Antoine Walker fits in with the Wolves:
A: We'll find out. Hopefully he comes in and is professional. I know the last three or four weeks down in Miami haven't been all that pleasant. I think he's on Pat's (Pat Riley) conditioning program, which I think is a full-time job.

Q: On why the Wolves made this deal:
A: No, we really just wanted to give the young guys a chance. It opens up playing time. They were two veterans that were going to play and we're going to go young. The first-round pick, we're stockpiling a lot of first-round picks, so that was an important part. Walker's got two years on his deal, Blount has three on his deal, so you save a year on that. Doleac and Simien are both done this year. So, it was a financial deal in some aspects, but more than anything else it was for the first-round pick and allowing our young guys to develop.

Q: On if they talked to other people about Walker:
A: You call around and do everything you can on those situations. Until you get a guy here and actually deal with him, it's just very hard to say how (he's going to be). But I've talked to people who have had him, guys that have played with him and been around him.

On if McHale is concerned with Walker's conditioning:
A: Not really. Pat Riley's idea of conditioning and (that) of the rest of us is a little different. I'd say he's probably in pretty good shape.

On the details of the first-round pick:
A: There is some protection on it, but it's a first-round pick starting in 2008. It's protected through 14 (picks) in 2008 and the protection goes down until there's not protection three years from now. If they're in the lottery ... (Miami) wanted protection against the catastrophe of Shaq (O'Neal) and (Dywane) Wade going down, and I understand that. The protection is 14 for 2008, 10 for 2009, six for 2010 and after that it's unprotected. They're looking to make a playoff push so I imagine (the pick) will be around the late teens and twenties.

On Al Jefferson's play so far:
A: Tremendous. Better than I thought he was, and I thought he was pretty good. He rebounds and scores the ball at an unbelievable rate. He has a great personality, a good work ethic. I couldn't be any happier with Al. He's been very, very good. He just scores the ball. He does some stuff where you say, "How did he do that?" He plays like a bull in a china shop sometimes, and that's very important. He is an absolute rebounding machine. He gets a lot of rebounds.

On the veteran leadership in Minnesota:
A: That's one of the reasons we did the deal. With Theo (Ratliff) being better and healthier and a good leader ... With Buckner being a really good leader, and Juwan (Howard) leading, we felt comfortable saying that we could make this deal happen.

On Chris Richard's emergence:
A: Chris Richard really gets to the offensive glass. He's a tremendous offensive rebounder, and he'll really bang, and I like that aspect of it.

Wolves Head Coach Randy Wittman
Q: On how this trade helps the team:
A: Obviously, with what we've done in the summer with (Kevin Garnett) and where this team is headed in terms of a lot of youth, this frees up time for development of these young guys. Once we got through the fourth week of seeing everybody and what their capabilities are, we felt that if the opportunity arose to do something like this, that we'd look at it. We have some flexibility with Al (Jefferson) being able to play multiple positions, Ryan (Gomes) playing three and four and other guys who can do that. The thing that kind of set it back a little bit was our injuries up front, but this is the direction we're going. We've got guys with talent who need to have it tapped and developed. The only way you can do that is on the floor.

Q: On if this trade makes it easier for other guys to step up:
A: It will help show us, as management, if they're capable of stepping up. Like I said before, we've got a lot of young kids here with talent. Now, you hope two, two and half, three of them will emerge and you go wow, they're going to be pretty good, let's build around these guys. You don't know that until they have the opportunity. You'll never know when they're sitting. You can't tell in practice. You can tell some things, but you need to see it in live competition.

Q: On how Antoine Walker fits into the picture:
A: It's hard to say right now, until he we get him in here and he plays with guys. I know in the past he's had the ability to create mismatches because of his style of play. He's not a post-up player; he's a spacer that at the four spot can space the floor. He can play some three or had been able to. Again, we've already crossed another year that I need to see him and where he's at physically and whether he can do that. I know last year when we played him, he played the majority at three. He gives us another guy that can play two positions. I can't really put an emphasis on that until he gets in here.

On how the trade allows different leaders to step up:
A: It's going to allow the emergence or the ability for the emergence for some of these guys to step up and see who has leadership ability, and an understanding for what we're talking about, that we have to have cohesiveness in the locker room. You remove two strong personalities like that, and someone has to show that now.

Q: On which players benefit from the trade:
A: All of them. Randy Foye wasn't going to be a point guard, strictly. He was going to play some two. This is going to allow him to play more two, and get off the ball. I didn't really like Ricky as a three, and with him here he'd have to play more three, but I thought he was overmatched defensively as a three. Rashad McCants, Corey Brewer, Gerald Green (all) have an opportunity. I think as we move along, we're going to see who really benefits.

Q: On the health of Sebastian Telfair and Randy Foye:
A: We had both of them in practice today. Not full strength yet by any stretch of the imagination. We'll see where they are again tomorrow. We had an extended practice today that they basically did the majority of. I think tomorrow morning will be key to see where they are physically and how they feel. Then have another good day tomorrow, and we have another chance to have an extended, hard practice tomorrow to see where they are for Friday.

Q: On taking time to develop the offense:
A: We have so many new players, we've had to be slow in what we're doing. We're nowhere near being where we're going to be in January from an offensive standpoint. These guys have to learn baby steps first. To throw a whole plate of stuff at them isn't going to benefit them, me or anybody. We're going to be a little bit behind offensively. We have to do that to make the right steps to have this team develop the right way.

Q: On if he has anything to worry about with Walker:
A: No I don't. I've talked to a number of people - Doc Rivers and myself are very good friends, Doc had him in Boston - and from the people I talked to I don't think I have anything to worry about.

This all better be a joke. Antoine will never touch the floor.

Jacoby_Ellsbury · 10-24-2007, 07:08 PM

T-Wolves management

ThE BiG TiCkEt · 10-25-2007, 02:17 AM

What means that...?

Blount and Davis to Miami for Doleac, Walker and Simien...!?

It's a possibility or it's already done...?

Alessio

ThE BiG TiCkEt · 10-25-2007, 02:17 AM

What means that...?

Blount and Davis to Miami for Doleac, Walker and Simien...!?

It's a possibility or it's already done...?

Alessio

ThE BiG TiCkEt · 10-25-2007, 02:30 AM

Ok...i read now that the trade is complete...

I don't know if it's good or not for us...

According to you all...?

JuX · 10-25-2007, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThE BiG TiCkEt

Ok...i read now that the trade is complete...

I don't know if it's good or not for us...

According to you all...?

To clear up a lot of cap space and getting an additional 1st round round pick - obviously for a new team future in a year or two.

ThE BiG TiCkEt · 10-25-2007, 08:14 AM

According expert of college, next draft maybe not exciting...

(I remark my sorry for my basic english)...

Alessio

ThE BiG TiCkEt · 10-27-2007, 01:05 AM

Good Morning guys...

...

This morning in a famous italian site of basketball NBA have seen a news talk about a possible trade to acquire a star, because we have 18 player in the roster...

According to you my possible this idea...?

Bye bye from Rome...

Alessio

mqtcelticsfan · 10-27-2007, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThE BiG TiCkEt

Good Morning guys...

...

This morning in a famous italian site of basketball NBA have seen a news talk about a possible trade to acquire a star, because we have 18 player in the roster...

According to you my possible this idea...?

Bye bye from Rome...

Alessio

Doubtful. They basically have the 2006 Boston Celtics that they'd be willing to part with, and only McHale is stupid enough to trade a star for them.

Mateo · 10-27-2007, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuX

To clear up a lot of cap space and getting an additional 1st round round pick - obviously for a new team future in a year or two.

Or 5 or 6 more likely. At best.

DaBabyBullz · 10-27-2007, 09:05 PM

If the pick wasn't protected, I could definitely live with it. The way it is, at least they should get some cap space so they can work in FA to get a stud when all the big contracts are off the books. Maybe they'll get lucky and get a top pick in 3 years when there's no protection. Hard to judge this trade till you see what the pick nets the T Wolves.

**Flash is the Future** · 10-27-2007, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaBabyBullz

If the pick wasn't protected, I could definitely live with it. The way it is, at least they should get some cap space so they can work in FA to get a stud when all the big contracts are off the books. Maybe they'll get lucky and get a top pick in 3 years when there's no protection. Hard to judge this trade till you see what the pick nets the T Wolves.

Well, assuming the Heat miss the playoffs 3 years in a row, you might have a point.

This trade was all about money. TWolves save money, making this a good deal for them. Now, their only unsuitable contract is Jaric's, but moving him with KG would have been the only way to move him, but that didn't happen.

DaBabyBullz · 10-27-2007, 09:30 PM

I think the Heat will suck to be honest, unless a scrub can really step up or for some odd reason Shaq steps it up and stays healthy. Wade with his injuries and getting the BS calls is a joke too, so they really have nothing at all if those 2 can't stay healthy and produce IMO.

I know the Wolves are cheap and it was a $ thing too.

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