121 thoughts on “June 24, 2011: Khaaaa….n?”

  1. on that topic, can anyone sum up the t-wolves night? i don't wanna go to 4ltr, and the "game log" last night is a little hard to follow. we're going to the championship next year, right?

    1. I went to bed before the second round, but here's a pretty succinct summary from CanisHoopus:

      Wolves' final take: Derrick Williams, Brad Miller, Malcolm Lee, Targuy Mgombo, 2013 first rounder, future second rounder, and a pile of cash.

      The other very, very important thing to remember is that Johnny Flynn is no longer a Wolf.

    2. It is also important to note that pretty much every mainstream sports media outlet believes the Wolves to be one of the losers of the draft. That, I believe, means they did well.

        1. I was all ready to get the Kahn bashing stick out last night, but I wasn't planning on using it no matter what happened like the media. I find it funny that just about everyone said Williams needed to be the second pick if it wasn't traded, then I see everyone railing against them for picking him. WTF?

          And seriously, any draft day trade that gets you a first round pick for Johnny freekin Flynn makes for a wildly successful draft.

          1. I don't understand how this stuff works, but douchebag on KFAN said that it is likely that the pick the Wolves will get from Memphis in the future will be about #20 anyway, so it's a wash. Even if true, I am guessing there's a better chance that year's draft pool will be better? Plus the stuff you said.

            1. I do believe that I heard the pick was protected if it was 14 or better, although I haven't seen that confirmed. Fortunately, Memphis made the playoffs this past year and looks pretty good going forward, so I doubt they will land in the lottery. Basically, in my opinion, Johnny Flynn may have been a lottery pick, but he's turned out to be a D-League talent, so getting a first round pick for him, regardless of position, is a steal.

              2. I have said from Day 1 (or more correctly, before Day 1 since I was saying during his college career and well before he was a blip on our bench) that Johnny Flynn had no NBA future. It still stuns me that multiple people in basketball find him valuable. In college, Syracuse only ran pick-and-rolls with him. He never actually led an offense. There, he was quick enough to get to the rim despite being undersized. He ALWAYS was a D-league talent.

      2. I just don't understand that. The Wolves got the consensus #2 player, another guy they really like, some cash, jettisoned Flynn,, and future picks. How is that a bad night?

        The 'experts' on ESPN's horrible coverage last night kept talking about how the Wolves didn't need more young players. By selling a couple picks, they avoided adding more youth.

        I hate Kahn and think he's a moron, but last night was one of his best as the Wolves GM in my opinion. That might not be saying a lot, but I don't think you can point and laugh like you could have after other Kahn moves.

        1. I assume it's because it's the Wolves. Maybe the media was mad they didn't let themselves get fleeced by the Lakers?

          Honestly, they just need quality players. They took BPA in Williams. They can figure out their depth chart as they go. Give Love & Randolph minutes at center, let Beasley & Williams play some minutes at PF... they can find playing time for good players.

          1. I actually think there does tend to be a media bias against boring moves. Kahn went by the book, did nothing exciting, and could have made it an easier night for the media had he moved the #2 pick in a big deal. Maybe even worse, he made all kinds of minor moves with low picks that the media have to chase down even if they are minor. So Kahn was unexciting and a pain-in-the-ass.

            I would be a lot more impressed with Kahn's draft if the NBA had a real minor league system. Then they wouldn't have to worry at all about getting minutes for all their 4's. As it is, we'll see how they sculpt the roster from here.

            1. I think you're right, that it was "boring." I don't know, I am excited to see Williams play. I hope they can find minutes for everyone, I suppose this is contingent on hiring a good coach. If nothing else they'll be fun to watch next year.

              I just saw this article on SI.com who listed the Wolves in their "losers" of the draft.

              Timberwolves. After fielding countless calls for the No. 2 pick, the Timberwolves settled on Derrick Williams, an athletic forward who should mesh well with Ricky Rubio. The Wolves' next pick was Donatas Motiejunas. And they traded him. Then they picked Mirotic. And traded him, too. Finally, they acquired Bojan Bogdanovic. And sold him to New Jersey. Minnesota has a smart and experienced scouting department, which makes it perplexing why they would ship out three high-level international talents.

              Wait a second. I barely understand basketball, but even I know that they were drafting those Euros to the teams they traded/sold the picks to.

              1. One can also read that last sentence much differently: if Minnesota has a smart and experienced scouting department, maybe the guys they traded away toward the end of a weak draft just aren't that good, and it's perplexing that they would be criticized for doing so.

      3. I root for the underdog, so I am pro-Kahn (but not blind to his faults). I think it all goes back to JoePos's post a week or so ago about how sports figures become simplified into characters we "love" or "hate." Kahn has become a caricature of the obnoxious blowhard in over his head. There are valid reasons for this, but I see him as the shoot from the hip guy who can be abrasive and is underrated. He's in a can't-win situation with the media and many fans. Draft someone other than Williams at #2? Roasted. Trade away #2? Roasted. Draft Williams and save money while collecting assets and avoid more young players with guaranteed contracts? Roasted.

        1. Kahn could turn out to be the Kenny Williams of the NBA. Williams is at times outspoken and is routinely trashed for being terrible, but the White Sox won the WS in '05 and at times he is able to spot a good bargain.

  2. Lost the series, 4-1. Game 5 boxscore. Guess it was not to be. Didn't help that Reggie Smith hit 320/446/648 during the regular season and just 161/435/161 in the postseason.

  3. I successfully repaired the deadbolt on my back porch storage area last night. The mechanism had been hard to turn for some time, and last night mo chailín informed me that the tumbler would not turn and she could not get the key out. After some less than gentle jiggling, I got the key out. I got the lubricating oil that goes with my hair clippers and put some on the key and worked it in and out*. The tumbler still wouldn't turn. I decided to see if I could fix it.

    I took the assembly out of the door and brought it inside. I got it mostly apart and oiled everything up, but it still wouldn't turn. I had to look at the pins themselves. I got all the pins and springs out, careful to make sure I knew which one went where. It turns out the first pin in the tumbler was worn so badly that it was falling into place crooked and jamming both the tumbler and the key. The outside lock had been used so many times and subjected to however many winters and storms that it was pretty beat up.

    I decided to take the fresh tumbler and pins from the mechanism inside the storage unit (which had never been used because who locks a 4'x4' windowless room from the inside) and swap them with the beat up one outside. As I had both tumblers deconstructed and ready to swap, Omar decides that's the time he wants to start messing around under the coffee table and make everything roll all over the place. Now I had no idea which pin went where. Then it hit me - I lined up the pins on the key until they made a straight line across their tops, because that's where the break would be for the tumbler to turn. After that, I got everything put back together and now the outside works perfectly, and the inside one works if you ask nicely with a hammer.

    /cool story, bro
    //hey, shaddup, I was pretty pleased with myself.

    *That's what she said

    1. I'm all in favor of automatic-driving cars, but then I think of the Madison beltline and I can't sleep for at least three days.

      I did like this quote, though:

      We’ve driven plenty of cars with active cruise control, and have been shocked to see how our minds immediately begin to engage in other tasks as soon as a computer takes over the safety-critical functions of driving. It’s human nature to stop paying attention to events that aren’t of immediate concern, so we’re curious how VW plans to keep drivers actively controlling their cars.

      I must not be a normal human, because I still manage to pay attention when on cruise, but I see their point.

      1. I'm pretty sure I've read stories of people putting their RVs on cruise control, then, leaving the driver's seat to go to the back because "autopilot" was on....

  5. I went to the library last night to get some of the books Justified is based on, but I couldn't remember the author's name. All I could come up with was Harlan Ellison. I think this is because I knew there was an "E" name in there, and Justified takes place in Harlan County. I had to call mo chailín to have her look it up because the internet is down at the library while they upgrade software. Turns out it was Elmore Leonard.

        1. I believe it was mentioned a few days ago with the rumor that it could be 6 seasons worth, including the sequel that Gaiman has not quite worked on yet.

      1. I just about had a spit take on AG referring to major league managerial positions as "extremely prestigious."

    2. "We should be celebrating going to Chicago," Rizzo said. "I'm disappointed that this is a distraction, that this is not thinking of the team first, that it is thinking of personal goals, thinking of personal things first. That's probably what disappoints me the most."

      Man, Rizzo's a dick. Riggleman's first job is to look out for himself, just like everyone else in the world. A one-year deal in 2010 wasn't so crazy, but Riggles should have gotten at least a two-year deal for 2011 if Rizzo wanted to bring him back and has only himself to blame for this "distraction." I mean, for crying out loud, Riggleman's team option was for $600K. That's gotta be below average for a manager and even in the Nationals' budget, basically a drop in the pan. Now Rizzo has to conduct a job search and risks losing games in the interim thanks to his unwillingness to give a guy a one-year extension on a below-average salary.

      1. Also, from a leadership standpoint, what kind of legs did Riggleman have to stand on as an essentially lame-duck manager who couldn't get his contract extended? That doesn't exactly send a message to a youngish team that the front office stands firmly behind the field manager. If Rizzo wanted the team to be first in everyone's mind, then maybe he should have worked something out so it was clear the guy leading the team had the organization's full support.

        1. Exactly. Rizzo's had since mid-2009 to find a manager that he wanted to sign to a 2-year or longer deal and he's got no one to blame but himself (and maybe ownership, I suppose.)

          1. Thankfully, Rizzo signed an extension in 2010 which will keep him with the club through 2015, so he won't have any distractions when looking for a new manager.

            1. Given that most corporate managers work on "at will" "contracts", I have to laugh just a wee bit at this whole discussion.

              Walter Alston managed to maintain his authority for 23 years on one-year contracts.

              Managers with multi-year deals get fired in mid-deal all the time. The multi-year deal is just a way to provide financial surety to the manager, not a way to guarantee that he will be respected by his players. I certainly recognize that a "lame duck" status can be problematic for a manager (just as an "interim" status can be), but the public posturing is...contract negotiation.

              1. True, but after a few seasons it was clear that Alston would have as many one-year deals as he would have liked.

              2. Baseball managers are not corporate managers. Relative to his peers, Riggleman was getting jerked around.

                1. well, yea, they kind of are corporate managers. And middle managers at that, albeit much more visible middle managers than "ordinary" ones.

                  I don't disagree with your second sentence at all, however.

      2. Plus, it sounds as if a) Rizzo has not even spoken with Riggleman in months and b) Riggleman became the lowest paid manager in baseball once Gonzalez resigned last week. Riggleman doesn't come away looking like a saint, but Rizzo looks awful.

  8. From a fantasy baseball email I received this morning:

    The Twins have activated Joe Mauer from the disabled list but will continue to use Matt Capps at closer.

          1. mini-Ditka would pitch, striking out 27 batters per game. No first baseman required.

  9. Good lord. Top Jimmy basically says that Bernie Bickerstaff would be an Uncle Tom if he were hired as Wolves' coach.

    The latest rumor on the Wolves' intentions, though, is another glimpse into basketball purgatory.

    If it is true that Kahn is considering hiring 67-year-old Bernie Bickerstaff, then owner Glen Taylor hasn't just lost his mind, he dropped it down a sewer grate and watched rats carry it away.

    There are two reasons the Wolves would hire Bickerstaff:

    1. They can't find anyone else with a legitimate résumé who would take the job.

    2. They know they would be able to control Bickerstaff, where most accomplished coaches would demand some control over personnel decisions.

    Bickerstaff would want to stay on good terms with the front office so his son, J.B., the Wolves' assistant, would be given a chance to succeed him.

    Uh, if he were hired and the team sucked, he and JB would get fired no matter what his relationship with the front office. And since when do GMs go out of their way to hire coaches who they know will be insubordinate?

    1. If I had the emotional energy to do so, I would love to start a blog or a feature in which every day I would post Top Jimmy's column from two years prior and point out all the nonsense that would be even more obvious with hindsight.

      1. His opening sentence was the only cringe-worthy thing from his column two years ago today (praising GoGo):

        Carlos Gomez isn't the world's fastest man, but if Monty Python was still staging the 100-meter dash for people with no sense of direction, Gomez would be the leading candidate to cross one of the finish lines first.

        1. Yes, I was disappointed that it was an innocuous column that boiled down to "GoGo is exciting." And the one a year ago said the Wolves should have taken DMC instead of Wes, which is not unreasonable. The only crimes I can nail him on for those two are bad writing and stating the obvious.

          1. But on this day back in 2005 he wrote "Silva has been the Twins' ace" because "He leads the rotation in ERA (3.18), fewest walks (only five) and fewest wild pitches (none). He is second in victories, with six to Santana's seven, and tied for the team lead in complete games with two, along with Santana and Brad Radke."

            WHA?!

              1. With a ten year blade life, you'll make up the cost of buying new blades right quick.

    2. Not that I paid a whole lot of attention to the name saga, but I never seriously believed they would be called anything but the Jets.

  12. Has anyone seen any stats on this split? It strikes me as a bit silly, since the solution is to just wear sunglasses, and those have been around for a while.

    1. As a blue eyed person, my eyes are extremely sensitive to bright light. My brother, as I recall, has zero problems. He also has blue eyes. I think his are lighter than mine as well.

    2. just more adversity for him to overcome. The story is really inspiring. Now I understand why I'm not in the Majors, since I, too, have blue eyes.

      1. Same here. And sometimes I feel uncomfortable with sunglasses on. Life is hard.

  13. Great line:

    charles jenkins is asked why he has no tattoos. his response: "You ever see a bumper sticker on a Maybach?" (via @TrueHoop)

  15. Two winners in last night's draft that nobody seems to be talking about much: Dallas and San Antonio.

    Dallas got Rudy Fernandez, a very good deep shooter who can help space the floor, the way they'd hoped Peja would. He's not as good as Peja was at his best, but he's a lot better than what you can typically find at the bottom of the first round.

    San Antonio traded George Hill for the rights to Kawhi Leonard (more or less). Leonard is supposed to be a beast on the boards and defensively, and could well fit right in at the SF spot, allowing them to phase out the fading Richard Jefferson (who will be 31 next season and whose production has dropped sharply ). Hill was a very nice backup PG, but Gary Neal or a free agent pickup likely can fill that role.

    1. I'm not entirely pleased with the Pacers shipping Leonard (and their second round pick Davis Bertands, and the rights to some Euro stiff they drafted in '05 and is still over there) to SA for Hill. Seems the best thing going for Hill is he's from Indiana.

      1. He's a solid player, Magoo. But a cog, not a superstar-in-the-making. During Feb-March 2010, he started every game while Tony Parker was out and averaged 16.3/3.6/3.9 in 36+ min/g. For his career he has averaged 14.5/3.6/3.5 per 36 minutes.

        He will push Darren Collison for minutes at PG.

  16. two bits from the tweeter:

    1. apparently perk likes joepos:

    ItIsPerk @JPosnanski I joined twitter to follow you. No pressure Joe.

    2. today's lineup:

    JoeCStrib #Twins vs. LH Wolf: Revere 8, Casilla 4, Mauer 2, Cuddyer 9, Young 7, Valencia 5, Hughes 3, Nishioka 6, Baker 1.

    1. Pos reciprocates.

      Follow my friend, the outstanding Glen Perkins. RT “@ItIsPerk I joined twitter to follow you. No pressure Joe.”

    1. Son of a Souhan.

      Gardy said he has talked to Mauer about getting a 1B glove, just to give #Twins another occasional option to fill in for Morneau.

      1. Player A: .254/.280/.323/.608 67 OPS+
        Player B: .254/.309/.325/.634 77 OPS+
        Player C: .225/.281/.338/.619 71 OPS+

            1. Ooh. I've just started playing that game with my 7.9yo and 5.5yo. They're still a bit rough on the concepts, but that makes it extra-challenging: I have to think about what HPR meant when he was scoring each round.

      1. It was going to take a great joke to make me laugh about this. The healing has begun.

      2. The neck has been a problem most of the season and probably has the most to do with his season-long struggles, including on defense. I just wish they would have chosen to do this a week ago. My guess is the wrist isn't close to being ready, so they figure do neck surgery now while the wrist is healing because it seems an awful big coincidence that this announcement came the same day his cast was scheduled to be removed.

        1. 6 weeks for neck surgery makes me feel ok about it, too, as far as seriousness is concerned. The Twins can get him back, hopefully healthy, just in time for the pennant run.

          1. neck surgery? Diskectomy?

            Depending on the amount of lifting, walking and sitting your job involves, you likely will be able to return to work within two to six weeks.

            so, if he DHs, he could be back in two weeks!!!111one111!!

    3. Seriously, how much are we missing? He's been so bad that we can easily replace what he's been doing once Kubel and Thome get back. This also allows the Twins to keep Hughes as a RH platoon for those two. I'd rather Justin take six weeks to get healthy and back to being the real Morneau than trying to "be a man" and be a replacement-level first baseman all year.

      1. aaaiyep.

        Gardenhire said he might want to keep three catchers, which led to the discussion about the possibility of giving Mauer some time at first base.

      1. "I want to emphasize this isn’t something [Morneau] was actively pursuing," McWane added. "It was his desire to try to fight through this

        Unlike an unnamed pussy....

  18. Fun while it lasted: Tanguy Ngombo is actually 27 years old and the pick is likely invalidated.

    1. This is the sort of thing that makes the Wolves look bad but ultimately doesn't matter much, unless someone was really hot for one of the last three picks in the draft. At 26, it's unlikely this guy will get a ton of attention, so the Wolves could probably still have him if they wanted. (I would guess.)

      1. Yes, probably much ado about nothing. It will be interesting to see if MN gets a makeup pick next year (probably #61, which is not much different than not getting one).

  19. Ball Don't Lie's draft grades are hilarious.

    Cleveland gets an "A" for drafting a PG who played 11 games as a freshman, then came out, plus a "who the hell is he?", undersized PF from Texas.

    Detroit, on the other hand, gets a "D" for drafting a PG who was a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year in high school (only LBJ and Greg Oden had won the award as h.s. juniors prior) and then led his team to an SEC title and to the Final Four, despite UK having lost four players to the NBA draft the previous season. The "analysis":

    Ugh.

    I don't understand the hype behind Knight. I understand that he has promise, a sprightly nature, and a few years to go before we can ably judge him, but that's the case for quite a few guards his age who have contributed much, much more at this age. Toss in Detroit's already-crowded backcourt and the fact that they were a pick away from possibly adding a needed big man, and I just have to shake my head at yet another blown chance.

    Singler seems like a fringe jack of all trades, and Macklin is a big man who averaged 5.4 rebounds per game last year despite working at 24 years of age.

    So, Kyrie Irving, who did all of nothing at Duke, earns an "A" grade for Cleveland, but a much more accomplished freshman PG is downgraded to a "D" because "quite a few guards his age who have contributed much, much more at this age" (uh, like who, exactly?) and Detroit has a "crowded backcourt" consisting of a moody, 33-year old Rip Hamilton, a moody, inconsistent Rodney Stuckey, an undersized, career backup in Will Bynum, and the mini-microwave Ben Gordon???

      1. I got out of the rant that its more the comparison of Irving and Knight and bS maybe should have left the Thompson bit out. (still a dumb pick, you ask me, though.)

        I agree with bS that its odd to question the hype of one guy while lapping it up for another guy.

        1. Yea, I don't really have anything intelligent to say about Thompson, so I suppose I should have left that out. I was focused on the PGs.

          1. although I shared this last night on Thompson, from HoopsHype:

            A little bit undersized for the power forward spot, but makes up for it thanks to his wingspan and athleticism. Great shot blocker. Must refine his offensive game. Post skills and jump shot are not there yet.
            Comparison: Charles Smith

            A comparison to Charles Smith is...underwhelming.

            NBADraft.net likewise comps him to Charles Smith

            Weaknesses: At 6-9 he is a bit on the short side as a power forward at the next level … Although he has terrific length, and good athleticism, they do not negate his size issues completely … Also, at this point in his career he plays more as a center as his game is strictly confined to the low block … The major inadequacy that limits his game to the paint is the fact that his jumper needs serious work … He showed very little confidence in it all year and the ones he did take looked hesitant and were off-balance (he shoots with a major fade on almost every shot) … He shoots the ball over his head and extends the release too high, making his stroke very erratic and the results extremely inconsistent… To compound the issue, he shot an abysmal 49% from the foul line, raising the concern level on his outside touch even more … He needs to improve his back to the basket repertoire, adding counter moves once his initial drive gets cut off would benefit his game … Struggles against stronger defenders, can be bodied out of position and into off-balance shots … He is an inconsistent performer, his energy fluctuates drastically from game to game, and he doesn’t play with the same drive every night … Has disappeared in some big games this season … There is a strong correlation between his scoring and rebounding numbers, if he doesn’t get touches early in the game he will not look to get to the glass with the same aggressiveness on either end … Born in 1991, he is a full year older than his class …

        2. I don't know why Irving is more hyped than Knight, but I question placing a lot of value on collegiate team performance in the modern context, because, I mean, have you seen how bad the college game is nowadays?

          2. so, we are to base evaluations on what, then, if you are going to throw out their college performances?

            2. I'm not saying you don't watch/scout/evaluate how the individuals played in college, I'm saying talking about how Kentucky went to the Final Four doesn't tell me a whole lot about Knight as an NBA point guard.

              1. I certainly agree that a great postseason run for a player/team (Adam Morrison, cough cough) does not an NBA player make.

                But I'd suggest that there is a difference between a Coach K team making it to the Final Four and a Coach Cal team making it....

                HoopsHype comps Irving at "Chris Paul" and Knight at "Larry Hughes." Ok, then. That's probably "A" vs. "D" right there. NBADraft.net, on the other hand, uses "Mike Conley/Chris Paul" as the Irving comps, "Jason Terry/Jrue Holiday" as the Knight comps.

                So, who knows. All I know is that he performed at a pretty high level for a high-profile program last year, playing an instrumental role in getting them to the Final Four. He has performed well at the highest level of amateur basketball. Irving has barely played in a year.

                1. All I know is that he performed at a pretty high level for a high-profile program last year, playing an instrumental role in getting them to the Final Four

                  You could say this about Jonny Flynn, too, substituting Sweet Sixteen and Big East tournament titles for Final Four. Is a Boeheim-coached team closer to Coach K or Coach Cal?

                  I don't disagree about the coaching differences, necessarily, and I really have no educated opinion of my own on Irving or Knight's NBA ability/potential specifically. I just think pointing to collegiate team success on its own doesn't say very much meaningful about anyone nowadays, cause for every (off the top of my head) Carmelo or Deron Williams or Derrick Rose who were on highly successful collegiate teams and became good or great NBA players, there's plenty of Jonny Flynns, Morrisons, Shaddy McCants, and so on, too.

                  1. I just think pointing to collegiate team success on its own doesn't say very much meaningful about anyone nowadays

                    You could probably just cut that last word entirely. The history of the NBA draft is rife with successful college players who couldn't cut it in the NBA.

                    But the flip side is that there are not very many UNsuccessful college players who have become successes in the NBA.

          3. Isn't BDL's logic just as flawed if we don't place emphasis on collegiate performance? How is Irving the best player in the draft "make no mistake" even though all Knight has is "promise, a sprightly nature, and a few years to go before we can ably judge him"? One could similarly dismiss Irving as a player with promise who we won't be able to judge until a few years down the road.

            1. True. Sorry if that came off as a BDL defense. Like I said, I have no idea why Irving is more hyped than Knight.

              1. I'm just sticking up for bS, solidarity amongst B&W avatars and all that. 🙂

            2. It's not that BDL is necessarily wrong, just that the argument set for for those two grades is at best in need of elaboration for why we ought to buy the hype on Irving but not Knight.

  21. this just in: roasted yellow beets are awesome. I let them cool to room temp, peeled, then cut into 2-inch sticks and tossed with red pepper strips and chopped parsley in a lemon vinaigrette, then garnished with chevre.

    oh, and CH -- your toasted white beans thing was da Bomb. I used a lot of sliced garlic, drained the beans really, really well, then browned the garlic and beans well before wilting a half of a cabbage, shredded, finishing with grated lemon zest and lemon juice.

    I wish I had added some toasted bread crumbs at the end too. That would have been tasty.

    1. Oooh, breadcrumbs are the ticket. Now I need to make that dish again, so hopefully we get more chard in our next CSA box.

      Yellow beets are fantastic. I wish I had a slicer so I could slice thin coins of them for beet carpaccio.

  22. Davey Johnson to manage Nats. I guess the trend is to go with old guys who have been out of the game for awhile to manage.

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