Flips the Problem?

[LuciandTim]

Rumor has it he is gone....fired.

[knoppers]

he's gone, I seen it on the news tonight. McHale is taking over.

[Chad711]

Time will tell, but I dont think he is the problem. actually coaches mean very little IMO when it comes to basketball, or baseball for that matter...

[fishyguy]

Mchale acknowledged in his press conference that the coach is not a big deal in the NBA. He said it is the players and lack of effort to blame. Flip is taking the blame for not getting the players to put out that effort.

[bucketmouth64]

So who do they bring in next season? Eric Musselman's name has been tossed into the hat. What about the Zen master-Phil Jackson? That would be interesting. I would think he would love to coach KG and I am sure KG would love to have him aboard. I think he could do something with KG, Sczerbiak, and a few other bit players. I am also assuming that Cassell and Spree won't be on the team. Flip is a good coach, but I don't think he knew how to utilize the inside game. Then again, he didn't have that good of talent either.

[Captain B.R.K]

We haven't had a middle man that was half decent...maybe Rasho?!? Otherwise I don't believe it was Flip's coaching that got him fired. I believe it was the inability/lack of playing hard by cassell and spree that got them to where they are now----both are a infecting a talented team by not playing!

If they want more money, then maybe they should be playing like they deserve new contracts.

T-Hud got a big extension just last year I believe and he was whinning right away this year. Now he has had a chance to play and nothing to show for it.

THE biggest suprise this year is WALLY WORLDS play! To bad nobody else (other than KG) is playing to their level. Otherwise they would be having a fine year.

To bad for Flip.

[Northlander]

Cassell, Spree and T-hud are poison and need to go! Their negative and Whiney attitudes have infected this team with a bad plague. Its even starting to wear Garnett down. You can see it in his body language on the bench. He is tired of it and they dont listen to anyone but themselves. But thats the NBA for ya. Rich overpaid guys that think its all about "ME"!

I think you will see a totally new looking team next year. McHale waited too long to make the coaching change. Although its not Flips fault totally. Some times teams get comfortable and dont work as hard as they should for a coach. Kevin needs to bring in a coach with some NBA head coaching experience that will demand the guys play hard. I dont think Flip was always doing that. They call guys like that "Players Coaches". Man wouldnt the Zen Master be great? But I doubt that would happen because the Wolves arent a Championship calibor team yet and the Zen wont waste his time rebuilding a team.

[buzzsaw]

It stinks that Flip has to take the fall for all these prima donna's!!

He will bounce back and coach for somebody else and when he brings that team to the Target center everybody ought to show up and chant his name out of respect and thanks for how much he has meant to this team! Then cheer when HIS new team scores! It sounds like it wasmore McHales doing than Glen Taylors...

[bklimek]

For some reason it still hasn't sunk in that Flip is gone. That is a shame. I think he could have been a little more stern but these are grown men we are talking about. What a bunch of whiney b------! KG may not have made the decision on giving Flip the boot but I think McHale and Taylor discussed it with him first. And you are right KG's morale is low. Spree is a cancer. Have you ever noticed how much Cassell is in a plyers ear after a play or on the bench. No one listens to that clown!

[buzzsaw]

Thats because Casell looks like the black E.T.!!

[wade22]

Flip's time was up. This year he used about 30 different starting lineups--I know injuries were part of this--but Hassell's a starter and Wally does great against an opponent's second string. None of the players were buying into his plan, and most of the blame's not on Flip but regardless, when that happens in the NBA you've got to make changes. I liked what he did a lot, those back to back 50 win seasons were great and last year was really memorable, but seven playoff series without advancing? A couple weeks ago against the Celtics, Kandy was actually having a good game (stop the presses, a low block 5 spot contributing in a Wolves uniform) and Flip proceeded to bench him for the entire fourth quarter. Another Wolves loss.

This is probably heretical to most fans, but I really question McHale as a GM. Outside of drafting KG, name your favorite McHale contribution to this franchise. How about Felton Spencer? Luc Longley? Donyell Marshall? Trading for Marbury at draft day? William Avery?

And now this guy's going to coach? What a buzzkill. I couldn't watch them enough last year and this year I can't wait for the season to be over. Between Kandi (who got outjumped for a jump ball against a 6'2" guard a couple weeks ago), Spree and Hudson, we've got a guy named Anthony Carter playing behind Hud at the 1 spot. Anthony Carter? John Thomas is the latest to join the reputable 10-day signees that caught fire for this team, among established past players Derrick Martin, Goldwire (Goldbird? Goldfinger? I can't remember). Flip never had a talented team except last year's flash in a pan. And they lost to an inferior Lakers squad. A dismantling is needed before KG demands to be traded.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

ive been calling out mchale for years now. last year looked prommising, but since he got KG mchale has done nothing. MCHALE is the one who needs to go!!!

[bigbucks]

I don't think it's right at all that Flip had to take the blame for this. I can understand where it maybe got to the point where he was tired of them not listening & working hard & gave up on them. Why they don't just get rid of the problems instead is beyond me. I think it's a matter of finding a way to get rid of guys without damaging their value, if that's possible.

Basically last year Spree & Sam had something to prove after feeling slighted by their old teams so they played hard & the team overachieved. Now this year they want to get paid big bucks for another 2-4 years for one good year.

[Scott M]

Guys,

Who wants to play in Minnesota? As KG says, this is the North Pole of the NBA.

Secondly, don't forget that McHale didn't have a draft pick for about 5 years. I realize he put himself into that position, but that absolutely destroyed any hope of future talent and young legs, a problem that is really manifesting itself right now.

Lastly, think about some of the guys that Kevin did bring in that contributed or boosted their stats for a fat contract elsewhere. Dean Garrett, Malik Sealy, Joe Smith, Eddie Griffin, Chauncey Billups, LaPhonso Ellis, Tom Gugliotta, Bobby Jackson, Mark Madsen.

McHale did what he could for this franchise. Drafting players is a crapshoot. You have no idea how they will turn out. It is ludicrous to think that scouting a player at games for a few years or checking guys out at personal workouts or draft day workouts can tell you anything about their pyschology or work habits.

I think he's done a good job with what he had to work with. Now all the sudden people are saying he has to fix what he created. He was limited by a coach and owner and a league that heavily (over?) penalized the franchise.

We'll see how he does now that he has draft picks and at least one contract will be off the books.