Category: Minnesota T-Wolves Blog

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, who also is chairman of the NBA Board of Governors, has been watching his league’s playoffs closely.

“I don’t think there’s a clear champion, and that’s a good thing,” he said.

It also means Taylor expects his Wolves to be in the playoffs next season.

“We have the players to do it,” he said. “We were close this season.”

Taylor also said his team is “going to try” the free-agent market.

— Reported by Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press

Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic underwent successful surgery today to remove bone spurs in his right ankle. The surgery was performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Pekovic missed eight games during the 2011-12 season due to the bones spurs.

Pekovic appeared in 47 games for the Wolves this past season, averaging 13.9 points and 7.4 rebounds. He was 2nd in the NBA in field goal percentage at .564 and 18th with 181 offensive rebounds. Pekovic set a career-high with 30 points at Houston on Feb. 17 and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds April 22 vs. Golden State. The 6-11 center finished 3rd in the 2011-12 Kia NBA Most Improved Player voting.

Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is in the market for his eventual successor.

Taylor told The Associated Press on Friday that he is looking to add a minority partner who could buy a part of the team that includes an option to buy Taylor out after observing the day-to-day operations of running a professional sports team.

Taylor said he has yet to speak to any specific candidates, but made it clear that one of the biggest priorities for him will be a commitment to keeping the Timberwolves in Minnesota.

“I could find somebody to buy the team. That’s not my problem,” Taylor said at his office at Taylor Corp., a privately held printing and marketing giant. “I have to find someone that’s committed to here. It’s always best if it would be a Minnesotan. I’m telling you I don’t know that’s the way it’s going to work out. I haven’t had a lot of Minnesotans step up.”

There has long been speculation about who would take over for Taylor, who saved the Wolves from moving to New Orleans when he purchased the team in 1994. Now, Taylor thinks the timing is right to open up the search.

— Reported by the Associated Press

The Wolves could add Love’s new $13 million salary and still clear more than $12 million for free agency if they let go Beasley, Randolph, Milicic, Webster and retiring Brad Miller. But they still would have to fill out those roster spots, and as many as six NBA teams could have $20 million or more to spend this summer when the Wolves’ best options are difficult-to-sign restricted free agents — O.J. Mayo, Eric Gordon, Nicolas Batum — or perhaps overpaying unrestricted free agents Ray Allen or Landry Fields.

More likely is a trade for a player such as Kevin Martin, who played for Adelman twice and whose $13 million salary Houston wants to shed.

Love said he will lobby management to be “aggressive” in adding veterans. “I think we just need to make some moves,” he said.

Adelman said he believes the team’s young, vibrant nucleus will attract free agents.

“When you look at Kevin and you look at Ricky and the style that we’re going to play, it’s going to be good,” Adelman said.

— Reported by Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Wolves owner Glen Taylor said the team has already informed or is informing president of basketball operations David Kahn that it has picked up Kahn’s option for next season. That means Kahn will be back for his fourth season with the club. Kahn signed a three-year deal in May 2009 that included two more years of team options, each separate…

Before Sunday’s game with Golden State at Target Center, the Timberwolves announced forward Kevin Love would not play again this season. After the Wolves had blown a 21-point second-quarter lead in a 93-88 loss, Wolves guard J.J. Barea suggested some of his teammates might already have stopped caring.

“We’ve got problems here,” Barea said after his team shot 10-for-40 in the second half and struggled on defense. “We have a lot of guys that don’t care. On a basketball team, when you have a bunch of guys who don’t care, it’s tough to win games. We’re going to keep getting [losses] here until we get players that care about winning, about the team, about the fans.”

The Wolves were without Love, again. He sustained a concussion when Denver’s JaVale McGee elbowed him in the head April 11. Despite being cleared to play, he was shut down for the season. The Wolves cited the time Love has missed and the lack of practice time to get him ready to return. Love is second in the league in rebounding (13.3) and fourth in scoring (26.0).

— Reported by Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Wolves center Nikola Pekovic has decided to have postseason surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle.

He has not decided when he will have the surgery or who will perform it. But his plans are to return home to Europe for two weeks immediately after the season ends before returning to the United States to have the surgery. Pekovic said he will split his rehab between here and Europe.

Until then, Pekovic said, he will finish this season playing in the Wolves’ final games. He had 10 points and four rebounds Monday in a 111-88 loss to Indiana.

“It’s something that will help me to be healthy next season,” he said. “It will help me and my team and everything. I know without that trouble, I’ll be more calm, not thinking about it. And hopefully, not miss any games.”

— Reported by Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love suffered a mild concussion and neck strain in last night’s game at Denver, and stayed overnight at a hospital for precautionary reasons. After further evaluation today, Love’s diagnosis remains unchanged and he has been cleared to return to Minneapolis. He will not play in tonight’s game vs. the L.A. Clippers. In the upcoming days, Love will be further evaluated by the Timberwolves medical staff, and an update to his status will be provided when warranted. Love suffered the injury at the 3:59 mark of the first quarter when he was struck by a JaVale McGee inadvertent elbow to the head.

In 55 games this season, Love is among the NBA’s league leaders in points (26.0 ppg, fourth), rebounds (13.3 rpg, second), double-doubles (48, first), minutes played (39.0 mpg, second), FTM (379, first) and FTA (460, second). The fourth-year forward has recorded 10 games of 30-points/15-rebounds this season, while the rest of the league has combined for nine such contests. Love made his second consecutive NBA All-Star Game appearance this year and tallied 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals, while also winning the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest on All-Star Saturday Night.

Ricky Rubio met with media members this afternoon at Target Center for the first time since he suffered that season-ending knee injury on March 9 against the Lakers.

He’s back in Minnesota after spending more than two weeks in Colorado following knee surgery to repair two torn ligaments there.

Here’s some of what he said:

He made no promises when asked about being back in time for the start of training camp: “I don’t if it will be training camp, don’t know when I’ll come back,” he said. “The most important thing is to make sure when I come back it’s 100 percent. I don’t know if it’s training camp, I don’t know if it’s first week, second week (of regular season). I don’t want to put a date. It depends how my knee feels.”

When asked if he’s worried about being the same player when he comes back, he said, “Of course, you always think in my mind what can happen, especially the first couple days after surgery when you can’t move your knee. You just think about it, think about if you can come back. You just have to be strong and do your best to come back even harder. I love basketball. I love playing basketball. I’m going to do my best.

— Reported by Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune