Empty The Bench
- The Season's Over -

Why Kevin McHale Still Doesn’t Get it and Kevin Love Won’t Fit in Minnesota

June 29, 2008

Kevin McHale: Inexplicable

The Inexplicable Kevin McHale
Photo Credit: Icon SMI

As a Minnesotan I was extremely apprehensive heading into this draft. Anybody who roots for the Timberwolves should be nervous about every draft headed by Kevin McHale. He has a history of botching these things and a stubborn refusal to simply take the best player available. It started back in 1996 when McHale swapped Ray Allen for Stephon Marbury and continued without fail into recent years with draft-night decisions like trading the rights to Brandon Roy for Randy Foye and selecting Rashad McCants over Danny Granger. Let’s not even get into the Joe Smith fiasco that cost them five first-round draft picks (even if two of the picks were ultimately returned).

In between those more publicized gaffes McFail has compiled a first-round resume that includes first-round busts Ndudi Ebi, William Avery, Radoslav Nesterovic and Paul Grant. In his inexplicably long tenure in the Wolves’ front office the former Celtic star has only made two great moves: drafting Kevin Garnett and trading Kevin Garnett.

The primary reason last summer’s trade of Garnett was a success is that Minnesota netted future All Star Al Jefferson. He will be the second superstar power forward in Timberwolves history, but it appears McHale is intent on misusing his talents as well by forcing Big Al to center and refusing to surround him with complementary talent.

There was little secret that Kevin Love was the apple of McHale’s eye heading into the draft, so I was shocked when Minnesota went ahead and passed on the big man out of UCLA. I was surprised that McHale actually did was he was supposed to do and didn’t try to get cute. I was relieved, to be honest. O.J. Mayo was the consensus third-best prospect in this draft and he fit a team need as a wing scorer.

Then just hours later McHale did get cute and traded for Kevin Love, a player who is by all accounts completely redundant with Al Jefferson. For those few hundred people out there who actually watched Wolves games religiously last year it was painfully obvious that Al Jefferson thrived as a power forward and struggled as a center.

This move will force Big Al into the middle, a position where he is both uncomfortable and significantly less effective.

After the jump: Why moving Al Jefferson to center is a crying shame…

Read the rest of this article »

38 CommentsPosted by Andrew Thell on Jun. 29, 2008 at 11:59pm in ETB Articles, NBA

Updates from the 2008 NBA Draft

June 26, 2008

2 CommentsPosted by Brian Spencer on Jun. 26, 2008 at 4:17pm in NBA

Jermaine O’Neal and T.J. Ford to be Smuggled Across the Border

June 26, 2008

3 CommentsPosted by Andrew Thell on Jun. 26, 2008 at 12:07am in ETB Articles, NBA

NBA Offseason Trade Rumors - Detroit Pistons Interested in Baron Davis?

June 25, 2008

No CommentsPosted by Brian Spencer on Jun. 25, 2008 at 4:39pm in NBA

NBA Offseason Trade Rumors - Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson on the Trading Block?

June 24, 2008

10 CommentsPosted by Brian Spencer on Jun. 24, 2008 at 12:23am in ETB Articles, NBA

Shaquille O’ Neal Still Keeping It Classy

June 23, 2008

3 CommentsPosted by Brian Spencer on Jun. 23, 2008 at 8:11pm in NBA

Postcards From LA, Vol. 19: One Lakers Fan Tracks His Team Through the NBA Playoffs

June 19, 2008

6 CommentsPosted by ETB Contributor on Jun. 19, 2008 at 1:47pm in NBA

Super Dave Osboune is No Reggie Miller

June 19, 2008

No CommentsPosted by Andrew Thell and Brian Spencer on Jun. 19, 2008 at 12:13pm in NBA

Reading is Great! Wednesday’s NBA Rumors, Breaking News, and Blog Links

June 18, 2008

1 CommentPosted by Andrew Thell on Jun. 18, 2008 at 12:18pm in NBA

Our Congratulations, Kudos and Hats Off to the Boston Celtics (and Kevin Garnett)

June 18, 2008

4 CommentsPosted by Andrew Thell on Jun. 18, 2008 at 12:17am in ETB Articles, NBA

Reading is Great! Tuesday’s NBA Rumors, Breaking News, and Blog Links

June 17, 2008

No CommentsPosted by Andrew Thell on Jun. 17, 2008 at 6:41pm in NBA

In Defense of Hard-Nosed NBA Defense (or Why You Can Still Enjoy NBA Basketball When Your Team Isn’t Scoring)

June 17, 2008

3 CommentsPosted by Brian Spencer on Jun. 17, 2008 at 8:32am in ETB Articles, NBA

« Previous

     

Back to top