Awards for our 13-0 W over St. Augusta:
Nistler - got a job done - solo shot along with 3 RBI’s
Thand - MVP - 7 IP, no hitter, and 15 k’s
Luke Van Bloop - left DATP early last night along with 4 errors in IO
Ty Guy - 4 hits and 6 RBI’s
I really hate how when a team loses we relitigate everything.
The Wolves gave up a bunch of picks for Rudy and he had a bad Game 6 against a better team. They traded KAT because of the CBA for Randle and he had a bad series.
They made two WCFs and got to the second round, for a team that has been a historical joke since KG in 2004, TWENTY years ago.
They built a good team, they couldn't get it to put it together. It doesn't mean it wasn't worth it.
Julius Randle on what it'll take to limit Nikola Jokic:
"I'll probably take a little bit of everything. Probably gotta call God, talk to him for a little bit, ask him for a few favors."
Jokic vs. Wolves this season:
35.8 PPG
15.0 RPG
11.3 APG
65% FG
50% 3PT
Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett is reuniting with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Lynx in a new, all-encompassing role involving business, community efforts and content development, sources told ESPN. His long-awaited No. 21 Wolves jersey retirement will also happen in Minnesota.
I tweeted this about the Twins ahead of the deadline last year. They effectively did nothing, collapsed, and now are poised to sell this year.
It’s amazing how quickly bad ownership can slam shut a competitive window.
Just for the record back here in the real world -- Ant has literally made the absolute most money he could have thus far in his career, and he becomes eligible to sign what will be the richest extension in NBA history next summer.
- He was the No. 1 overall pick, giving him the largest possible rookie scale contract of anyone in his class.
*4 years, $44M
- He then signed a max contract extension off of his rookie deal. Max contracts after your rookie deal are typically for 25% of the cap -- but because Ant made All-NBA the year before his new deal, he was able to get 30% of the cap. And he did get that. Again, literally the most possible money you can earn on your second contract.
*5 years, $245M
- Bradley Beal makes more money than Ant because, with additional years of experience (that Ant does not yet have), a player is eligible to sign for 35% of the cap. Ant will be eligible to sign an extension next summer at 35% of the cap (he doesn't *have* to sign it next summer -- might wait like Jokic -- but he's eligible to). When Ant signs that next deal, if he signs it with the Wolves, his 3rd contract will again be for literally the most possible money you can earn on your third contract.
*around $80M per year on average, dependent on how much the cap goes up
There are rules. Ant could not have gotten another cent than what he's made/is making. And that next deal, there are rules that allow the Wolves to pay him more than any other team can.
For example... SGA, who is on the 25% max, is going to make $7.2M less than Ant next season. But SGA just signed a supermax 35% extension, a contract that will pay him $272M over 4 years when he is tenured enough to be eligible to start making that level of money (27-28).
You want to make up reasons Ant leaves because you think he eventually will, OK -- whatever, kinda lame. But the money one literally does not work.
Milwaukee, Golden State, Denver, Boston and Oklahoma City -- the last 5 champions -- drafted their own star player, built a team around them and won a ring. I don't get why, after two consecutive conference finals, the conversation is anything other than Ant having a real chance to do the same thing Giannis, Steph, Jokic, Tatum and SGA just did.
Earliest any of those guys won one was at 26. Ant is 23.
Playoff Game Day!
We head over to St. Martin to take on the @smartinblue in round 1 of the playoffs under the lights. Winner punches a ticket to Districts, loser fights on. First pitch scheduled for 8PM.
See you at the park!
Game Day!
We kick off a busy final weekend of the regular season with the first of 3 games. Tonight we welcome @goblacksox to CSBP for a friendly under the lights. 7:30 first pitch.
See you at the park!
Wolves bench unit shooting floats back towards the median and this is a different ball game. That’s only one of a few obvious blemishes not making me overreact to this game 1. Bounce back in game 2 flips this narrative, then we head back to MN for a couple.