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Northwest Notes: Hollis-Jefferson, Horford, Barton, Jazz

December 16th, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is making a strong impression on the Timberwolves so far, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Hollis-Jefferson is on a non-guaranteed contract, but made a case for a regular season roster spot with his play on Monday night, when he scored 17 points on 6-of-6 shooting and made several plays on defense.

“Since Day 1 Rondae has been great,” Timberwolves wing Josh Okogie said. “He tells me all the time we got to be the ones that anchor the defense down. Just seeing him play is very inspiring. The energy he brought out (Monday), and he just makes you ask yourself, what kind of guy wouldn’t want to play with a guy like Rondae?”

The Timberwolves are only carrying 12 players with fully guaranteed salaries and don’t have a ton of depth at the power forward spot, so Hollis-Jefferson looks like a good candidate to be retained for the start of the season.

“I’m a competitor at the end of the day,” Hollis-Jefferson said, per Hine. “Any time I come out and compete it shows with how I play, the energy. I feel like everything else will naturally come when the time is right. I’m definitely looking forward to being out there competing in the regular season.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • Al Horford was traded by Philadelphia just one year into his four-year contract with the club, but the veteran big man is looking forward to making the most of his new role with the Thunder, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. “I wasn’t expecting (to be traded),” Horford said. “But I’ve known the type of organization the Oklahoma City Thunder is. That was the one thing that was positive for me when I looked at it. And now that I’m here I’m actually really excited and looking forward to getting the regular season started.”
  • Nuggets guard Will Barton hasn’t played a game since March due to knee and back issues, but he appears to be on the verge of returning and he’s very happy about it, as Mike Singer of The Denver Post details. “I’m just ready to go out there and compete and play,” Barton said. “I just love the game. Being away from it, it’s very, very, very tough for me to just watch and not be able to play. I can’t wait. I’m excited. I’m just looking forward to it.”
  • Jazz forward Georges Niang and guard Miye Oni are focusing on improving their defense as they look to claim roles in the team’s regular season rotation, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Niang is entering a contract year, while Oni’s 2020/21 salary remains non-guaranteed, so both players will be motivated to prove they deserve to play.
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2020/21 NBA Over/Unders: Northwest Division

December 15th, 2020 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2020/21 NBA regular season will get underway on December 22, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

Of course, there are plenty of wild cards to take into account this season. For one, teams are scheduled to play 72 games instead of 82, so if you’re picking a team to win 41 games, you’re not just expecting them to be a .500 club — you’re projecting them to finish 10 games above .500. For each team’s over/under below, we’ve noted the record they’d have to achieve to finish “over” their projection, as a reminder.

It’s also worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic could cause some games to be canceled in 2020/21. We don’t want you to have to take possible cancellations into account when making your picks though, so don’t let that stop you from taking the “over.” If a team has a couple games canceled, we’ll adjust their over/under figure downward, so you’re essentially just projecting that team’s winning percentage.

We’ll turn today to the Northwest…

Denver Nuggets

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Nuggets poll.

Utah Jazz

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Jazz poll.

Portland Trail Blazers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Trail Blazers poll.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Timberwolves poll.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Thunder poll.

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Boston Celtics (45.5 wins): Over (66.3%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (45.5 wins): Over (58.6%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (44.5 wins): Over (57.4%)
  • Toronto Raptors (42.5 wins): Over (54.7%)
  • New York Knicks (22.5 wins): Under (59.5%)
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Northwest Notes: Saunders, Nuggets, Pokusevski, Wolves

December 13th, 2020 at 7:55pm CST by JD Shaw

Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders sought advice from workers in other professional sports leagues about how to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Chris Hine of the Star Tribune.

Saunders spoke with Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and Browns coach Kevin Stefanski — both of whom are in leagues that have already started to navigate through COVID-19 — to ask for advice on how to conduct meetings and adapt while following league protocols.

“We did a number of Zooms during the hiatus, during the pandemic, just to hear about best practices and how they were going to attack the protocols and what they were doing to do things the right way…” Saunders said. “Kevin, he was a big help as well talking about how they actually have done installs [of systems] over video conference.”

Saunders, 34, is the youngest head coach in the league. He was promoted by the team in May and is known for doing his homework and due-diligence, something other teams could learn from as they navigate the uncharted waters of playing through a pandemic.

Here are some other notes from the Northwest Division:

  • Kendra Andrews of The Athletic examines several notes related to the Nuggets, including the team’s rotation without Will Barton. Barton missed the team’s first preseason game on Saturday due to ‘back/knee injury recovery,’ according to Andrews, after also missing portions of the team’s live scrimmages last week. Denver is coming off a trip to the Western Conference Finals, accruing an impressive 46-27 record during the regular season.
  • Thunder rookie Aleksej Pokusevski is drawing from his previous experience in Greece to help him transition to the NBA, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. Pokusevski, a seven-footer, was drafted No. 17 overall last month at just 18 years old. “It’s a bigger level, but it’s pretty [much] the same,” Pokusevski said of his situation. “Here I’m alone by myself right now, but I have experience about that. Listen to everyone. Listen, listen, listen and just learn, and everything’s going to be OK.”
  • John Hollinger of The Athletic examines the Timberwolves‘ season outlook, exploring the team’s rotation, projection and more. Minnesota sports a young nucleus of D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, and Karl-Anthony Towns, among others, and will seek a playoff berth in the Western Conference this coming season.
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Wolves Sign Charlie Brown Jr. To Camp Contract

December 11th, 2020 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have signed free agent shooting guard Charlie Brown Jr. to a training camp contract, the team announced today in a press release.

Brown, 23, signed a two-way contract with the Hawks in July 2019, shortly after going undrafted out of Saint Joseph’s. He spent his entire rookie season playing on that deal, appearing in 10 games for Atlanta and 28 for the College Park Skyhawks.

Although he logged just 40 total minutes at the NBA level, Brown had a productive year in the G League, recording 17.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 2.9 APG in 33.3 minutes per contest for the Skyhawks. He struggled a little with his shooting efficiency, however, making 42.2% of his total field goal attempts, including just 26.8% from beyond the arc.

Brown seems more likely to end up playing for the Iowa Wolves – Minnesota’s G League affiliate – than to earn a spot on the Timberwolves’ regular season roster.

The Wolves now have 19 players under contract, with a 20th (Jordan McLaughlin) still a restricted free agent.

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Beasley Building Connections In Training Camp

December 10th, 2020 at 9:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • Newly re-signed Timberwolves shooting guard Malik Beasley is stressing connection and communication in training camp, per Chris Hine of the Star Tribune. “Every day I ask [D’Angelo Russell] and Ricky [Rubio] what I can do to be a better playmaker,” Beasley said. He also noted that he and Minnesota star center Karl-Anthony Towns are similarly communicative. “We’ve built a relationship to be able to talk to each other and hold each other accountable. So I think this year is going to be a great year for KAT and the whole unit.”
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Timberwolves, GM Scott Layden Part Ways

December 10th, 2020 at 9:17am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves and general manager Scott Layden have parted ways, sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

As Krawczynski writes, Layden – who was hired as Minnesota’s GM in 2016 when Tom Thibodeau was the team’s president of basketball operations – had one year left on his contract with the franchise, but the two sides decided it was the right time to go their separate ways.

Although Layden stuck with the Wolves following the hiring of Gersson Rosas as the team’s new president of basketball operations in 2019, his role was reportedly reduced last season, as he focused primarily on scouting and worked out of New York rather than Minnesota.

The logistical challenges posed by Layden not being based in the Twin Cities played a part in his departure, according to Krawczynski, who notes that the NBA’s coronavirus protocols would’ve made it tricky for the GM to travel back and forth to be around the team this season without going through isolation procedures each time.

Layden’s early exit will also save him and the team from negotiating to extend the end of his contract, which had been set to expire in April when the regular season would normally wrap up, says Krawczynski.

The Wolves recently added another respected voice to their front office, hiring Rudy Tomjanovich as a player personnel consultant.

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Josh Okogie Could See Time At Power Forward

December 9th, 2020 at 9:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Due to a lack of established options at the power forward position, the Timberwolves may explore having 6’5″ wing Josh Okogie spend some time at the four, according to Jon Krawczynski of the Athletic.

The recently re-signed Juan Hernangómez figures to have the inside track on the starter job for the Timberwolves. Naz Reid, Jarred Vanderbilt and Okogie will also be in the mix for minutes at the four. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and/or Tyler Cook would also be candidates for playing time if one or both make the team.

Okogie is confident that, if called to play power forward, he will be able to hold his own for the Timberwolves. “I do know, if I was in that position, I don’t think I’d have a lot of trouble,” Okogie said. “Even last year, rarely do I guard somebody that’s smaller than me, unless I’m guarding like a point guard or something. Usually I’m guarding the Kawhi Leonards and Paul Georges, usually people that are taller than me, so I don’t think it’d be much different.”

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Latest On Harden: Fertitta, Destinations, Warriors, Silas

December 8th, 2020 at 9:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta remains hopeful that James Harden will win a championship with his team, he said in a CNBC interview (video link via Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston).

“James Harden, I have all the respect in the world for,” Fertitta said. “James Harden wants to win a ring during his period as a basketball player. … Hopefully, he’ll do it with the Houston Rockets.”

We have more the Harden drama:

  • Harden is reportedly open to trade to another team besides his preferred destination, the Nets, with the Sixers among that group. A group of writers for The Athletic speculated on potential off-the-radar destinations and named the Clippers (with Paul George as part of the return package), Timberwolves (D’Angelo Russell) and Pelicans (Brandon Ingram or Lonzo Ball) as potential fits.
  • Prior to Klay Thompson suffering a season-ending torn right Achilles’ tendon, the Warriors were among the teams who discussed the possibility of pursuing Harden, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. They mulled whether Harden could slide into Kevin Durant‘s former role but ultimately realized that the short-term gain wasn’t worth the long-term issues it would create, Poole continues. The Warriors felt Harden would be a poor fit in a culture that demands accountability and schemes that require collaboration, Poole adds.
  • Coach Stephen Silas is relieved that Harden has arrived in Houston, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. “We’re doing this day by day,” Silas said. “And just to have him in the building is good. Obviously, it wasn’t a good start to it. But that’s the NBA. The NBA isn’t going to be roses every day and there’s going to be issues and there’s going to be things that you’re going to have to work through as a group. That’s what we’re going to do. Him being here shows a level of commitment to what we have going.”
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Northwest Notes: McLaughlin, Jackson, Pokusevski, Bogdanovic

December 7th, 2020 at 2:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders said today that the team hopes to add another point guard to its depth chart behind D’Angelo Russell and Ricky Rubio, tweets Jon Krawczysnki of The Athletic.

While Saunders didn’t explicitly name him as the player the Wolves want to bring aboard, restricted free agent Jordan McLaughlin is the most obvious candidate for that role, Krawczynski notes. McLaughlin, who was on a two-way contract with Minnesota last season, is the only RFA who has yet to secure a new deal for 2020/21.

The qualifying offer McLaughlin received from the Wolves last month is for another two-way deal, but he and the team are likely trying to negotiate a standard contract that would give him a spot on Minnesota’s 15-man roster for the regular season.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

  • Frank Jackson‘s two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Thunder has a partial guarantee worth $250K for 2020/21, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. The second year of Jackson’s new deal is non-guaranteed.
  • Several reports leading up to the 2020 draft linked Aleksej Pokusevski to the Thunder, but the Serbian forward was still surprised to be drafted by Oklahoma City at No. 17, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. “Before the draft we didn’t have any contacts,” Pokusevski said. “I didn’t talk to anyone. I was shocked that I was chosen at No. 17 and drafted to OKC. I was shocked. I didn’t know that it was going to happen, and I was very happy about it.”
  • Jazz forward Joe Ingles is looking forward to playing with center Derrick Favors again, writes Aaron Falk of UtahJazz.com. “He’s obviously a guy I feel super comfortable playing with,” Ingles said of Favors, noting that the two veterans played a lot of minutes together during the big man’s previous stint in Utah.
  • Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic (wrist) practiced in full this week and looks to be on track to play in the team’s regular season opener, says Tony Jones of The Athletic.
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Rudy Tomjanovich Joins Timberwolves As Consultant

December 6th, 2020 at 2:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Never underestimate the heart of Rudy Tomjanovich. The two-time title-winning former Rockets head coach has joined the Timberwolves as a player personnel consultant, the team announced today in a press release.

According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Tomjanovich worked to scout and evaluate talent for the Wolves ahead of the 2020 draft.

Tomjanovich was a five-time All-Star as a forward from 1970-1981. He spent his entire league tenure with the Rockets. He was drafted out of Michigan with the second pick by the Rockets when the team was still based in San Diego. Upon retiring, he was an assistant coach for Houston from 1983-1992.

A 2020 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee, Tomjanovich holds a 527–416 record as a head coach. He served in that capacity with the Rockets from 1992-2003, and with the Lakers for the 2004/05 season.

Tomjanovich won his titles with Houston in 1994 and 1995, with teams fronted by Hall-of-Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, plus point guard Sam Cassell and power forward Robert Horry.

Former Rockets director of player performance Javair Gillett is also among the Timberwolves’ new basketball operations additions, having been named the team’s VP of sports science and player performance. Joseph Blair (assistant coach), Aaron Blackshear (director of analytics), and Josh Gershon (college scouting coordinators) were among the other hires announced by Minnesota.

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