Al Jefferson arrested on suspected DWI, Minnesota Timberwolves fans are let down

Big Al, as many of Al Jefferson's fans call him, spent some time in the Big House late Saturday night/early Sunday morning after the Minnesota Timberwolves star was pulled over and arrested for a suspected DWI.

The Minnesota Timberwolves player was pulled over leaving downtown Minneapolis because of speeding and unsignled lane changes that appeared to be more like drifting. Al Jefferson was pulled over on I-394 after Saturday night's loss against the Portland Trailblazers.

Al Jefferson released this statement: "I want to apologize to the entire Timberwolves organization, owner Glen Taylor, my teammates, coaches and Wolves fans everywhere for my actions last night. I made a very poor decision and I am truly sorry for that. As a leader on this team, I know that more is expected of me, and I am disappointed in myself. I will learn from my mistake so that it does not happen again. I fully understand and support the organization's disciplinary action. I will continue to work both on and off the court to be the best person I can be."

Al Jefferson will be suspended without pay for two games.

Kobe Bryant Timberwolves Props

NBA Veteran Kobe Bryant had lots of good things to say about the Minnesota Timberwolves roster and Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach Kurt Rambis earlier this week. Kobe Bryant told the reporter that one of the things to watch about Timberwolves rookie Jonny Flynn was his speed, no one would question that. Kobe Bryant did seem to hit the nail on the head however when he said that the young star from New York needed to work on tempo, and playing in more than one speed.

Kobe Bryant then moved on to talk about the Minnesota Timberwolves head coach, Kurt Rambis who coached in Los Angeles for a long time before moving to the Midwest. Bryant had nothing but positive things to say, talking about Kurt Rambis as a very smart coach… perhaps Coach Rambis is just too smart for the Minnesota Timberwolves Roster because since we have had him the Timberwolves have played inconsistently and have failed to adopt the Rambis triangle offense. I’m not a basketball expert, but I would think a smart coach would recognize this and adapt his plan instead of pushing ahead and insisting that the team play his way. But hey, when Kobe Bryant says that things are good, in the basketball world that means things are good…

Congrats Jonny Flynn, Kurt Rambis and the Minnesota Timberwolves, you have a famous fan!

Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Love could be out as long as 8 weeks

Some of the air has come out of the Minnesota Timberwolves sails this week. Kevin Love the second year forward injured his left (non-shooting) hand in the MN Timberwolves Preseason game against the Chicago Bulls last Friday. After playing on Friday, the Timberwolves released a statement that said Kevin Love had broken the fourth metacarpal on his left hand.


Timberwolves General Manager David Khan released a statement saying, "Kevin will have all the resources necessary here to help with his recuperation, and ideally he'll be back on the court closer to six weeks than eight weeks. Having said that, the most important thing is that his hand fully heals before he plays." Kevin Love's surgery will be in New York today at New York City's Hospital for Special Surgeries.


Last season for the Timberwolves, Kevin Love averaged 11.1 points and 9.1 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game and led the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage. While new rookie Jonny Flynn and the rest of the Timberwolves roster are already stepping up to fill in the big gap left by an injured Kevin Love, it is clear that until Love returns to the courts, the Timberwolves are going to be missing their best rebounder.

Sebastian Telfair signs multi-year deal with Timberwolves

Interesting signing news for Minnesota Timberwolves fans! Sebastian Telfair agreed to a two to three year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. This roster move is less puzzling than some others. Having both Sebastian Telfair and Randy Foye in the backcourt is a solid plan for the Timberwolves team. Although I am still bitter about the KG trade, Sebastian Telfair has a chance to shine out of that deal next year. He is still really young (24), but he may able to pull the team together and like his agent Andy Miller said "Sebastian wants to help get this team back to the playoffs." Let's do it!

Timberwolves Roster changes in puzzling ways

I am never quite sure I understand Kevin McHale. I don’t think any one does. I don’t slam him as often as other Timberwolves fans and Timberwolves bloggers do, but if he has a plan for this team, I am not sure what it is and I would like to know.

Yesterday, the Timberwolves confirmed that they worked out a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers that moved Rodney Carney and Calvin Booth to the Timberwolves. It was a weird exchange and if you want to read about it, you will have to check out the local paper because I am in no mood to explain it. What I would like explained to me is “why?” Neither of these players will make a difference on the Timberwolves team next year. Is McHale building an arsenal of players he can trade away for one big guy? If that is the case, some one needs to explain that to the fans because I am losing interest really fast. A group of no namers plus Al Jefferson are not going to win the NBA Championship, they just aren’t. They are going to get stomped on and thrown around. We need bigger guys. I think it is time for Glen Taylor to think about making more changes than just what is on the roster sheet. McHale needs to go and he can take Randy with him. If we are starting fresh with new players, why not start with new managers, too.

The offseason should be a time of hope, but I am stuck in despair.

Gopher Basketballers work out with Wolves

Word on the street is that three of the Gopher basketball seniors were a part of the Minnesota Timberwolves workout sessions. I don’t think Dan Coleman, Spencer Tollackson or Lawrence McKenzie have what it takes to play in the NBA, but what better place to try out than in your home state? Actually, if the Timberwolves want to fill more seats at the Target Center next year, they may want to consider adding one of those Gophers to the roster. They certainly aren’t going to be able to sell Timberwolves tickets with the team they have right now. A little creative marketing wouldn’t hurt and that means finding a personality that Minnesota basketball fans already like.

Timberwolves roster ever changing

The Minnesota Timberwolves roster is sure to look different next year. There are five players that are eligible as free agents (in alphabetical order by last name):

> Ryan Gomes
> Chris Richard
> Craig Smith
> Kirk Snyder
> Sebastian Telfair

They are all eligible to negotiate through their agents with every NBA team starting July 1. Don’t forget, the Wolves have the right to match any offer made to any of the five players and retain their rights, but I don’t see a few of these guys coming back.

I am guessing that Craig Smith won’t be back because he doesn’t seem to jive real well with Al Jefferson and every Timberwolves fan knows that A.J. is the man on the team and we need to build a team around him. I am also willing to bet we let Kirk Snyder go as well. I am hoping the team will sign Ryan Gomes, hopefully he won’t be too expensive. I would also like to see a deal for Sebastian Telfair. I am indifferent to Chris Richard. It will be an interesting summer for the NBA Timberwolves, that’s for sure.