Wolves Updates 6/30 Part 2

From Chris Mannix/SI.com:

Flynn is Kahn’s insurance policy. The former Syracuse star is as NBA-ready as any point guard in the draft. He could easily win a starting job on a team that recently gutted its backcourt.

But Rubio’s camp is not about to put Rubio in a minutes-sharing situation with Flynn. It wants Flynn gone, and it has come to the bargaining table with a pretty big stick: the possibility that Rubio could sign a lucrative contract in Europe.

Kahn sounds prepared for that. He has said all the right things, praising Rubio and his agent, the high-powered Dan Fegan, and talking about how he looks forward to the day when Rubio is in a Minnesota uniform. If that’s this season, great. If it’s next season, well, that’s OK, too. Even two years is within Kahn’s time frame.

But there is a factor that may be getting overlooked. According to sources close to the situation, top European teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Tau Ceramica have been coming hard after Rubio. And there is a real chance that one of those teams will be willing to make the popular Spaniard the highest-paid player in Europe.

From Gregg Doyel/CBS Sports:

My point is, basketball in Europe is no joke.

Basketball in Minnesota is.

So who does Rick Rubio think he is? He thinks he’s better than the worst franchise in the NBA.

And I think he’s right.

Pooh Jeter/DraftExpress on Rubio:

The number one question I get from people is HOW GOOD IS RICKY RUBIO? My answer to the question is he is good, but I think if he continues to improve, he will be real good as he gets older. I seen him play a few times this season and I played against him once because he was hurt the first game. I saw how crafty and smart he is in this game of basketball. I think his IQ of the game is what makes him good because he knows where his teammates are at all times. When we finally played against each other, I had 18 points and 4 assists and he had 16 points and 8 assists. He led the league in steals and assists this season. A lot of 18 years don’t know the game like he does because he’s been a pro since he was 14 years old.

From Forum Blue & Gold: Thoughts on Ricky Rubio

From Jeff Papas/Pine Journal:
I’m not sure I believe the Wolves’ company line. I think it’s more likely that Flynn was selected because it will cost the Wolves – and Rubio – money to buy out his contract in Spain and the Wolves are going to need a point guard to play for them right now. The fatalist in me isn’t sure Rubio will be playing here anytime soon.

From the Timberwolves site:

The Timberwolves Summer League roster features 2009 First Round draft picks Jonny Flynn (sixth overall) and Wayne Ellington (28th overall), along with 2007 First Round pick Corey Brewer, who will be seeing his first competitive action since suffering a torn ACL last November. Minnesota’s roster also includes Albert Lea native Ben Woodside, who averaged 23.2 points per game last season in leading North Dakota State to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Gerald Henderson, the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft by Charlotte, will also play on Minnesota’s team as the Bobcats are not scheduled to participate in the NBA Summer League this year.

Don Seeholzer/Pioneer Press posts the team’s summer league roster.

With the Wolves still looking for a coach to replace Kevin McHale, there was no announcement on who will coach the team in Las Vegas.

From Kerry Eggers/Portland Tribune:

Kahn’s next order of business is to hire a coach.

“I’m just putting together a list of candidates as we speak,” he says. “I have quite a few names. I think we’ll find a fantastic coach. The job is so big these days, you’d love to hire somebody who covers all the bases – game management, X’s and O’s, player development, media relations. My first priority will be to find somebody who can grow with our young nucleus over the next four or five years.”

Kahn doesn’t expect a hire for “at least three or four weeks.” He’ll launch the interview process during the Las Vegas Summer League, then decide.

Stop-n-Pop/Canis Hoopus on Wayne Ellington: The forgotten man

Marc Narducci/HoopsHype interviewed Ellington on draft night, playing for the Wolves, and winning the NCAA tournament.

Being a consistent perimeter shooter is a skill that isn’t in abundance in the NBA. Do you think that is a major selling point for you, the ability to hit from the outside?

WE: I think it is a pretty big part. Definitely in Minnesota. They need a shooter, somebody who can stretch the floor and I can do that. I hope I will be able to create space for guys like Kevin Love and Al Jefferson inside.

From Chris McManus/WAER Sports: Is this heaven or hell for Jonny Flynn?

As for Kahn’s idea that Flynn and Rubio can play together, ESPN’s Chad Ford says all he heard was, “I don’t know what I’m talking about. I don’t know what’s going on.”

From Denise Jewell Gee/The Buffalo News:

More than 300 people filled the wooden benches in City Hall and overflowed into the lobby to watch NBA first-round draftee and Niagara Falls High School graduate Jonny Flynn receive the key to the City of Niagara Falls…

“It just means a lot,” said Gary Wallace, 28, who counted himself among the second-cousins. “He’s the first person from Niagara Falls to really do something important. It’s just a small town.”

For a moment, all the city’s shortcomings were forgotten in the Council chambers.

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Wolves Updates 6/30 Part 2

Alan Draper

Alan Draper

Alan Draper