Aug/0711
The New Timberpups: Part IV (Ryan Gomes)
By now even the deafest timberwolf fan should have heard the news that Kevin Garnett has been traded to Boston. It is a trade that I agree with in principle, but am sad about from a nostalgia standpoint. It’s the end of an era in Minnesota sports history that began with so much promise and ended with too many regrets. To avoid shedding a tear over the recent developments, I will focus on which players the Wolves got in return for sending KG to finally play with Ray Allen. Before I get started, here is a refresher on what the trade entailed: Kevin Garnett for Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, the first round pick that we gave Boston in the Davis/Szczerbiak trade (likely a 2009 pick), and Boston’s 2009 pick.
Ryan Gomes scored 12.1 ppg and grabbed 5.6 rpg in 73 games for Boston last year, and is generally acknowledged to be one of the classiest players in the league. Overlooked in the 2005 NBA Draft (50th overall) much like Craig Smith in the 2006 Draft, Gomes will be a pleasant surprise to Minnesota fans who have yet to become familiar with his talents. What Gomes will give the Timberwolf faithful is well above average rebounding and jump shooting. When you watch Gomes play, what you come away with are two things. The first is that he has a really good feel for rebounding; he is constantly getting into position and getting his hand on balls (giggety..). The second thing you will notice about Ryan when he steps foot on the Target Center floor is that he is virtually automatic from 15 to 19 feet. Ala Sam Mitchell and Malik Sealy (God bless the dead), Gomes will knock down that 19th footer consistently, which will force defenders to stay honest and leave the lane open for the likes of Foye, Ricky, Shaddy and Brewer.
Despite a highly successful career as an All-America power forward at Providence College where he also played with prospect Herbert Hill in the Big East Conference, the 6'7.75" Gomes fell in the 2005 NBA Draft to the late second round. His size and abilities did not fit scouts' prototypical image of either a power forward or a small forward. Celtics' director of basketball operations Danny Ainge, however, felt that Gomes' track record and work ethic were enough to take a chance on the local product with the 50th pick overall
2005-06 season
Wearing number 4, Gomes was expected to play off the bench in his rookie season spelling Celtics star Paul Pierce. His playing time and statistical impact were limited early in the season. However, on January 26, 2006, the Celtics executed a multiplayer trade with us that freed up roster space for Gomes to play. Soon after that, fellow Celtic Kendrick Perkins was injured and Gomes was inserted in the starting line-up.
After becoming a starter, Gomes excelled, and kept his job even after Perkins returned. On February 24, 2006 he collected 17 rebounds and scored 13 points. Gomes scored at least 10 points in 21 of the 29 games he started in 2006, and in 7 of those games he also had at least 10 rebounds. The second half of his rookie season was a definite success.
Gomes hustles relentlessly, and Celtics television color commentary man Tommy Heinsohn described Gomes as the best offensive rebounder on the Celtics' roster. Despite his relatively small size, Gomes positions himself well on the court to rebound, and uses his hands well for easy put-back buckets and lay-ups. Gomes was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team for the 2005-2006 season, and chose to play in the Celtic's 2006 NBA summer-league team. Gomes was named to the summer league all-first team for the second consecutive year--Joining Foye and Craig Smith with that honor.
2006-07 seasonGomes continued to make a significant impact starting 60 games for the Celtics in the 2006-07 season. Gomes averaged more than 30 minutes played, scoring 12.1 points per game, along with 1.6 assists and 5.6 rebounds. On November 8, 2006 Gomes recorded his first career triple-double collecting 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Charlotte Bobcats in the Celtics' first win of the 2006-07 season after an 0-3 start. On January 20, Gomes scored a career high 31 points in an overtime loss to the Washington Wizards. Coming off the bench on March 4, 2007, Gomes tied his career high of 17 rebounds and scored 21 points while playing a total of 51 minutes in a double overtime victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
On March 7, Gomes sprained his left foot and did not play in the second half of the game against the Houston Rockets. He sat out the following 7 games, and returned to the Celtics' roster playing limited minutes beginning on March 21. Near the end of the season, Gomes began regularly shooting three point shots, making 14 of 34 in April, after shooting only 5 for 17 in his career to that point.
Gomes attracted the attention of the national media for comments he made following a Celtics' loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on April 13. Neither Gomes nor starting point guard Rajon Rondo played in the game's final, decisive minutes. After, Gomes said, "I probably (would have played), but since we were in the hunt for a high draft pick, of course things are different." This was the first public comment by a Celtic in 2007 implying that the team was losing games purposely, to enhance their status for the 2007 NBA Draft. NBA Commissioner David Stern reportedly sought to speak with Gomes regarding his comments.
On a related note, watch for my next post which will be entitled: "Why the hell didn't we get Rajon Rondo????????????? Are you freaking kidding me, McHale!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Here are some career highlights from Ryan Gomes:
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Aug/073
Santana K’s 17
Johan Santana took the mound Sunday afternoon and helped pitch his way into what could be the biggest contract ever for a starting pitcher in 2009. Santana went 8.0 innings giving up only 2 hits and striking out 17 in the best pitching performance by a starter since Ben Sheets struck out 18 in 2004.
Already owning 2 Cy Young awards, Santana will make $12 Million this year and $13.125 in 2008. With Zambrano signing a new extension this week with the Cubs for $18M/yr, Santana will likely demand $20M/yr when he becomes a free agent after 2008. Because Santana finished in the top 3 for the Cy Young his contract now kicks in a no trade clause.
As a Twins fan, it would be nice to see Ryan try to wrap Santana up with an extension before the season ends. But as a small market team, it would be interesting to see how many pitchers/hitters/prospects the Twins could receive in a trade, assuming Santana approves. Would a couple 30+ HR hitting outfielders for $8M/yr each give the team more in the long run than one Santana every 5 days?
In the right ballpark, surrounded by the right team, Santana could win 2 more Cy Young's and flirt with 4,000 strikeouts.
Aug/0711
The New Timberpups: Part III (Sebastian Telfair)
By now even the deafest timberwolf fan should have heard the news that Kevin Garnett has been traded to Boston. It is a trade that I agree with in principle, but am sad about from a nostalgia standpoint. It’s the end of an era in Minnesota sports history that began with so much promise and ended with too many regrets. To avoid shedding a tear over the recent developments, I will focus on which players the Wolves got in return for sending KG to finally play with Ray Allen. Before I get started, here is a refresher on what the trade entailed: Kevin Garnett for Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, the first round pick that we gave Boston in the Davis/Szczerbiak trade (likely a 2009 pick), and Boston’s 2009 pick.
Certainly the most enigmatic piece of the trade is Sebastian Telfair. Telfair began as a high school hoops legend, becomming the shortest high school to NBA player in league history. After bursting on the scene as a high school freshman at the Adidas ABCD camp in 2000, Telfair became one of the most well known high school basketball players in the country. There was even talk that he might become the best point guard to ever come out of Brooklyn; a borough that produced Marbury, former North Carolina star Ed Cota, and Indiana Pacers' guard Jamaal Tinsley. The cousin of New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury, and the half-brother of former NBA player Jamel Thomas, Telfair led Lincoln High to three New York City PSAL titles and one state championship. He was the first player in history to win three PSAL titles. He finished his high school career as New York State’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Kenny Anderson. Telfair was the 13th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. He had committed to the University of Louisville and coach Rick Pitino during his senior year, but decided to turn professional instead.
Unfortunately, the success Telfair experienced as an amateur has not translated to the professional level. Sebastian's pro career has been highlighted by controversy and underachievement. Many believe Telfair is one of the strongest cases for the new minimum age requirement of the NBA.
On February 15, 2006, a loaded handgun was found in Telfair's pillowcase on the Blazers' private jet at Boston's Logan International Airport. Telfair told authorities the gun belonged to his girlfriend and that he inadvertently grabbed the wrong bag when leaving for the team's road trip. The gun was registered to Samantha Q. Rodriguez, Telfair's girlfriend of five years. On February 21, the Massachusetts State Police announced that no charges would be filed against Telfair in the incident (Massachusetts has very strict gun laws, the violation of which can lead to a prison sentence). On February 23, the NBA front office announced that Telfair would receive a 2-game suspension for breaking the league's collective bargaining agreement, which prohibits NBA players from carrying firearms while on league business.
Then, on October 16, 2006, Telfair had a chain reported to be worth $50,000 snatched from him while he was outside P Diddy's restaurant, Justin's. The following night, Telfair left a preseason basketball game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden to attend a police lineup, where he did not make any identification. A rumor began to circulate that he was seen making a phone call roughly an hour before rapper Fabolous was shot outside of the same club. Telfair voluntarily surrendered his cell phone records to police, and is not under investigation for any involvement, despite rumors to the contrary. It was later found that the chain belonged to Geonne Telfair, Telfair's younger sibling, and Telfair was reimbursed for the stolen property.
Apparently still not done playing with guns, Telfair and a friend, Al Eden Fuentes, were arrested early on April 20, 2007 and charged with felony possession of a weapon, after a traffic stop. The traffic stop was prompted when Telfair was spotted driving his 2006 Range Rover 77 mph on the Bronx River Parkway, a 45 mph zone. Telfair was driving under a suspended Florida license. When the police searched Telfair's vehicle, a loaded .45 caliber handgun was found under the passenger's seat. Both Telfair and Eden claimed to not have any knowledge of the handgun. Police have yet to determine the registration status of the handgun.
2005-2006
On January 1, 2005 Telfair had something of a breakout game by scoring 14 points on 5-11 shooting, making 4 of 5 free throws to go with 5 rebounds and 5 assists with only 1 turnover.
In February 2005, interim coach Kevin Pritchard promoted Telfair to the starting lineup. Although Telfair put up decent numbers, the Trail Blazers lost 23 of their final 28 games and finished with the team's worst record since 1975.
2005-2006
Under new head coach Nate McMillan, Telfair began the 2005-06 season as the starting point guard. He was occasionally paired in the backcourt with another high-school draftee taken in 2005, Martell Webster. Telfair's production was an improvement over his 2004-05 numbers, but it was still considered below par for an NBA starting point guard. As a result, he experienced increasing pressure from the Portland media. In December 2005, Telfair suffered a thumb injury and was replaced in the starting lineup by Steve Blake. Blake was less flashy but had fewer turnovers and more assists. Telfair returned to the court on January 9, after missing 12 games. Blake continued to start with Telfair coming off the bench. Although the Trail Blazers were eliminated from playoff contention, Telfair scored the winning basket against the Houston Rockets on April 5, 2006.
2006-2007
On June 28, the Trail Blazers traded Telfair along with center Theo Ratliff and a 2008 second-round pick to the Boston Celtics for guard Dan Dickau, center-forward Raef LaFrentz, and the 7th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, Randy Foye, who was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 6th overall pick, Brandon Roy. On April 24, 2007 Celtics managing partner Wyc Grousbeck announced that Telfair's nameplate on his Celtics locker had been removed and did not expect him back for the 2007-08 season.
2007-2008
On June 8, Danny Ainge stated that it is still possible Telfair will remain a Celtic. However on July 31, 2007 the Associated Press reported that Telfair had been traded (along with Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, and two first-round draft picks) to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Garnett. Telfair will wear Wolves jersey number 3, which was used before by cousin Stephon Marbury--Great... that worked out well for us last time!
I guess our hope for the future is that Telfair can finally achieve his full potential under the bright lights of Target Center. At least our hope should be that he doesn't pull Foye, McCants or Al Jefferson into gun violence and gang wars...
Street Ball Highlights:
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Through the Fire Mix:
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Aug/070
The New Timberpups: Part II (Gerald Green)
By now even the deafest timberwolf fan should have heard the news that Kevin Garnett has been traded to Boston. It is a trade that I agree with in principle, but am sad about from a nostalgia standpoint. It’s the end of an era in Minnesota sports history that began with so much promise and ended with too many regrets. To avoid shedding a tear over the recent developments, I will focus on which players the Wolves got in return for sending KG to finally play with Ray Allen. Before I get started, here is a refresher on what the trade entailed: Kevin Garnett for Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, the first round pick that we gave Boston in the Davis/Szczerbiak trade (likely a 2009 pick), and Boston’s 2009 pick.
Potentially one of the most important pieces of the deal for us is Gerald Green. I say "potentially" because that is all that Green is: Potential! Gerald is a freak of nature from an athletic standpoint, but hasn't as of yet transferred that talent to the NBA beyond dunk contests and highlight reels.
High School
In his senior year at Gulf Shores high school, Green averaged 33 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocked shots per game. For this effort he was named an All-American and played in the annual McDonald's All-American game, which features two teams composed of the best high school basketball players in the United States. Green also won the McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk Contest that year, defeating former Duke player Josh McRoberts.
Draft
Green originally committed to attending Oklahoma State University, but after his success in the All-American game and festivities he decided to enter the NBA Draft upon graduation. He hired an agent, thereby making himself ineligible to participate in NCAA athletics. Green was expected by many analysts to be one of the top few players chosen but he fell to the Celtics, who selected him with the 18th pick in the draft. His fall is attributed to his decision to give individual work outs only for the teams with the top six picks prior to the draft
Green drew comparisons to Houston Rockets superstar Tracy McGrady in the period leading up to the 2005 NBA Draft.
Green was one of the last players to enter the NBA directly from high school, as the collective bargaining agreement between NBA owners and the NBA Players' Association now mandates that American players who enter the NBA Draft must be at least one year removed from the graduation of their high school class and reach age 19 no later than December 31 of the calendar year of the draft.
2005-2006
During the pre-season, Green averaged 8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game for the Celtics in the 2005 Las Vegas Summer League.
After seeing limited playing time during the first part of the season, Green was placed on the Fayetteville Patriots of the NBA D-League by the Celtics in January of 2006. He was recalled and activated to an NBA roster position on February 3. He was reassigned to the NBDL, to the Florida Flame, on February 16. He was recalled and activated again on February 21, and saw his first significant NBA game action on the following night, scoring 13 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in 23 minutes.
He appeared in 32 games and averaged 11.8 minutes, 5.2 points, and 1.2 rebounds during these contests. Gerald Green left marks on the league with his highlight plays including a shot clock beating half court three against Indiana and two Sports Center top play dunks in the closing seconds in two games against Toronto.
2006-2007
Over the off-season, Green aimed at improving all aspects of his game in order to gain playing time. He had shown flashes of his capability during the end of the 2005-2006 season, but started off the 2006-2007 season slowly, earning a somewhat limited role and playing time behind captain Paul Pierce, and swingman Wally Szczerbiak. With injuries to Szczerbiak and Pierce, his playing time increased, but he has been unable to nail down a starting role. Green started his first ever game early December against the Philadelphia 76ers, but then lost his job to a returning Szczerbiak. Green finished the 2006-07 season averaging 10.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
On February 17, 2007, Green won the 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, beating out Nate Robinson, Tyrus Thomas, and Dwight Howard.
The objective of the Kevin Garnett trade was to get young potential in return, which we would then add to our current crop of young potential, with the hopes of winning a championship when that potential blossoms in 3 to 5 years. Whether Gerald Green will ever turn into an All-Star or even an NBA starter we don't know, but we will all enjoy the highlight reel dunks en route to whatever his destiny turns out to be...
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- Green had most of his right ring finger amputated at age eight after an accident
- Has a 48-inch vertical leap
- At the Celtics practice facility, caught and dunked a basketball bounced off of the 1986 championship banner, which is approximately 30 feet in the air
- Owns three dogs, one named Joker
- Prior to the 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Reebok began a promotional campaign called "The Gerald Green Show" in which posters and tshirts were distributed promoting Green. Green wore special Reebok Pump sneakers at the contest
- Was born at halftime of Super Bowl XX
Aug/0716
The New Timberpups: Part I (Al Jefferson)
By now even the deafest timberwolf fan should have heard the news that Kevin Garnett has been traded to Boston. It is a trade that I agree with in principle, but am sad about from a nostalgia standpoint. It's the end of an era in Minnesota sports history that began with so much promise and ended with too many regrets. To avoid shedding a tear over the recent developments, I will focus on which players the Wolves got in return for sending KG to finally play with Ray Allen. Before I get started, here is a refresher on what the trade entailed: Kevin Garnett for Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, the first round pick that we gave Boston in the Davis/Szczerbiak trade (likely a 2009 pick), and Boston's 2009 pick.
The most important piece of the deal is Al Jefferson, not only because he plays power forward, but because he is the most likely of the bunch to lead us to a championship sometime in the next decade.
Jefferson attended Prentiss High School in Prentiss, Mississippi. As a senior, he was a 2004 McDonald's All-American selection, and was a finalist for the Naismith Award, after he averaged 42 points, 16 rebounds and 9 blocks per game during the season. He committed to the University of Arkansas, but decided to forego college for the NBA Draft.
Al Jefferson was drafted out of high school with the 15th pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2004 NBA Draft, becoming the first high school player to be drafted by the Celtics (Kendrick Perkins was drafted by the Grizzlies, then traded to Boston on draft day in the 2003 NBA Draft). He played primarily as a power forward and averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game during his rookie season. Jefferson's 2005-2006 season was widely considered a disappointment, mostly due to a series of ankle injuries which limited him to playing in 59 games. He averaged 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game during his sophomore season.
In the off-season prior to the 2006-2007 season, Jefferson hired a personal chef and lost about 30 pounds. After experiencing lingering pain after participating in the Las Vegas Summer League, a CAT scan revealed bone spurs. On August 2, 2006, he underwent ankle surgery to remove these bone spurs. On November 8, 2006 prior to the fourth game of the season, Al Jefferson had appendectomy surgery at New England Baptist Hospital. The surgery was performed by Dr. Steven Camer and Dr. Farhat Homsy and assisted by Celtics Team Physician Dr. Brian McKeon. He missed seven games and returned to the lineup on November 23, 2006.
While already playing increased minutes (9.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per game over 9 games as a reserve), his role expanded due to an injury to starting center Kendrick Perkins. With backup centers Michael Olowokandi and Theo Ratliff already on the injured list, Celtics' coach Doc Rivers started Al Jefferson at center on December 6, 2006 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Over the next 7 games, Jefferson averaged 16.3 points and 11.1 rebounds in 33.7 minutes per game. In what some considered a breakout performance against the New Jersey Nets on December 9, 2006, he scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed 14 rebounds which tied a career-high (set on May 5, 2005 in a playoff game against the Pacers). It was the second time he had scored more than 20 points in a game. The previous occasion was on December 10, 2005 against the Dallas Mavericks where he scored 21 points. His third and fourth 20-point game came six and seven days after the second, on December 15 and December 16, 2006, when he scored 28 against the Denver Nuggets and 22 against the Charlotte Bobcats. These efforts punctuated a five-game win streak by the Boston Celtics.
On March 3, 2007, Jefferson scored a career high 32 points to go along with 18 rebounds against the New Jersey Nets, who Jefferson had previously set his career high in points against earlier in the season.
On March 5, 2007, Jefferson was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
Al Jefferson finished the 2006-07 NBA season with averages of if 16.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks
For more information you can read an interview by Mike Trudell on Timberwolves.com http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/meet_al_jefferson_070802.html
Enjoy!