Rubio Tied To Rambis’ Fate?
The Minnesota Timberwolves offseason has already gone on for a few weeks since they were nowhere near a playoff berth. As the postseason plays out in other NBA cities, the Timberwolves continue to work to attempt to put together a product that appeals to their fanbase as well as wins games. One of the most important questions for the team to answer is whether or not they believe head coach Kurt Rambis is the coach to help them achieve their goals.
"I’ve always liked everybody to just take some time off, get away, regardless of what goes on in season," said Rambis before his team’s final game. "There’s always a reflective period, a relaxing period where you kind of let everything settle in, whether the season was good or whether the season was not as good as you would’ve liked."
Team owner Glen Taylor said nearly the exact same thing days after the regular season ended and it seems as if he is sticking to his word. Weeks after these comments, the team is preparing to touch base with Ricky Rubio overseas as David Kahn, assistant GM Tony Ronzone and international scout Pete Philo make their way to visit their asset as well as others.
Although there are numerous reasons why Rubio may be hesitant to sign on the dotted line and join the Timberwolves, it may very well make sense to retain Rambis to show Rubio the team is beginning to have some continuity. It stands to reason Rubio would be much more willing to make the move to the NBA—and the Timberwolves, in particular—if he would play for a coach he is familiar with and Rambis holds that clout not for his coaching, but for his time as a player in the league with the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers.
"The talent level is here, but you don’t have the sort of turmoil that we’ve had in terms of the turnover from last year and the disruptive factor of the number of new guys we had last year to the number of new guys we added this year," said Rambis. "In a lot of ways, that’s what an expansion franchise does."
In recent conversations with the men who will decide his fate, Rambis has reportedly stated he understands he will need to alter the way he coaches if he is to return. In his two years with the Timberwolves, Rambis conducted himself as if he were Phil Jackson leading the Los Angeles Lakers. While that method works on a veteran-laden team such as the two-time reigning champion Lakers, it does not work with a young team still learning their way, learning the game. There is no doubt he believes in his team and that they can get there, but the question becomes if he truly can alter his coaching methods to fit his team.
{AUTHOR_BOX}"We added a lot of new ballplayers, we’re the youngest team in the league and guys are always trying to find ways to improve and connect with each other," said Rambis. "Guys learning how to play with each other, it takes time. You throw that into the mix with young players all trying to figure themselves out, how to conduct themselves in this league and what they can and can’t do in this league. Look at the fact that young guys don’t handle disruption very well, so injuries, personal problems that we’ve had on this team this year, it all is a disruptive factor."
It is very possible the biggest strength of Rambis at this time is the ability to sell his product with his words like a used car salesman. You see a lemon on the lot, but he will make you believe the engine of the car is just fine. It is just a bit of detail work to the interior that will make the car shine and get you where you need to go.
"They see it, they sense it, they feel it," said Rambis, referring to his players. "They even get on each other about, ‘Hey, we were playing great whenever we were moving the ball’ or ‘hey, we were playing great when we were stopping them in their pick and roll offense.’ Those kinds of things they see and it’s just a matter of being able to do it night in and night out. I look at individuals and how much they’ve improved over the year and I hold onto the fact that because they are so young they’re going to continue to improve. If you look at the example of great players in this league, great players are always adding to their game. That’s how they keep staying ahead of the competition. We fully expect all of our young players to do that as well."
In the end, the decision to retain Rambis could prove to be the right one if the Timberwolves progress at a faster pace after making tough decisions about some of their youthful players. David Kahn stated very clearly there will only be very minor tinkering to the roster. Jonny Flynn has played his final game in Minnesota most likely and the team must address the center position. As Rambis himself stated, the team has had a lot of turnover in recent years and keeping Rambis in town may be the correct call in developing the young talent.
See? The used car salesman strikes again.
The debate rages on about Rambis between both fans and the front office. If Ricky Rubio does in fact decide to sign with the Timberwolves and make his way to Minnesota next season—if there is a next season—it is beginning to look more and more clearly that his first head coach in the NBA will be Kurt Rambis.
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