Minnesota Timberwolves Howled For Help, Kurt Rambis Wild About Coaching Chance

Nearly two decades ago, Kurt Rambis stepped up in a critical way for the Los Angeles Lakers.

As he arrived on the court, stylish, wearing enormous black glasses, a thick mustache, and tight, small shorts, no one would ever mistake him for tough.

But that's exactly what Kurt embodied.

Known for his physicality in sustaining possessions with his exceptional rebounding, the tall and lanky forward was an inside force.

For instance, Rambis’ energetic dominance was a primary factor in a memorable Game Four of the 1984 NBA Finals, between his "Showtime" Lakers and the Boston Celtics. In that game, Rambis caught a pass on a fast break, and was on his way to dunking the ball when Celtics PF Kevin McHale clotheslined him.

Now, 25 years later, Rambis gets a shot at reviving the same franchise McHale couldn't.

On Tuesday afternoon, Rambis advanced to new heights, and now can take responsibility in leading a team under his behalf as the new coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

At last, the Wolves can say they’ve found a coach with potential, someone who can make vital adjustments and instill charisma. At last, they can attempt to rebuild into contenders, dismissing previous coaches who have failed, one of them being McHale, who was the former president and coach.

After 10 years of being an Assistant Coach, Rambis earned his first chance at making the calls. He will never have to sit on the bench waiting for the boss to call the plays.

Its his job now. A job to bring the Wolves back into the playoff picture; one they haven't seen since Kevin Garnett left town for a ring in Boston.

From his distinctive star power in the ‘80’s, one that rivaled local Hollywood celebs, Rambis was admired. He was the one player aside from Magic Johnson, who played an integral role in the Lakers dynasty.

He's also been on the bench for many of the Lakers titles this decade. But no longer will he have to sit in the shadows of Phil Jackson. He now confronts his own challenges; coaching the youth of the Wolves.

This rare opportunity gives Rambis the chance to mold players and develop them into solid professionals.



For much of Rambis’ life, he's played in an up-tempo offense, meaning, he will most likely install one. It will create a dynamic and tense transition game, which can quite often be difficult to stop on both the perimeter and in the paint.

This past June, after the NBA Draft, many league experts were perplexed by GM David Kahn's moves. But one sure-fire winner, has been the signing of Rambis. In the past two seasons, the Wolves collected just 22 and 24 wins, making it difficult to hire a coach to clean up dismay.

It was simple for Mark Jackson, ABC/ESPN analyst, to pass on this job. But Rambis embraced the challenge - a hard one at that.

Now fans in the "Twin City" are counting on him to bring the Wolves back to the playoffs.

With Rambis' hiring, the drafting of Jonny Flynn, and the possible addition of Ricky Rubio, the fans will support the Wolves and their new faces.

First and foremost, Rubio may not even play in Minnesota this season due to contract disputes. But well-rounded prospect, Jonny Flynn will. The Syracuse alum, has the potential to blossom into a superstar with his poise and leadership qualities. And there’s no better leader or mentor than Rambis to cultivate guidance.

It will be interesting to see if the franchise that Rambis dedicated most of his life to, the Lakers, is one that he can help challenge in the coming years.

But in the meantime, it will have to be a complete effort from top to bottom, for the Wolves to get back to the promised land. But the hiring of Kurt Rambis was a great start to a new beginning.

T'Wolves: Rubio Just Might Be a Waste, Hazed in Uncertainty

So, we've stirred up international bias, describing the 18-year-old as Pete Maverich and anointed Ricky Rubio as NBA's next elite point guard.

Only playing next season would have revealed the truth, whether the Spaniard is NBA caliber or just a disappointment. Until then, we will never understand who exactly Rubio is, or if he’s the greatest since Pistol Pete.

But being compared to the Pistol is ridiculous, and with the availability of technology, YouTube videos unleash him as the greatest play maker in the world. Fine, he might be prolific at passing the ball, unstoppable in transition and explosive to the rim, but we forgot he’s not nearly as exquisite shooting the ball.


Recently, Rubio is perplexing and unpromising to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Just when the hype began to fade out, Rubio faded out quickly, vanishing from the country that has solely acclaimed him with warmth salutes.

Within that span, he convoked more fame than Jon and Kate, described as former elite superstars. He hasn't even played one game in the country where the Star Spangled Banner hails as the national anthem.

And to some, Rubio was the most exciting player in the draft, and corralled more acceptance than Blake Griffin, equipped as the No. 3 pick to be selected.


Mired in an oppressive state is Wolves' president of basketball operations David Kahn, uncertain of Rubio's stance for suddenly reneging. All of us should have being befuddled when Rubio's father informed the Wolves of his sons status, saying he may play in Spain for a few more years rather than the NBA.

It came when we were obligated to seeing him translate excellence outside the Euro league; it came when we over-hyped him, overshadowing the likings of others, and it came when the Wolves are in disarray. Right now, they are in a complex dilemma, drafting an internationally-born player who suddenly opts to return overseas.

If that was his intent, then in what way did the Wolves benefit? By signing a player that obtruded a mind-numbing mess for taking the popular teen who seemed loyal and optimistic about playing with Minnesota?

Perhaps there’s a reason for Rubio's impulsive repudiation, leaving the Wolves in nonsensical blunders—not something Kahn visualized stepping in as the new boss of a disoriented franchise that has being left in a bewildered casualty by the poor choices and dumbfounded irrationality of Kevin McHale.

Much has abolished over the course of last season, when coach Randy Wittman was fired. That gave leeway to the ill-minded McHale, who resigned as president of basketball operations to coach full time.

After misery stained his imagery as head coach, forward Kevin Love tweeted that McHale and Kahn discerned that it was time for a new ambassador to jettison dismal failures from their perception of revamping fortune.

Now, Kahn is searching for a new coach in the rebuilding stage that has evoked concern, as we are still confused to some of his baffling ideas—one reason being that the addition of Rubio seems to be a wasteful selection. From buying into Rubio’s hoopla, he squandered a pick that could have actually benefited in the future.

Had he not being watching videos on YouTube, maybe he wouldn't be faced with a burden as a first-time general manger. Then again, Kahn might have just selected Rubio base on his savvy passing capabilities and ball creativity. Still, there are flaws that he must upgrade, if the Wolves demand a well-rounded point guard.

Lack of growth and ball-handling weaknesses both dimple Rubio, and draw critique among the future. But learning that he’s expected to return to Spain urges the Wolves to wait patiently, and seeing if he’s gifted at filling in blemishes.

Until then, to discard any delay and to make an impression in his first managerial job, it would have been nice to see Kahn centralize the middle.

With prospects like prolific forward Jordan Hill or forward DeJuan Blair, depth would have tightened up the interior and made a relevant inside presence alongside Al Jefferson and Love, a pair of solid players who have the tangibles of being physical.

A remodeling stage started when Kahn dealt Randy Foye and Mike Miller two days before the draft, confusing fans of advancing higher just to claim Rubio.

By virtue, the Wolves howled guards in a pool that contained only elite guards, selecting a charismatic leader in Jonny Flynn, who proved at Syracuse he can control tempo in the back-court and instill charisma.

In fact, he is advanced and NBA-ready, ever since departing from the college level, having contiguous leadership and readiness to score from long-range.

When a guard is that versatile, Rubio should be the last player coming to mind, even if he goes back to Spain for contract disputes. Taxes can delay him of the NBA for a few seasons, if reports are truthful.

Other countries such as Spain are prestigious and superior in confusing turbulence that may restrict Rubio from leaving Europe to expand.

Allegedly, Rubio’s tax payment was postponed by collateral his team filed, of which could hinder success in the future outside of Spain. He has filed a lawsuit, but the Spanish Government is inevitable to ignore if the tax money isn’t paid.

In other words, Rubio won't be able to play elsewhere until issues are resolved. He missed the presentation of the Wolves' 2009 draft class, partly because of his $6.6 million buyout, but apparently, Kahn is patient enough to wait on the teen that he shouldn’t miss too much.

Since selecting Flynn overall at No. 6, guard Ty Lawson from North Carolina, and 28th pick Wayne Ellington from North Carolina, there's not much to miss. Just as we never really understood Kahn’s upgrading plans, same goes for Rubio, in that his future is misleading.

Unfortunately, Kahn's first blunder came on his first selection overall at the sixth pick. After all, Rubio wasn’t worth a first-round pick, but he was just a waste.