Author Archive
Keys To the Wolf Den: A Young, Still Growing, Al Jefferson’s Potential
Posted: 9th March 2010 by Matthew Hayden in NBA
The Minnesota Timberwolves' star Al Jefferson is a big man with many jokes and often playful demeanor, but make no mistake that when it comes to his game, Al Jefferson will recover from his torn ACL injury 100 percent and be back to his old 20-10 ways, with higher efficiency and better passing abilities.
That being said, many announcers and critics always say a "young" Al Jefferson. People forget that ...
Keys To The Wolf Den: Evan Turner Belongs in a Wolves Uniform
Posted: 2nd March 2010 by Matthew Hayden in NBA
No. 1 or No. 2?
Do the Wolves take him with the No. 1 pick if they get it?
No doubt.
John Wall has a tremendous amount of upside, but that Evan Turner guy is ridiculous.
At 6'7'', 205 pounds of raw length, muscle and athleticism, the Minnesota Timberwolves need to do everything in their power to ensure they have the No. 1 or No. 2 pick to draft Turner.
Evan Turner is Brandon Roy ...
Keys To The Wolf Den: Al Jefferson’s Charge Will Speak Volumes About Wolves
Posted: 28th February 2010 by Matthew Hayden in NBA
The Minnesota Timberwolves suffered a setback when the Timberwolves star Al Jefferson was arrested for a DWI, pending a court charge in April, and followed by a two-game suspension that will leave the Wolves without their leading scorer, and second leading rebounder.
"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 ...
Jonny Flynn is Not The Answer For The Minnesota Timberwolves
Posted: 24th February 2010 by Matthew Hayden in NBA
That smile and headband, although trademarks, really don't tell the story of the one they call Jonny Flynn.
Coming into the draft, Jonny figured to be a bonafide rookie of the year candidate. And although has shown some flash, it has become perfectly clear that Flynn's so-called POTENTIAL is nothing more than a solid spark off the bench, a taller Nate Robinson with better passing abilitys.
The game against Miami, and plenty ...
Keys to the Wolf Den: Darko Milicic’s Future As a Wolf
Posted: 22nd February 2010 by Matthew Hayden in NBA
Note: Please excuse my absence, my laptop has been broken for the last week, and I haven't been able to write. I will try to make up for lost time.
Darko Milicic is an intriguing story in the NBA, only because of time.
In the draft, Milicic was taken after LeBron James, and before the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, all marquee players in the NBA.
The pressure ...
Keys to the Wolf Den: Nikola Pekovic and Bench Play
Posted: 9th January 2010 by Matthew Hayden in NBA
The Minnesota Timberwolves currently have a plethora of first round draft picks heading into next season, as well as European contracts, cap space, expiring contracts, and second round picks to complement them.
There is hope for the Minnesota Timberwolves, as they are set to build their future off of this year with a new head coach signed for the long term, and a new GM sent on revitalizing the Minnesota ...
Keys to the Wolf Den: Living in the “Twin Cities” and Free Agents
Posted: 8th January 2010 by Matthew Hayden in NBA
The state of Minnesota's biggest citiesùMinneapolis and St. Paulù are called the "Twin Cities."
Who's Minneapolis and who's St. Paul?
Well in my opinion it does not matter, because Al Jefferson and Kevin Love are arguably in the top three frontcourts in the NBA.
Why?
Because not only do they compliment each other on the court and off the court, but it shows up on the stat sheet.
Al Jefferson's Stat Line: 17.6 ...
Keys to the Wolf Den: Triangle and Run-N-Gun Offense Evaluation
Posted: 8th January 2010 by Matthew Hayden in NBA
When it comes to certain topics, I choose not to dive into numbers and statistics, and just let the game speak for itself.
Watching the Golden State game, I've come to truly appreciate the triangle offense, and it satisfies me that the Wolves have a half-court offense that can be effective. In fact, I would like to say it's better than the Wolves running pick and rolls at this point.
The Minnesota ...
Keys to the Wolf Den: Energy and Tweaking the Starting Lineup
Posted: 3rd January 2010 by Matthew Hayden in NBA
As a Wolves fan and writer, I am disgusted at times watching the Timberwolves play. Not because shots don't fall and not because they turn the ball over, but when the Wolves play with no energy.
Of course I think it's possible to win 24+ games next season for themùthe Oklahoma City Thunder started 3-29 for their first 32 games and went on to win 24.
But the Timberwolves are a completely ...
Keys to the Wolf Den: Wayne Ellington Compared to Randy Foye
Posted: 2nd January 2010 by Matthew Hayden in NBA
Wayne Ellington is starting to play better and has become a key component to the Wolves offense off the bench.
As a rookie, Wayne Ellington has made very veteran type decisions, and at a few points in his rookie campaign, often known for his three-point shooting went through a slide of missing five or more three-pointers over the course of a few games.
But in his last 10 games, particularly his ...