Timberwolves “Coaching Search” Ends; Ryan Saunders is the “Winner”

Photo: David Sherman: NBAE/Getty Images

Congratulations to Ryan Saunders, who is about to be announced as the next Head Coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. In doing so, he will immediately become the youngest at that position, in the NBA. Seriously, It’s a real feat and something he should be proud of. From all accounts, Ryan has worked hard and is loved around the entire organization.

But, if you came here to slob all over his knob, you’re in the wrong place.

This hire was rigged for Ryan from the beginning. EVERY SINGLE insider, that deals with the team, has been telling anyone who will listen, that Ryan is the guy, no matter what the team says. The tweeter above, Jon Krawczynski, has been all over KFAN and The Athletic, reminding everyone that Ryan Saunders will be the permanent head coach… or that he’d be SHOCKED if the team ended up going another direction. Darren Wolfson has been saying the same things on his podcast and on Twitter.

Everyone who is anyone (and pays attention) knew that this was Saunders’ job from the moment the season ended. I don’t care what Gersson Rosas or Glen Taylor have said, or what kind of “coaching search” they put on, Ryan was the guy. Rosas and Taylor have made livings, in part, by lying to us. So, stop with those arguments.

In fact, Ryan meeting with the candidates of the PoBO search (that eventually landed Rosas) and then the poorly conducted “coaching search” (it took less than a week) that Rosas followed up with, gave the pre-determined hand-off away so badly that we should be in a goal line set, ready to send the house on a run blitz.

The Timberwolves Organization believes that you and I are so fucking stupid, that they don’t even need to try, when they fool us anymore.

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But, we’re not that fucking stupid. At least, not anymore. From Rider, to Laettner, to Marbury, to the KG era, to KAHN, to Curry Flynn/Rubio, to Love, and now onto Andrew Wiggins….. and EVERYTHING in-between, the Timberwolves Organization and Glen Taylor have done ABSOLUTELY nothing to gain my respect and especially my trust that they are making the right moves.

Gersson Rosas has been hailed as a great hire from around the NBA (so was Thibs) and, after doing a little research, I was actually pleasantly surprised too. So, what does Glen Taylor do immediately after hiring a well-respected mind to make his decisions? Taylor, who is the opposite of “well-respected” when it comes to basketball decisions, makes the decision for him… POSSIBLY

This just reeks of the same old Glen Taylor and Minnesota Timberwolves bullshit.

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Alright, so now that all of the Timberwolves apologists stopped reading a long time ago, here is what I will say on the positive side:

Clearly, Ryan Saunders is more than just a nice, young face with a hometown story for the ages… For all I know, Saunders might end up being the best basketball coach in the history of the Timberwolves. Obviously, he’s well respected by all of the players (Jon Athletic said he had their STRONG endorsement) and he is the “new age” type of coach. One who can connect with the young generation that he is coaching. I sure as hell hope he is all of that and more.

We don’t know exactly how Ryan kept the head job. It’s possible that Rosas had all of the power, just like he has maintained when questioned. Maybe, he met Ryan and it was “love at first sight”. If an easy love between the two really is the case (and Gersson really is a genius basketball mind)… then maybe we are on our way to a future Timberwolves franchise that helps us to forget the last 30 years…

but wait….

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…we still have Andrew Wiggins on roster for the same amount of money. Good luck.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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