Mchale comments on the Al Jefferson trade
- Thread starter Purch
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Poorly building around Garnett and spending so much for him is what set the Timberwolves back. Would they have been in any better of a situation right now had they kept Garnett? They would've had better records, worse draft picks, and likely somehow even worse off in the longterm had they kept Garnett.
At the end of the day, the question becomes would Minnesota been able to completely dump Garnett like they did with Jefferson and get two 1st rounders? Yeah, the Jazz probably got a great deal, but I don't think anyone in the NBA would've been both willing and able to make such a deal.
The problem with the Timberwolves doesn't stem from the Garnett trade, it stems from nearly literally everything that franchise has done besides draft KG in the first place. That franchise doesn't know their head from their *** as a rule.
chemdude1232
Active Member
As I recall, McHale also worked a bunch with Al during the time they were in Minny together, so it's understandable that McHale would be partial to his protege.
Hopper
Banned
It shows, eh, Chem? McHale used to have some of the most unstoppable moves in the NBA. Now Al does.
candrew
Well-Known Member
I never said they should not have traded Garnett - the trade they made was awful.
JimLes
Well-Known Member
Sure, paying Garnett 28 million for one year of basketball(that was 64% of the ENTIRE salary cap that year) was stupid, but Garnett asked for that money. It's not like Minny just double his salary against his wishes. If they had let a franchise player walk, that would've been stupid, as well.
You can't ask that 2/3 of team's (theoretical) payroll go to you and then complain that the management hasn't surrounded you with quality players.
You can't ask that 2/3 of team's (theoretical) payroll go to you and then complain that the management hasn't surrounded you with quality players.
candrew
Well-Known Member
And yet the year Garnett made 28 million was they year they won 58 games and made it to the WCF.
Garnett re-signed for less money in 04-05 with the understanding that Minnesota would get more talent - that of course never happened.
McHale made plenty of mistakes; but every team in the league called him when they put Garnett on the block. The trade they made, one promising young player (AJ) and four scrubs (Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green and Theo Ratliff), could not have possibly been the best deal out there and ended up being a death blow to the franchise.
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
I don't really think that McHale was in a very good situation.
Minny isn't exactly #1 in attracting quality players. The 2 out of the 3 guys they had on their championship run were older players (Spre and Cassel). I guess McHale should have surrounded KG with better talent in those early 2000's. Maybe he could have done better... But Maybe not, Minny still struggles to attract anyone. I do remember losing out on Marbury hurt them. Terrell Brandon never really panning out hurt them as well. Some luck has to go along with it too. I remember that they faced the Spurs a lot in the first round. Had we faced the Mavs in 07 instead of the Warriors, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have made it to the WCFs.
Once KG got old they needed to rebuild. I'm not sure if Minny will ever be done rebuilding. I think that's just one of those dead-end franchises. Perhaps we'll find out what that's like once Jerry retires? His system does a lot to make us look good.
Minny isn't exactly #1 in attracting quality players. The 2 out of the 3 guys they had on their championship run were older players (Spre and Cassel). I guess McHale should have surrounded KG with better talent in those early 2000's. Maybe he could have done better... But Maybe not, Minny still struggles to attract anyone. I do remember losing out on Marbury hurt them. Terrell Brandon never really panning out hurt them as well. Some luck has to go along with it too. I remember that they faced the Spurs a lot in the first round. Had we faced the Mavs in 07 instead of the Warriors, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have made it to the WCFs.
Once KG got old they needed to rebuild. I'm not sure if Minny will ever be done rebuilding. I think that's just one of those dead-end franchises. Perhaps we'll find out what that's like once Jerry retires? His system does a lot to make us look good.
Everytime I see Jefferson use an up and under, I thank McHale for working with him. You can definitely see that it rubbed off.
Hopper
Banned
Talkin about McHale, combined with the recent threads pertainin to Deron as the Jazz's floor leader, makes me think of a story Larry Bird told about Dennis Johnson, Boston's ole point guard. Didn't nobuddy mess with Dennis, not McHale, not nobuddy.
McHale (who Danny Ainge called "the black hole") was afraid to even talk to Johnson, so during one game he asked Bird to ask Johnson why he wasn't gittin the ball. So Bird did.
Johnson said: Tell McHale that if he ever wants to touch the ball again, he best start settin some picks.
McHale (who Danny Ainge called "the black hole") was afraid to even talk to Johnson, so during one game he asked Bird to ask Johnson why he wasn't gittin the ball. So Bird did.
Johnson said: Tell McHale that if he ever wants to touch the ball again, he best start settin some picks.
carolinajazz
Well-Known Member
....hey hop!....I thought picks were only the white man's friend in basketball??!!!
billyshelby
Well-Known Member
Judge for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlSZC4TAYVc
McHale's right hook shot was a little more traditional whereas Al's is more like a push shot, but they're both unblockable. And yeah, the up and unders are uncanny. (And as a sidenote, you forget how freaky good McHale's right hand was--he could score with it from absurd angles.)
But the biggest influence McHale had was obviously with the footwork. Al's footwork is off the charts, and there's no way to exaggerate how good McHale's was.
McHale's right hook shot was a little more traditional whereas Al's is more like a push shot, but they're both unblockable. And yeah, the up and unders are uncanny. (And as a sidenote, you forget how freaky good McHale's right hand was--he could score with it from absurd angles.)
But the biggest influence McHale had was obviously with the footwork. Al's footwork is off the charts, and there's no way to exaggerate how good McHale's was.
If he turned out the same, that would have been awesome. McHale was one of my favorite players to watch along with the rest of that Boston team.
Well.... mostly because they were able to beat the Lakers, but they were good. McHale is a freak of nature..... I still cant believe that bean pole could play like he did.
Good point(s).