Timberwolves part ways with coach McHale
June 17, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—During 15 years in charge of the Minnesota Timberwolves,Kevin McHale forged two distinct reputations.
There was McHale the gifted teacher, beloved by players and staff for hisrelentlessly positive demeanor and an unending eagerness to share his wealth ofbasketball knowledge. Then there was McHale the mistake-prone executive,vilified by fans for a series of blunders and the failure to make his team intoa consistent championship contender.
New president of basketball operations David Kahn dumped McHale as coach onWednesday, praising him as a “great man” who deserves respect. But offered nospecific reasons during a press conference for his decision, saying instead that“this is going to be a transition period. And with the changes that haveoccurred, and with the changes that are still going to come, it would have beendifficult to put him in the middle of that again.”
McHale, a northern Minnesota native and Hall of Fame player who won threeNBA titles with the Boston Celtics in the 1980s, met several times with Kahnbefore the decision was reached.
“I was willing to come back, but they never offered me a contract,” McHaletold the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “They told me last night they were going in adifferent direction. I said, ‘I think you’re making a mistake, but that’s up toyou guys.”’
Players lamented the loss of the teacher.
“I was more shocked, disappointed, hurt,” said forward Al Jefferson(notes), oneof many players who urged Kahn to bring McHale back next season. “But at thesame time I understand that this is a business.”
Timberwolves forward Mark Madsen(notes) said McHale will be sorely missed.
“Kevin McHale is a great coach,” Madsen said in a phone interview fromSalt Lake City. “I’m a little bit surprised by this news and I was hoping toplay for him next season and I guess that’s not going to happen now.”
Though he helped turn one of the most hapless franchises in professionalsports into a playoff team by boldly drafting Kevin Garnett(notes) out of high schoolwith the fifth pick in 1995, McHale received massive criticism from fans thelast few years for a series of draft-day failures and other roster moves thatnever worked out.
After a stirring run to the Western Conference finals in 2004, the Wolveshave not made the playoffs since.
McHale showed more proficiency as a coach and adored this young team that hehelped assemble after trading Garnett to Boston in 2007. Timberwolves forwardKevin Love(notes) actually leaked word of McHale’s departure early Wednesday with aTwitter posting that read in part: “Today is a sad day.”
“I don’t want Kevin (Love) to feel badly about that,” said Kahn, who addedthat they won’t start the coaching search until after the June 25 draft. “Welive in a very different world than all of us grew up in. I don’t think it’s abig deal.”
McHale had been the primary decision-maker on personnel matters since he wasnamed vice president of basketball operations in 1995, forging a tight bond withowner Glen Taylor in the process.
“I know that David made a careful analysis and this decision was made withthe best interests of the Minnesota Timberwolves in mind,” Taylor said in astatement issued by the team. “I will be forever grateful for the work Kevindid in returning to his home state and assembling a team that made eightstraight playoff appearances. Kevin brought an enormous amount of basketballtalent and passion to our organization and I wish him nothing but the best.”
FILE – In this Dec. 14, 2008, … AP – Jun 17, 12:24 pm EDT
Even while in the front office, McHale loved to work with players—oftenstaying late after practice to help post players from Garnett to Jefferson honetheir inside games. He still enjoyed that aspect last season, though losing woreon him and he wasn’t fond of the rigors of travel.
Though Jefferson lobbied heavily to keep McHale, he said he supported Kahn’sdecision “100 percent.”
“We have to put Mac out of our heads right now,” Jefferson said. “Italked to some of the guys today. In a way, we’re glad it’s over with.”
In 2005, McHale took over as coach after firing his old friend Flip Saundersand went 19-12 the rest of the season.
Taylor moved McHale down from the front office again in December to takeover for fired coach Randy Wittman, and hired Kahn last month to take McHale’sformer position as basketball boss.
Minnesota’s record under McHale after he replaced Wittman was 20-43, but formuch of that stretch the Wolves were playing short-handed after Jefferson torethe ACL in his right knee. Defensive standout Corey Brewer(notes) also suffered aseason-ending knee injury and guard Randy Foye(notes) missed 12 of the last 22 games toankle and hip problems.
FILE – In this March 23, 2009,… AP – Jun 17, 12:23 pm EDT
Several players remarked about the positive vibe McHale brought to the benchand expressed appreciation of his simpler strategy.
“I believe to my core that Kevin McHale has some enormous gifts and is agood human being who cares deeply about his players,” Kahn said. “But I canalso believe, at this present time, it was time to make a change.”
McHale was haunted by several bad contracts given to the likes of MarkoJaric(notes), Troy Hudson(notes) and Mike James(notes); draft-day blunders like Ndudi Ebi, RashadMcCants(notes) and the trade of Brandon Roy(notes) for Randy Foye; and an illegalunder-the-table deal with Joe Smith(notes) that ultimately cost the team threefirst-round draft picks.
Those missteps aside, Madsen said he thinks people should remember thatMcHale built a perennial lottery team into a group that once lost to the Lakersin the Western Conference finals.
“I think Kevin McHale’s legacy speaks for itself,” Madsen said. “Sure,the last couple years haven’t been quite as good as any of us would have wanted.But let’s not forget that it was Kevin McHale and Flip Saunders that took thisorganization to new heights in 2004 that was probably an injury away from achampionship.”
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