Flip Saunders finally commented on wiz-wolves deal

[Mcfale313]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolve ... anchO7DiUr

Sid Hartman: Saunders says trade was right for Wizards

The former Wolves coach believes Mike Miller and Randy Foye will help his new team return to the playoffs.

Flip Saunders, now the new coach of the Washington Wizards, didn't want to be critical of the Timberwolves' recent moves. But the former Wolves coach said he believed his current team is better off having Mike Miller and Randy Foye than it would have been keeping the No. 5 draft pick and potentially taking young Spanish star Ricky Rubio.

On June 24, the day before the NBA draft, the Wolves sent guards Miller and Foye to the Wizards in exchange for Washington's first-round pick, No. 5 overall, as well as three other players. With that pick, the Wolves took Rubio.

I'm sure that one of the reasons Kevin McHale and David Kahn couldn't come to an agreement to have McHale remain as coach is because I'm sure that McHale, a 16-year employee of the team under Glen Taylor, believes that with a healthy Al Jefferson and Corey Brewer returning, plus a year of experience for Kevin Love and three first-round draft choices, the team, though still very young, would be much more competitive than it has been the past two years.

I agree with McHale rather than Kahn, who spent that No. 5 pick on Rubio, even though the 18-year-old might not play for the next two years. Foye right now figures to be better than either Rubio or Jonny Flynn, the Wolves' No. 6 overall pick out of Syracuse.

On Thursday, El Periodico de Catalunya in Spain reported Rubio has ruled out playing in the NBA this year.

He added that he is talking to his advisers and trying to get rid of the two-year contract he signed with Barcelona. He has to pay $6.6 million to get out of the deal, and the Wolves are only permitted to provide $500,000 of that.

In judging the skills of Miller and Foye, Saunders shared the opinion of Randy Wittman -- fired as Wolves coach and replaced by McHale last season and now a Saunders assistant.

I personally like this approach better

Sid, you seem to support McFail, the worst GM in the history of the mankind. There should have been a ticker tape parade the minute he was canned. He should have been fired 10 years ago, after the Joe Smith debacle. How you can agree with him is beyond me. The team sucked. We weren't going anywhere with the status quo. Khan has done a remarkable job so far. We wouldn't have re-signed Foye or Miller, the reluctant shooting guard. We needed new fresh talent. We got that. Rubio may become a superstar. Foye won't. It was a great trade and Washington got rooked. The fact that Wittless signed off on the deal should be all you need to know.

[skorff26]

Of course Flip will like the trade, Washington does get better in the short term so it makes him look better.

But long-term value-wise this is a good step for the wolves.

If we hadn't done the trade, there's a good chance that we would compete for the playoffs but we would never compete for a title (which is why we are in complete rebuild mode, so that we have the pieces to compete for a title)

[Howlin T-Wolf]

Sid, you seem to support McFail, the worst GM in the history of the mankind. There should have been a ticker tape parade the minute he was canned. He should have been fired 10 years ago, after the Joe Smith debacle. How you can agree with him is beyond me. The team sucked. We weren't going anywhere with the status quo. Khan has done a remarkable job so far. We wouldn't have re-signed Foye or Miller, the reluctant shooting guard. We needed new fresh talent. We got that. Rubio may become a superstar. Foye won't. It was a great trade and Washington got rooked. The fact that Wittless signed off on the deal should be all you need to know.

I have to agree with this part. The Wizards have to be kicking themselves they didn't hold onto the pick and wait and see who was left on the board at #5. They most likely would have been able to get more for it had they waited.

That being said this is a grass is greener trade imo. Miller and Foye should be better in Washington than they were here. Foye was never going to be the pg of the future for us but I think will be a nice 6-man in the Barbosa/Terry mold in D.C. As for Miller, even though he was riddled by injuries last year, he never seemed to fit with Al. I only wish them both the best of luck in Washington.

As for Sid's comments he really must be getting too old for this thinking straight stuff. Anyone who thinks the Wolves we're going to compete this year with McHale back is smoking some serious stuff. And to say that there were better players available in the draft at #5 or even players more ready to contribute to a team competing is just plain false in my estimation. Kahn did great in getting the 2 best players available at 5+6 (Something McHale could have never done even if his life depended on it) and planning to letting it figure itself out down the road.

Wonder when Sid and McFail are going out to dinner next? Can someone snap a picture for our records?

[Steve_Holiday]

Sid is arguing that McHale and Kahn couldn't come to an agreement because Kahn believed the Wolves would be successful??? Then he goes on to say he "agrees" with McHale, who didn't offer an opinion in the first place and was not quoted.

This old man has been rambling for about 10 years longer than Strib management should have let him. He's 10x worse on the radio though; where half of his show is him stuttering trying to come up with a player or team name he has forgotten.

[tviper]

Sid is arguing that McHale and Kahn couldn't come to an agreement because Kahn believed the Wolves would be successful??? Then he goes on to say he "agrees" with McHale, who didn't offer an opinion in the first place and was not quoted.

This old man has been rambling for about 10 years longer than Strib management should have let him. He's 10x worse on the radio though; where half of his show is him stuttering trying to come up with a player or team name he has forgotten.

at least 10 years if not more...I remember when I lived in the Twin Cities hearing that old coot with his status quo ramblings...only at the Star and Sickle can such a no-talent hack as Sid Hartman still have a prominent voice in the Sports section...

[El_Lobo_3]

Sid is arguing that McHale and Kahn couldn't come to an agreement because Kahn believed the Wolves would be successful??? Then he goes on to say he "agrees" with McHale, who didn't offer an opinion in the first place and was not quoted.

This old man has been rambling for about 10 years longer than Strib management should have let him. He's 10x worse on the radio though; where half of his show is him stuttering trying to come up with a player or team name he has forgotten.

oh man I know, you aren't kidding. It has gotten progressively worse, someone needs to just take the mic from him and give him a condo in florida so he will retire and go away.

[HL Slamdunk]

The worst is seeing him on the CW's "Sports Show" with Reusse, Star, and Max. It is downright painful but hilarious at the same time. Reusse with his pessimistic takes on everything, Star with his lack of sports knowledge, and Hartman with his senility. I feel sorry for Mike Max. He has to somehow be the glue between those guys that keeps the show going.

[Carpe Diem]

While my good friend Sid should have retired years ago, he reminds me of a simpler time. A time where one read him every day and then listened to Steve Cannon on the way to the cabin. Sid is the last of a breed....

[Steve_Holiday]

The worst is seeing him on the CW's "Sports Show" with Reusse, Star, and Max. It is downright painful but hilarious at the same time. Reusse with his pessimistic takes on everything, Star with his lack of sports knowledge, and Hartman with his senility. I feel sorry for Mike Max. He has to somehow be the glue between those guys that keeps the show going.

Ha. I didn't know a version of this was still on. I've only seen one episode, but it was memorable. Sid started coughing and all the other hosts got quiet. When he stopped, Reusse said, "I thought it was the end." Hilarious.

[horaceworthy]

I caught the "Sports Show" the Sunday after the draft (Reusse was out for some reason, and one of the Griffiths was filling in). It was hilarious. Sid just went off on Kahn, like, to quote George Costanza, "an old man ordering soup in a deli." Kept on harping on how Flip and Wittman saw Foye and Miller up close all year, so they must have won the trade and Kahn must be an idiot. He ranted for a good couple minutes, none of it used on explaining what any of the players involved (Flynn, Rubio, Foye Miller) did well/poorly, then it got quiet and Star gave it a "You're just saying that because Kahn won't have lunch with you." which would have sent Sid flying off the handle more (since it's true), but they had to go to break. I usually just take Sid with a grain of salt because he's an institution and his various agendas are pretty clear, but this exchange was hilarious. I'd never seen him get so worked up.