Simmons on Rubio, Kahn, etc...

[alphad0gz]

40. Ricky Rubio
If you have the No. 5 and No. 6 picks in what turned out to be a quality draft, and you turn No. 5 into an asset that can't be realized for THREE YEARS because your No. 6 pick wasn't nearly as good as the No. 7 pick and also managed to drive your No. 5 pick to a foreign country, how is that anything other than an abject disaster? Bumbling GM David Kahn told Minnesota fans last week, "I don't expect to be a playoff team for at least two years." Great, just in time for the lockout and a new-wave NBA world with lower salaries and shorter contracts that's going to make Ricky say, "You know what? I think I'll just stay here for a couple more years and make three times as much money unless you trade me to a big-market team."

In fact, I thought about making Kahn the following bet: If Ricky Rubio plays even one minute for the Timberwolves, I will drive from Los Angeles to Minnesota for his first game while wearing a T-wolves jersey that says "KAHN" on the front and "No. 1" on the back. (It's an 1,835-mile trip. I looked it up.) But I don't want to root for the T-Wolves fans to lose Rubio; they've suffered enough. I hope I am wrong. I don't think I am.

(Follow-up story: Another NBA team sent someone to Spain to watch Rubio play for FC Barcelona a few weeks ago. The individual ran into one of Rubio's advisers and asked him how many times someone from Minnesota had come to see Rubio this season. The answer? Zero.)

Complete story on ESPN.com

[lobishome]

I think that Mr. Simmons must return to the rock'roll world.

[C.lupus]

Simmons is a tool.

[Steve_Holiday]

I don't see there being any evidence that Simmons' theory - Flynn over Curry drove Ricky to stay in Spain - is true.

First, Ricky's camp and Kahn have changed their stories regarding the conflict a number of times. I wouldn't count anything said by either party as truth. However, it was never stated that Kahn's pick at 6 impacted the decision on Ricky's side. Was it?

Simmons' theory rests on the fact that Ricky wouldn't want to compete for time with the sculpted and experienced Flynn. If he can't compete with a diminutive, borderline nba starter in practice, what would happen in games?

Simmons argues that despite the fact that Ricky would be playing basketball for free for three years, that the decision wasn't about money. He goes on to say that Ricky won't come after next season when his contract in Spain expires. Why? Money.

Sour grapes. Simmons should be ignored on this issue.

[john2jer]

I have a hard time taking Simmons seriously when he straight up lies in his articles to fit his agenda.

[bri]

I have a hard time taking Simmons seriously when he straight up lies in his articles to fit his agenda.

Fits with how BSPN is run.

[alphad0gz]

I don't follow Simmons at all....what's his agenda regarding this ?

[funkatron101]

Wasn't it Simmons who made the lame campaign to be Wolves GM?

[john2jer]

I don't follow Simmons at all....what's his agenda regarding this ?

He actively campaigned in his articles and on his Twitter page for the Wolves job before Kahn was hired. And since then all he's done is bash the Wolves, bash Kahn, and straight up lie when it comes to all things Minnesota.

[Calinks]

Didn't we just read like 3 articles that said Kahn just came back from Spain to see Rubio?

Also, I love how nobody ever questions Rubio in all of this. If he simply didn't come over only because he was scared to compete with Flynn or because all he cares about is a huge market then he should get ripped more so than Kahn or anybody else. Serious prospective NBA players are ready and willing to ball whenever, wherever.

I remember Flynn on that draft show, he was happy to go anywhere. He just wanted to be in the NBA.

[prefuse73]

He is a jacka$$

We literally gave up nothing for Ricky Rubio. Even if he never comes over, although it would be a shame, we never really lost anything. Okay, Curry would have been nice, but we would still be without Rubio. Furthermore, We would have been ripped to pieces if we hadn't have taken him (Rubio) with either of our picks.

[dunkonu21]

Great point prefuse. We gave up a vet who deserved to start winning and a guy who had an attitude problem and was no longer giving this team his all. Didn't we also save some money?

[Worm Guts]

Great point prefuse. We gave up a vet who deserved to start winning and a guy who had an attitude problem and was no longer giving this team his all. Didn't we also save some money?

Who deserved to start winning and who was the attitude problem? And no, we took on money, but we were able to dump it.

[dunkonu21]

Mike Miller was the vet and I'm convinced that Foye and McCants were both attitude problems, because they had an unhealthy struggle over being "the guy".

Simmons is so dang cocky. Just little things like naming that article "can you handle the truth", to never ever admitting he was wrong. He used to be great, now he is a sell out.

[Worm Guts]

I don't think Foye had an attitude probably and I don't think Miller deserved to win more than anyone else, but I think if you look at Washington they're not feeling too good about the trade. It really backfired on them.

[Krapinsky]

Mike Miller was the vet and I'm convinced that Foye and McCants were both attitude problems, because they had an unhealthy struggle over being "the guy".

Simmons is so dang cocky. Just little things like naming that article "can you handle the truth", to never ever admitting he was wrong. He used to be great, now he is a sell out.

Yeah, he used to be great with self-deprecating humor. The money/fame has obviously gone to his head. Now he just comes across ignorant and egotistical.

[B Calrissian]

Is there any proof that Foye had an attitude problem? I have heard it mentioned in the past by someone that was a huge Foye hater, I think it was D1SGRUNTLED or whatever his name is. But I have never seen any quotes or articles that make it seem like he has an attitude problem.

[Calinks]

Yea, I don't recall ever hearing anything about Foye having an attitude problem. The only issues I ever heard about Foye were that he struggled to be consistent and maybe at times struggled with confidence. That's about it. He seemed like a pretty calm and collected person.

And yea, Now with the current situation. The Wizards trade did blow up in their faces. If Gilbert wasn't acting like a moron and the team had better chemistry they could have been good but everything went to hell. At the time the trade seemed like a good idea IMO but now it wound up being terrible.

They are now a rebuilding team without a franchise PG. They took on extra money that they could use to rebuild. Most of all, they lost out on Rubio who would have been a fantastic PG to move forward with. It's not their fault but mainly through freak circumstance that deal wound up being a terrible decision.

[GopherIt!]

I don't think Foye had an attitude probably and I don't think Miller deserved to win more than anyone else, but I think if you look at Washington they're not feeling too good about the trade. It really backfired on them.

I wanted to see Washington do well this year because of Flip, Randy and Mike. Between Rubio/Butler/Haywood and this season falling apart, the poor Wiz board is almost suicidal.

[Iommi]

I'd love to talk Wolves ball with Simmons for ten minutes, at a computer, having him verify his sources for everything he said.