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This collection of young players — like them or not — has bought in, though, to what Kevin McHale and the rest of the authority figures in the organization are selling.
Sebastian Telfair, who signed a contract this week that should last three years, was the latest to commit to a clear core including Al Jefferson, Randy Foye, Mike Miller, Kevin Love, Corey Brewer, Rashad McCants and Craig Smith.
“We are very excited,” McHale said.
Here’s a telling story: For the sake of efficiency and savings, the Timberwolves and Houston Rockets co-hosted pre-draft workouts for prospects in June. Front-office evaluators and coaches from both teams traveled to the other city, and vice versa, to allow players the chance to perform for two teams at once.
After one of the workouts in the Wolves’ practice facility in the basement of Target Center, some of the Rockets officials noticed a handful of older players gathering on the side — waiting to take the court.
“The Houston people came up here and were absolutely startled,” McHale said.
Jefferson, Foye, McCants, Brewer and Chris Richard were among those present.
“There were like six, seven guys getting ready to work out,” McHale said. “They were like, ’What are these guys doing?’ And I said, ’Oh, they work out after our workout with the young guys.’ They said, ’You’ve got to be kidding me. You’ve got that many guys in?’ I said, ’Yeah, most of the team will be in here in August.“’
Indeed, Telfair asked McHale soon after he signed his deal on Wednesday morning how soon the Wolves wanted him in so he could start playing pickup ball with his teammates in advance of the beginning of training camp the last week in September.
“That’s part of the reason that I just really like these young guys: their improvement and their willingness to stay together, to go out there and try to work on their game and try to improve their game,” McHale said. “All those are just positives, and that’s what we’re trying to keep going.”
Ryan Gomes has taken the team concept even further. He’s a restricted free agent, technically under Minnesota’s rights because he’s been extended a qualifying offer, but he does not yet have a contract for the upcoming season. He spent this week with Brewer on the annual summer caravan, greeting fans in Mankato, Willmar and Brainerd.
Conceivably, he could have signed an offer sheet with another club while he was barnstorming for the Wolves. But he stood by his word to participate in the community-driven event, despite the potential for awkwardness.
“I can tell you there are very few people who would be doing that,” McHale said. “That’s again another reason why we’re so fond of these guys. They’re special kids and special young men.”
Jefferson is on his way to All-Star status and Miller has established himself as a reliable shooter after eight seasons in the NBA, but beyond that the roster is still rife with unknown. Nobody knows how this team will turn out, but strong chemistry is certainly a good way to start.
Telfair is another interesting example of this — he, of course, the former poster child for premature expectation of success. Now that he’s out of the spotlight, perhaps humbled by his early struggles on and off the court, as a backup point guard in Minnesota he naturally finds it easier to focus.
“I think I’ve become a student of the game more and more,” he said. “I think this season was one of the first seasons where I actually communicated with the coaches and Mack and those guys off the court, asked them questions of what I need to do and watching film and things like that. I think it really helped me get better during the season.”
Maturity helps, too.
“I really wanted to continue to play here. Mack and those guys believed in me, and I appreciated it,” Telfair said. “And I’m back to do my job and hopefully go in and have a strong season together.
“I had low expectations at first, when I first got here. ... But I came in with my work clothes on, and I worked my way onto the court. The coaches continued to believe in me and help me get my game better, and here we are.”
