The longest-running absence from the playoffs in the league finally over, the Wolves took a significant accomplishment into the summer after their 47-35
record during the regular season tied for the fifth-best in franchise
history.”When you haven’t done something for 14 years, it’s a major step for our organization, and it’s not easy to do. Winning in this league is very difficult,
and we should understand that,” said president of basketball operations and head
coach Tom Thibodeau, who joined general manager Scott Layden on Monday for a
wrapup news conference.Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns gave the Timberwolves multiple representatives at the All-Star game for the first time since Kevin Garnett and
Sam Cassell in 2004 on their way to the Western Conference finals. That was the
most recent postseason appearance until the first round series with Houston
tipped off earlier this month. With 16 out of 41 home games declared sellouts,
they had their highest number since 1991-92, and local television ratings were
way up, too.Still, in typical Timberwolves fashion, the road to relevancy was not without potholes.Falling in five games to the Rockets was forgivable, considering their opponent had the NBA’s best record, but the Wolves were beaten a total of eight
times by the league’s bottom eight teams that all won fewer than 29 games. Win
just two of those, and they’re in third place in the West with a much more
favorable matchup for the playoffs.With Butler the resident alpha male in the locker room, the Wolves can no longer be considered an up-and-coming atmosphere where patience with the
development of young cornerstones Towns and Andrew Wiggins will be welcomed.
With the presence of Butler and the other acquisitions from last year, Taj
Gibson, Jeff Teague and Jamal Crawford, there’s clearly a win-now window in
place.”They’ve learned what it takes to get yourself to the playoffs,” Butler said. ”Now us as a whole Cody Parkey Jersey , we have to figure out what it takes to win, whenever we get there. No matter what seed we are, that’s what we’re expected to
do.”Layden wondered aloud whether the Wolves should have been more aggressive to acquire a new player at the trade deadline in February.”We had a lot of things that went back and forth, and maybe we should’ve done something a little different,” Layden said. ”I take responsibility for that, but
we’re always looking to push and push and get better.”BUTLER’S HEALTHThibodeau has always leaned heavily on the starters he trusts the most, and this season with the Wolves was no exception. Butler was third in the NBA with
an average of 36.7 minutes played per game, and coincidentally or not he missed
23 games, all but two because of trouble with his right knee. Thibodeau said
Butler will not need an additional procedure.Butler can also opt out of his contract after next season, without an extension in place.”It’s important for him to feel good about everything that we’re doing here,” Thibodeau said.LONG RANGEThe Wolves actually led the NBA during the playoffs with a 41.3 percent make rate from 3-point range, but part of the problem is a lack of space in the
playbook for setting up attempts from beyond the arc. They finished last in the
league in the regular season with an average of eight 3-pointers made per
game.”I thought our guys in the second half of the season were doing a very good job of looking for opportunities, but we do have to take more,” Thibodeau
said.Even owner Glen Taylor, in an interview earlier this month with his hometown newspaper, the Mankato Free Press, openly questioned the lack of
improvement.”If other teams can learn to shoot 3s, why can’t we?” Taylor told the Free Press.WINNING WITH WIGGINS?The maximum contract the Wolves gave Wiggins last summer will kick in next season, paying the 23-year-old more than $25 million. There’s no player on the
roster who will be under more pressure to be more consistently productive on
both ends of the court.”The experience of the playoffs was huge for him. He did a lot of good things,” Thibodeau said. ”I think we saw down the stretch him playing a more
complete game Jason Witten Jersey , and I think he can build off that.”BJELICANemanja Bjelica, who played both forward spots off the bench and was a relatively productive starter during Butler’s absence, will be a restricted free
agent. His playing time was scant during the playoff series, which Thibodeau
said was matchup-related.”But I thought overall he played really well for us,” Thibodeau said. ”Sometimes you have to put the team first.”—The goals were to let the backups play and learn, and to be inspired.Missions accomplished.The Ravens and Bears honored their great linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher with some defense to make them proud in the Hall of Fame game that
opened the NFL’s preseason Thursday night. Baltimore held on 17-16.”Ray is the greatest linebacker of our time,” said 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson, who quarterbacked the second half for the Ravens. ”That was a big
thrill and exciting stuff.”Oh, there was a little spark of offense, some provided by Baltimore’s first-round draft pick. Jackson’s 7-yard touchdown pass to fellow first-rounder
Hayden Hurst came after the Ravens’ defense recovered a fumble.Chicago put together its best drive in the final minutes and journeyman Tyler Bray connected with Tanner Gentry for a 10-yard score to cap a 92-yard march.
But the 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete.Otherwise, D was the letter of the day: there were six turnovers in all, and 12 sacks, eight by the Bears.”To represent Ray in this game to our guys meant even more,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.”It was a special moment for our organization,” noted new Bears coach Matt Nagy.The teams exchanged tipped interceptions on the first two possessions of the preseason.Chicago moved swiftly downfield only to have Chase Daniel’s pass to Josh Bellamy deflected to safety Chuck Clark at the Baltimore 6. He returned it 15
yards, then the Ravens replicated the turnover.Robert Griffin III, attempting a comeback after sitting out 2017, had his pinpoint throw go off the hands of receiver Breshad Perriman, then off rookie
cornerback Michael Joseph. DeAndre Houston-Carson dived to make the pick at the
Ravens 34.The Bears soon converted when Michael Burton caught a 4-yard scoring pass from Daniel.Baltimore tied it, sparked by two big gainers by undrafted rookie running back Gus Edwards. Griffin found Maxx Williams for a 4-yard score.”It felt great Derek Newton Jersey ,” Griffin said. ”I can’t tell you how grateful I am to play the game again.”Then Lewis’ old unit gave him a thrill. On the next play from scrimmage, linebacker Kamalei Correa sped 19 yards with an interception to the Chicago 9.
But Urlacher’s former defense made him smile, sacking Griffin on third down to
hold Baltimore to a 31-yard field goal by Kaare Vedvik.Generally, it was a sloppy affair among backups marred by a slew of dropped passes, poor protection for the quarterbacks, and misthrows by those QBs.But something Lewis and Urlacher would approve, the defenses hit hard and tackled well.NEW COACH, OFFENSENagy, of late the offensive coordinator in Kansas City, made his head coaching debut with the Bears. He has said his new offense is in the early steps
of development, and it looked that way all night.Of course, with backups playing it’s nearly impossible to gauge progress. But he was optimistic.”The arrow is pointing up for us,” he said. ”We definitely took steps in the right direction.”INTROSEach of the seven inductees to the hall who were on hand – Terrell Owens is a well-publicized no-show – received a rousing ovation when they were introduced
before the game. Lewis replicated his patented warmup dance for a few seconds,
and Urlacher slapped hand with every Bears player lined up on the 45-yard
line.”Ray was on the field getting all fired up, doing his thing,” Harbaugh said. ”With both teams at the 45, I thought that was awesome, and then to see Ray come
out, that was spectacular.”Urlacher gave a pregame pep talk to the Bears in the locker room.”It’s so funny to see,” veteran defensive lineman Akiem Hicks said. ”Growing up Andre Reed Jersey , you’ve watched these guys, and you’re one of the guys now who people come up and ask for pictures and autographs. Then you see
Urlacher come into the locker room and you get to see all these NFL football
players turn into kids …”It’s a phenomenal feeling.”Also walking along midfield between the lines of Ravens and Bears were Randy Moss, Brian Dawkins, Jerry Kramer, Robert Brazile and Bobby Beathard.Owens did make it onto the cover of the Hall of Fame enshrinement magazine, however.At halftime, Hall of Famers Ozzie Newsome, the general manager of the Ravens, and Dan Fouts received their ”Rings of Excellence” from David Baker, the hall’s
president.HELMET RULEThe first application of the NFL’s enhanced enforcement of penalties for players lowering their helmet to make a tackle occurred early. Ravens linebacker
Patrick Onwuasor was flagged for his hit on Benny Cunningham, earning a 15-yard
penalty that helped set up Chicago’s first touchdown.Correa got nailed for the same violation in the third quarter, but he also had a sack that forced a fumble in that period, and three sacks overall.”It was great to see him break out,” Harbaugh said of Correa’s overall performance. ”His work ethic and attention to detail, to see it pay off like
that, a coach loves to see it.”NEXT UPBears: At Cincinnati next Thursday night.Ravens: Host Los Angeles Rams next Thursday night.— Josh Okogie Jersey
