Timberwolves S72 Preseason Presser

[tbone963]

Hello everyone and welcome.

I know you're all busy people so I'm gonna skip the "gm talk" and get straight to it.
We were happy with some improvement from the team overall but a 20 win season is not where we wanna be. We had trouble on both sides of the ball. We shored up some defensive holes by drafting Dain Dainja and we think he'll fit in perfectly with this group. We also resigned Benny Bridesmaid and Caitlin Clark and we couldn't be happier to have them guide this team through the foreseeable future. We are looking for more cohesiveness this season and while we do have the skill levels necessary to compete, we need to be better about maximizing those abilities. I'll be honest and say anything less than a 30 win season would be a disappointment. We're ready to see results and I know our fans are too. I'll now take your questions.

[AngryBanana]

What did you learn from the Pels GM about being a mentor that you will help with working with your mentee?


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[Jedihero]

Are you just looking for a little bit of improvement across the team this season, or are you actually trying to push and fight for your first playoff appearance?

[BigDaddyd8720]

Picks Emmington of the New Orleans Advocate,

While you are looking for that elusive 30 win season, do you feel like if you don’t reach that mark that you’ll look to offload some players? Or would you still feel like this is a team to continue to build around?


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[NY_Magic_Garrett]

David Cooperlake from the Orlando Sentinel:

I think its well known that you are the mentor and biggest advocate for our Magic's new GM. We are all expecting 30+ win seasons in Orlando very soon. What advice would you publicly give your friend in his new role in order to avoid mistakes youve made early in your career?

[tbone963]

What did you learn from the Pels GM about being a mentor that you will help with working with your mentee?


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I learned what not to do! *roaring laughter*
I kid, I kid. I definitely learned patience. Everyone's first instinct is to win and that's what makes this league great, but true success takes time. Focus on your fundamentals and building your identity and everything else will fall into place.

[tbone963]

Are you just looking for a little bit of improvement across the team this season, or are you actually trying to push and fight for your first playoff appearance?

We're looking for the playoffs. We've seen a "little bit" of improvement my first 2 years and now we're ready to see a lot of it. The roster has mostly stayed the same, we know everyone has looked good in training camp. Now it's time to execute that in real games.

[tbone963]

Picks Emmington of the New Orleans Advocate,

While you are looking for that elusive 30 win season, do you feel like if you don’t reach that mark that you’ll look to offload some players? Or would you still feel like this is a team to continue to build around?


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I don't feel like that's a decision I'll make at this time. The fact is: we believe we can win 30+ games with this squad. This isn't just me making wishes, all of the guys feel the same way and hold themselves to a high standard. I don't wanna use the 30 game benchmark as a do or die. I still believe in this team to take us far

[tbone963]

David Cooperlake from the Orlando Sentinel:

I think its well known that you are the mentor and biggest advocate for our Magic's new GM. We are all expecting 30+ win seasons in Orlando very soon. What advice would you publicly give your friend in his new role in order to avoid mistakes youve made early in your career?

A few things I would say is definitely read your contracts before signing them. You may have the best lawyers but even they miss stuff sometimes. I also just think you have to really learn your team and decide what you want your identity to be. Do you wanna be a team that rains 3s or swat balls into the stands? In a perfect world you'd want everything, but pick something to excel at and the rest will fall into place.

[garbageman]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: What do you believe to be the identity of this season's Timberwolves squad, and which members of your 2nd unit fit the most with the culture you're trying to create?

[tbone963]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: What do you believe to be the identity of this season's Timberwolves squad, and which members of your 2nd unit fit the most with the culture you're trying to create?

This season our focus will be on the defensive side of the ball and getting rebounds. I think someone like Allan Parisi embodies the culture here of playing hard and playing for the team over personal gain.