Jottings

There is not too much happening in my life these days.  The weather continues to get colder and my hatred for it grows with each passing, sub-zero day.  This weather is raising many questions about how the early settlers survived such harsh conditions.  Did they become nomadic during the winter months?  Did they simply hibernate for the winter?  I do appreciate the beauty of the snow, the novelty of it wears off earlier and earlier each year. 

My friend Jonathon recently blogged about the amount of time the political primary system can take and the toll it places on the voters.  The political parties should think of a way to make this process more streamlined and less abrasive.  My parents live in Iowa and have been receiving the brunt of this political force.  We went on vacation for six days and when we returned had fifteen automated messages from different candidates.  The process is becoming so obnoxious that the voters of Iowa are becoming less interested in the process with each passing election. 

I have decided to propose a three-pronged idea for the candidates that would not only relieve the voters, but would reduce the hectic schedule of the candidates themselves. 

1.) Establish a time-line allowing for three months of campaigning for the primaries, and three months of campaigning for the general election.  Have every state vote on the same day, this way 3% of the population does not decide that people such as Fred Thompson shouldn’t be president, this would also alleviate full frontal assault placed on some states because of their early primary/caucus.

2.)  Have a series of debates broadcast on television and make them known to the public.  This will allow some candidates to show off their personalities and others will be revealed as the frauds they are (I feel a president should be charismatic).  They can also let people know their stance on different issues this way and have constructive, or destructive (Hillary and Obama) conversations with the other candidates.

3.)  Establish a website that shows where each candidates stands on each issue, displays each candidates ideas, shows a biography of each and other political records (voting records), and finally will list when and where each candidate will be speaking.

Let me know your thoughts on these ideas!

Other notes:

The Timberwolves have started their first winning streak since February of last year.  I do not know about the rest of the Wolves fans, but I am enjoying this year’s bunch much more than last year’s.  They seem to play with more energy and fire with each player trying to earn a starting spot in the years to come.  Last night the Wolves dismantled one of the best teams in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns, behind Al Jefferson’s 39 pt effort and other contributions from players like Ryan Gomes (who is on fire recently) and Corey Brewer (who made some big shots) along with the usual Bassy Telfair and Marko nights (28 pts and 18 assists combined).  They handled the Suns the entire game stretching their lead to 19 a couple different times.  Jefferson continues to improve with each passing game, he even hit a few 17 footers in this game.  His activity under the rim is amazing and after watching some Kevin McHale highlights I realized that if McHale could jump and was faster he would be Al Jefferson. 

Recently the Wolves have been having success with a smaller lineup, Jefferson at the 5 and Gomes at the 4, which makes me think that Michael Beasley might not be a bad draft choice either.  The 6-9 forward out of K-State (orig. B’more) can shoot the ball from almost anywhere on the court and can also handle the ball better than most players his size.  Teaming him with Jefferson and the combination of Gomes, Brewer, Green, McCants at the 2 and 3 along with a healthy Randy Foye and Telfair handling the point could be a fun team to watch.  The Wolves just need to draft a superstar with this year’s pick.  Look at every team in the league, they all have at least one superstar on their team that is able to carry the load when things start to fall apart on offense.  This superstar should also play the 1-3 positions so they can have the ball in their hands at any given moment and can penetrate, drawing the defense for a kick-out and the ability to control the pace of the game.

My revised draft board for the Timberwolves:

1.) Eric Gordon - He has not done anything since my last blog to warrant this spot being taken away.  This guy truly has the potential to be an impact player for any team that drafts him.  I watched him live against the Gophers (at Williams) and although he did not have a great game, it was evident to me that no defender at the college level can handle him one-on-one.  His jump shot is a work of art, great rotation, squares his shoulders, and gets off the floor (just like MJ, DWade, Ray Allen) when he shoots it.

2,) Michael Beasley - Is a great offensive player who puts up rediculous stats.  He has enough athleticism to play at the next level but I question his ability to pass the ball and play defense.

2.5) Kevin Love - This is a player that is shooting up my draft board because of his skills and size (6-10).  He is a great offensive player and rebounder who is an unbelievable passer for a big man.  I have dreams of him starting the fast break for a Gerald Green throw-down.  Also with the better play of McCants, Brewer, and Gomes and the hopeful return of Foye the need for another guard/small forward is diminishing.

Others in contention:

Roy Hibbert, OJ Mayo, Derrick Rose, Tywon Lawson, Tyler Hansbourogh

2nd round sleepers:

Derrick Low, anyone playing for Kansas besides their white guys, Drew Neitzel, DJ Augustin, Tyler Smith, Chris Lofton, Brian Roberts

 Also, if deemed athletic enough for the pros : Nick Calathes from Florida.  Folks this guy shares more than just skin color with Steve Nash, and has the size to play in the pros.  I only question his quickness, but he was 2-time Mr. Basketball in Florida which is no booby prize. 

 Final Note:

Did the Hawkeyes play their JV against Indiana this week? 

Answer:

No, they are terrible this year because Alford left the cupboard bare and are trying to learn a new system.  Have faith people Lickliter will get the program turned around in a POSITIVE direction, I guarantee it, Rasheed Wallace style.

The Wire

I have decided to take more time out of my busy day to write to you all about my current, favorite television show.  It is called “The Wire” and it airs on HBO on Sunday at 9 ET.  For me this show stands on the same podium as The Sopranos.  Like The Sopranos, The Wire showed me a completely new world in Baltimore, more affectionately know as ‘Bawlmer’ on the show.  It shows you the inner workings of the drug trade and how things get handled in different institutions for example: the police department, the media, the government, the stevedore union, and the school system.  Each season deals with a different institution, this season’s being the media, and the characters all relate is some fashion.  David Simon and Ed Burns created the series after Simon worked as a police reporter at the Baltimore Sun and Burns was a cop and school teacher in Baltimore. 

I advise starting with season one because the show is so intricate and has so many reoccurring characters.  Some of them I thought would be gone for good, but continue to show up much to my like and dismay.  The shows are an hour long and there are usually about twelve episodes per season.  My favorite season so far has been season four, in which the show analyzes the school system in an interesting fashion.  It really puts my life into perspective when I watch the horrors of childhood in the ‘hood for these kids.  I am not going to divulge anymore about the show because I don’t want to give too much of it away, but seriously watch this show, even my mom likes it. 

Here are some other shows I have enjoyed:

-The Sopranos - really brilliant except for the sixth season I believe, David Chase tried to take the show somewhere it didn’t need to go, I’m not even sure where that is.

-Seinfeld - best comedy ever created, although there is one other show that can challenge if it has the same longevity of this Larry David creation.

-The Office - this is the funniest show I have seen since Seinfeld came off the air, can still challenge for the gold in my TV Olympiad.

- Entourage - This is a comical look at the movie industry, Jeremy Piven has one of the greatest characters ever created for television, the rest of the cast is nice, but he makes the show work.

- Law and Order - any variation works for me, but I’ll be honest, I haven’t watched an episode since Jerry Orbach died, it’s just not the same.

Still receiving votes:

Friday Night Lights - A really great show that was apparently all taped before the writer’s strike, so there are new episodes every Friday at 9 ET.  This shows constantly walks on the edge of reality because no West Texas town could go through so much drama, ever.  The family portrayals are what intrigues me and some of the characters have great chemistry.  There is a lot of tension in this show and that keeps me interested.  Girls, this show is only slightly about football.

Mad Men - Watched the first season on AMC and have mixed emotions.  It is an interesting look at the executive workplace in the post-WWII era and in the family life that surrounds it.

Weeds - I have seen the first two seasons and wish they would have made this a drama and not a comedy.  The story line is great, husband dies and wife takes up peddling pot to make the mortgage payment.  It sometimes takes these ridiculous turns that can be funny or stupid.

Vacation! Part II

When I started writing about my recent excursions I thought it would be fun, but with this intolerable weather I am losing ambition to rehash all of these memories of places that are warmer.  My mom had a great quote the last time I was home.  We were outside scrapping the ice off the driveway and sidewalks.  It wasn’t obscenely cold out, but anyone who has scrapped ice before knows how glorious it can be.  Anyways, my mom has always held warmer places in high esteem and continues to dream of calling one of them home, much to the dismay of my little sister.  So there we were, scrapping ice when she turns to me and says confidently, “Do you realize that there are people who have the option of playing golf after work everyday?”  And now the last two days my car thermometer has read -9.

Back to the vacation idea, while in Alabama I went running a few times.  I like running in the morning, it wakes me up and I tend to feel better for the rest of the day.  I would like to coin the phrase, “church feeling,” because that is the way I describe how I feel after running in general (especially in the morning), after I leave church, after I leave some classes, and after I study for a while.  It is a feeling of release, as if someone just unhooked a yoke from around my neck so I can finally see in all directions.  I’m not saying I don’t like to do the things I mentioned above, there are positive and negative aspects to both, but for some reason I get a certain feeling after completing one of those tasks.

So like I said earlier, I went running in Alabama for three morning in a row.  I hadn’t ran in a while, due to the cold of Minnesota, so the first day I took it easy and ran to the end of a pier and back.  It couldn’t have been more than 2.5 miles but it was more straining because of the humidity.  Every morning when I would run there would be this hazy air caused by some meteorological miracle, giving the run a cinematic and asthmatic effect.  Overall I enjoyed that aspect, it seemed like resistance training.

That night I took the van and used the odometer to see how far it was to a local nature path.  It was only a mile so I decided to try it out the next morning.  So I woke up again and again the hazy air surrounded me as I headed for this trail.  The whole preserve felt as though it should be in a horror movie.  I first noticed these power-lines were making a sound at the gateway to the park, if you have never heard power-lines make noise before you haven’t lived.  For a split second I thought I might end up face down like Matt Damon’s kid in “Syriana.”

I found a trail that seemed reasonable, about 1.5 miles round-trip, so I took it and enjoyed many things about it.  The first thing was the scenery, for some reason I enjoy the trees of the swamp more than any other I have seen.  The second, and most important, thing was the surface.  This trail was some sort of sand concoction that was remarkably firm.  I would compare it to running along the water’s edge, but without the slant and risk of soaking your shoes with salt water.  I have ruled it my favorite surface to run on, and will release the best of the rest at the bottom of this entry.  The trail concluded with a nice boardwalk through a marshy, tide-pool area along the Little Lagoon of Gulf Shores. 

The last day I ran was more of an adventure.  My dad and sister wanted to go for a walk so we all drove down to the preserve in the morning.  I wanted to go on a new trail so I directed them on the one I took yesterday and had them pick me up at the end of my trail.  The trail I took was through the heart of this preserve and conjured up memories of David Caruso finding people in the Everglades.  This trail used the same surface as the prior days’ except it had a few more boardwalks due to the natural habitat.  I don’t know how many of you loyal readers have ever run over sand dunes before, but as I found out, it is a workout.  It is the most exhausting surface to run on and the last half mile of this trail was all through sand dunes.  I went up, over, around, through ruins of houses knocked over by hurricanes and neglect, it was breathtaking in more ways than one.  I finally spit out on to the Pine Street Beach looking out on the Gulf of Mexico and numerous oil rigs (which are fascinating to look at during the night).  Then as luck would have it the map was not exactly draw to scale, because I walked for about 25 minutes and could not find my father or sister, leaving me with the task of running back so I could make it to church on time.  I think I may have hit 10 miles round-trip, on this expedition, leaving myself sore and unable to run for the rest of the trip.

 As promised: My favorite running surfaces

1.) Hard sand - feet don’t slip, soft on the legs and feet

2.) Grass - not many grass trails (usually end up dirt), but when found should be taken advantage of, semi-fast depending on height, and usually soft depending on rain

3.) Asphalt - fastest surface I have experienced, softer than cement but still can hurt the legs if proper precautions aren’t taken

4.)Cement- standard sidewalks are fine to run on, I try and mix in other surfaces during long runs on sidewalks (use the lawn)

5.) Gravel - the bane of my running existence, I always feel as though I am taking two steps forward and one back, also it can get dusty on country, gravel roads and lastly, the gravel can make my feet feel as though they are being tenderized for grilling

Vacation! Part I

So I’ve been kicking around different ideas for the last hour trying to figure out how to integrate my love of travel with this here blog without creating Borefest 2008, like my friend Bill Simmons did with his recent dissection of the ‘86 Celtics and the ‘07 Pats.  Does that article appeal to what, 2% of the nation?  I can’t wait until Boston teams return to inadequate so good writers, a la Bill Simmons, can talk about something more interesting.  Anyways, I decided to skip my tax clinic tonight to share with you some of the highlights of my recent travels.  The places I went to, by the way, were New York City and Gulf Shores, Alabama (across the bay from Bayou La Batre).

We drove 17 hours to get to Gulf Shores and we crossed a state I had never been through, Mississippi.  Now I’m a pro-Mississippi guy, read a bunch of Faulkner, and I’d pull for Ole Miss if I lived their because lets be honest as much as people want to dog Mississippi for being behind modern society, they were the first to create a name for their university, nice try Miami (The U) and Ohio State (The Ohio State University) that ship has sailed.  I also am a big catfish fan.  The natural landscape of the state reminded me of Wisconsin in a microwave.  The big, tall pines, the lakes, and the Deliverancesque places on the side of the road.  There were also a glaring number of mobile homes and abandoned cars on the side of the road.  Both observations I have yet to wrap my head around.

The scenery in both places was amazing.  There are not many places as awe-inspiring as Manhattan.  You walk down these streets with tall building after tall building.  It was like no city I had ever been in before.  As I took the Ellis Island ferry away from the Battery what little construction worker there is in me came out.  I began to wonder how long it would take to create this city and still cannot comprehend the logistics of it.  I also have a great entrepreneurial idea for the Ellis Island scene: allow people to purchase a package where they relive the immigrant experience.  They get processed in the Registry Hall, take the mental tests, go through the doctor exams, stay in the dormitories, etc.  The vast majority of people going out to the island are foreigners, I feel like some tourists would enjoy that kind of activity.  There is plenty of space on the island and New York appears to be renovating the entire complex (currently only the main hall is open).

Alabama obviously has a different vibe to it.  The white sand beaches and shoreline bungelows give the place the feeling of being undiscovered, until you drive farther down the beach where the high rise condos are.  The place we resided at was an amazing condimium at the Peninsula Links.  I usually despise these types of pre-fabricated communities for the elderly for multiple reasons, (1) they feel cheap, corporate, and lack character, (2) you usually never have to leave to do anything, making the place feel like a newly renovated asylum, and (3) they are usually expensive.  Fortunately for us number three was false making the accomidations all the better.  I was lucky enough to enjoy two rounds of golf on a nice course, although the greens seemed a little ludicrous and my driver apparently decided not to make the trip(figuratively).  The carts did have a nifty GPS system, the beverage cart girl made great Bloody Marys, and they had a barrel full of apples at the turn.

Not to sound blasphemous, but you may as well refer to the food in both places as Jesus because it was the truth.  I had the best seafood of my life in Alabama.  I think I took care of half of Bubba’s speech on shrimp myself, along with catfish, crab, crawfish, etc.  We had a nice culminating meal at Lambert’s.  If you guys ever have a chance to eat there I fully request that you do.  There are only three in the country, Sikeston, MI, Foley, AL, and somewhere else so you must jump at the opportunity.  They have these things called pass-arounds, or dishes they feel everyone should have with dinner.  Now believe me when I tell you, you could eat an entire meal off of this stuff: fried potatoes, macaroni, rolls which they throw at you, fried ohkra, and other other assorted foods that go along with your actual meal.  The moment of the night was a toss-up between the fried tator guy giving Jenna a birthday kiss and Carl (my dad’s friend) having to eat what amounted to a human-thigh-size slab of meat loaf in order to get room on his plate for the fried potato pass-around.New York was a more elegant dining experience where I concentrated on Italian food: baked ziti, some pasta, pizza, a Thai dish, and street vendors.  The meal of the trip for me was at a place in Little Italy on Mulberry Street, basically all that is left of the historic district due to the growth of Chinatown.  It was a pasta with clams and a white wine sauce that was off the hook.  I usually don’t like to qualify food with slang terms but it is warranted in this situation.  Also the owner of the place was very nice and taught me a trick to do with a wine cork.A final note for all of you: Stay away from the Museum of Natural History.  It is a bunch of displays with animals in them, I seriously feel it would be more interesting to sit down with a set of World Book than walk through that maze again.  If you are a small child or someone without cable than I advise going and seeing the fake animals, if you do not fall under one of those categories and want to see animals, take your $13 (suggested) and rent the Planet Earth series.  That is all for now, be back tomorrow hopefully with another installment on running in Alabama.

Plastic Devil Machines

I wrote this for a friend of mine’s blog, which can be found on the blogroll, and so I thought I would add it to my own little collection. 

I would like to start this guest blog by thanking Jonathon Braden for allowing me the opportunity to share my personal experiences with his devoted readers.  Due to Jonathon’s immense praise for my running capabilities I thought I should give a tiny peek into my experience as a runner.  I ran competitively for five years, four years of high school and one year of college, I do not include middle school because coach would buy us KG Koolee’s after practice therefore negating any credibility we earned by running around the track.  In high school my best 5k time was 17:20ish and in my brief college stint (one race) my best 8k time was 29:30.  I then took what basically amounts to a two year hiatus from the sport to involve myself with other things, i.e. sailing, tailgating, competitive television watching.

I began training for a marathon last summer after I talked to Jonathon about his noble quest.  I trained for about 4 consecutive months (mid June – mid October) and was averaging about 25-30 miles per week.  My mile times ranged from 7 – 8 minutes with a maximum distance of ten miles.  I originally planned on running the Grandma’s marathon, in Duluth, next summer, but two things have impeded my progress, (1) lack of a set schedule and (2) cold weather.  Therefore over the last two months my progress has been spotty at best.  I recently gave up on the idea of running the marathon this summer, and have reverted to my favorite winter pastime of basketball.  Not that there is anything wrong with the sport, it just does not use the same muscles that distance running does.  So I currently am in marathon limbo waiting for global warming to kick in.

A question I get often is ‘why not run on a treadmill?’  Due to my unrestricted word limit I will give you my full answer to ‘Why I hate treadmills.’

1.)     I find treadmills incredibly boring.  Running in the same spot next to other people for an extended period of time, greater than 30 minutes, kills me.  Also at St. Thomas there are no televisions to occupy the mind, only mirrors to people watch, which gets old fast, and reading on a treadmill makes me sick.

2.)     Lack of air flow, this may be another St. Thomas problem but there is no wind or moving air leaving the air rather stagnant. 

3.)     I find myself trying to beat the treadmill.  This may sound strange but for some reason when I run me feet always hit the front part of the treadmill and every once in a while this causes me to lose my balance resulting in an awkward moment for the other twenty five people in the room.

4.)     The workout is not as good.  Sure the pace can be set, but there are no hills and you cannot sprint on a treadmill.  I personally feel, and this has yet to be proven true, that running outside strengthens the ankles because of the varying degrees and angles upon which the foot lands.

5.)     The off chance you are stuck next to an unsavory person, personality and hygienically speaking.

6.)     That annoying hum of the treadmill turning over-and-over, it makes me feel as though I am a hamster on a wheel in the middle of some science experiment.  I also can’t help but wonder what aliens would think if they looked down upon us while we were on treadmills.  I feel like they would hover/stand/what ever aliens do, and just think, “Are they serious right now?”

7.)     I hate having to look at myself while I run, due to the mirrors, it really creeps me out.  The old saying that ‘the view never changes unless you’re the lead dog’ definitely applies here.

8.)     I enjoy the fresh air; it clears my mind and revitalizes my body after the computer at work sends me into a coma.

 I saw a quote, walking through the quad, which I feel describes my running and the running of millions of aspiring athletes across the nation: “Conquer yourself.”

Validation

Not much to say here, just that John Hollinger of ESPN decided to validate my Jose Calderon pitch with his NBA East All-Star Special, available at ESPN.com, and I’ll post the link once I figure out how. 

I usually don’t like to sound my own horn more than once per topic, but Seth Davis really threw me a bone with his thoughts on Eric Gordon.

How I would fix the Timberwolves

Despite the temultutous offseason and the lack of success during the regular season I still have faith that these Timberwolves can win again.  I have developed a few simple steps for the Wolves to become successful next year and for years to come.

 The first thing that needs to be done is make a decision about who is in the future plans and who isn’t.  The Wolves currently have about six guys who have potential in the league, in one role or another, but none of them have received consistent enough minutes to establish any sort of chemistry with each other.   I would like to see Randy Foye, Gerald Green, and Corey Brewer see more minutes just to see how good they are, everyone else appears to have a niche or no use on the team.  After the decisions are made, I would gauge the interest in some of the young talent the Wolves possess.  I’m talking about people such as Randy Foye, Rashad McCants, Gerald Green, Corey Brewer, Craig Smith, and Bassy Telfair.  If there is a genius NBA GM who is willing to part with some good pieces for these pups the Wolves should be willing to listen because the only player on the team that can be seen as untouchable is Al Jefferson.  I would personally look to buyout Marko Jaric because I just don’t see how he fits anywhere, not a scorer but not a pure passer and too slow on defense but does get his hands on a lot of balls, and he has 3 more years worth about $20 million on his contract.

The next thing to do would be to shore up some of the weaknesses the Wolves have through free agency.  Theo Ratliff’s $11.5 million contract will be off the books along with Michael Doleac’s $3 million and other smaller contracts which gives the Wolves some sorely needed financial independence.  I would start by looking at point guards.  As much as I love Bassy personally he is too small, not a good enough shooter, and gets lost on defense as much, if not more, than Wally used too and you already know how much trust I have in Marko.  Anyways I target Jose Calderon from Toronto.  He is suppose to be a free agent after this year and if TJ Ford comes back I do not think Jose would want to return to the bench.  Toronto may be looking to keep him, but I think Minnesota would be in a better financial position to give Jose what he deserves since the Raptors are on the hook for $8 million a year to Ford. 

The next thing I would do is go back to the free agent market and find a shooter or two.  Namely Juan Carlos Navarro and Kareem Rush would be able to fill those roles.  Also JCN is of Spanish decent possibly being another way to lure Calderon, who is also Spanish, to the Wolves.  Both also have plenty of big game experience, Rush with the Lakers and JCN with the Spanish national team.

This entire plan is contingent on the Wolves getting the first pick in the draft.  They are in good shape to have the most ping-pong balls and are clearly the most deserving of any team in the league.  I would take Eric “Air” Gordon with the first pick because he is head and shoulders above anyone else the NCAAs and has no apparent character issues.  The Wolves desperately need a dominant player, which Gordon has proved more than ample in that regard.  You can make an arguement for OJ Mayo, Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, Roy Hibbert, Kosta Koufos, possibly someone else I am forgetting, but besides Beasley no one else has the impact that Gordon has had.  With this plan the Wolves will have already shored up the power forward spot Beasley would occupy and Rose’s spot would already be taken by Calderon.  Mayo appears to be a head case and doesn’t shot the percentage Gordon does, Hibbert disappears from games and I am not sold on Koufos.

Another player that could use a scenery change and the Wolves could use would be Anderson Varejao.  I believe he only signed a one year deal with the Cavaliers and could potentially start at center for the Wolves along side Jefferson.  Varejao brings energy, defense, and rebounding to the table and is also able to function offensively.  He reminds me of Dennis Rodman the way he goes after rebounds and he would probably be more happy starting instead of backing up Drew Gooden and Big Z.

 I am going to recap by going position-by-position:

PG: Sign Jose Calderon from free agency, good decision maker who is averaging over 8 assits a game and has a 6.11 assist to turnover ratio.  Also shoots over 50% from the field and about 40% from 3.

SG: Eric Gordon, as of right now this is who to use the pick on.  A lot could happen between now and draft day, but 23 ppg on 50% shooting and 43% from deep looks pretty good.

SF: I like Corey Brewer for this spot because of his defense and obvious intangibles (hustle, team concept).  With some work in the weight room and on his shot he could be a Scottie Pippen type player.

PF: Big Al Jefferson, still a little raw at times, but does not shy away from contact and is a tireless worker.  Also getting better on the McHale post moves, notice the up-and-unders he does.

C: Anderson Varejao, brings energy and defense to a team that needs any kind of production it can find at this spot.

Bench: Let Bassy come off the bench for a change of pace.  Craig can also be useful in spelling Jefferson and Varejao.  I also like Gomes as a nice bench guy and with the shooters, Rush and JCN this bench can be useful.

Who’s out then?  Looks like Foye, McCants, and Green are gone, this depends on how well these guys can handle coming off the bench.  Green could battle Brewer for that SF spot, and he is a better offensive player than Brewer, but the Wolves administration do not seem to cherish his attitude and his contract is up after this year.  McCants shows flashes of good play and appears to be willing to work on both offense and defense.  I just don’t feel he is as good as Gordon and did just have microfracture surgery.  Foye is also battling health issues.  He had a great summer before the knee acted up, I just don’t think he wants to embrace the point guard role.  He is a scorer first and foremost, and could still be trade bait to another team for more inside guys.

Please leave comments and let me know what you think.  I am new to this blogging game and will be touching on many more issues besides the Timberwolves.