Analysis: McHale heads to bench to deal with Wolves' mess

By Art Garcia, NBA.com
Posted Dec 8 2008 1:36PM

A fourth coaching pin fell today and it comes as no shock. The Timberwolves relieved Randy Wittman of his job, though he should feel relieved after dealing with rumors of his imminent demise all season.

Wittman hasn't lived up to the "goals and expectations" considering the "talent" he had to work with, according to Wolves owner Glen Taylor. Those are curious claims considering what Wittman had to run out there every night courtesy of Kevin McHale and Taylor.

Wittman could have coached Brandon Roy and O.J. Mayo. Instead, he had Randy Foye and Kevin Love. Those draft-day moves go on McHale's ledger and perhaps it's time for Minnesota's favorite basketball son to answer for them. McHale stepped down from his post as VP of basketball operations to coach the Wolves once again.

His last stint on the bench came during the final 31 games of 2004-05 after Flip Saunders, easily the most successful coach in franchise history, was ousted. The Wolves did go 19-12 under McHale and finished 44-38, but missed the playoffs in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

Since McHale put this team together, he ought to be the one dealing with this 4-15 mess. Other than power forward Al Jefferson, the rest of the roster is either unrealized potential or veterans, such as Mike Miller, who aren't part of the future. Taylor sounds as if he's not letting McHale off the hook lightly.

"It is my expectation that Kevin will be able to get the most out of our team and our players," Taylor said in a statement released by the team.

Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale will have plenty of work to do to right Minnesota's ship. David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

The Wolves could have as many as four first-round picks next summer. Minnesota needs to hit big in the Draft and/or put together a package to ease the pressure off Jefferson, while helping the development of Foye, Love and Corey Brewer, who recently suffered a season-ending knee injury.

"I truly believe that we have a talented group of players in our locker room who have a great amount of potential," McHale stated. "I'm confident that we can get this turned around and get back to playing a brand of basketball that our fans can be proud of."

Wittman probably wasn't the guy in Minnesota. His record (38-105) in nearly two full seasons on the job suggests as much. The thing is the Wolves may have had the right guy in place in Dwane Casey, who took the ax midway through his second season as coach.

Minnesota was 20-20 in 2006-07 as Casey coached the Wolves team fronted by Kevin Garnett. Those weren't the KG-Spree-Cassell Wolves. They were the KG-Ricky Davis-Mark Blount version.

Minnesota was only 33-49 in Casey's first season, but the Wolves made the kind of improvement the next season that Wittman was fired for not making in this one. Wittman finished out '06-07 at 12-30 and the Wolves haven't sniffed .500 since.

Wittman now joins the millionaire unemployment line with P.J. Carlesimo, Eddie Jordan and Sam Mitchell. Of the four coaches canned this season, Wittman and Carlesimo didn't have realistic playoff expectations.

Other than Saunders, no coach has given more to the Wolves than Wittman. He spent 10-plus seasons, in three different stints, as a Minnesota assistant before following Casey. That's quite a run for a franchise celebrating its 20th season.

There hasn't been much to celebrate lately. McHale, you're up.

McGrady says he'll miss 3 weeks with knee injury

HOUSTON (AP) -- Houston guard Tracy McGrady will miss three weeks to rehabilitate his sore left knee, another blow to an injury-plagued season for the Rockets.

McGrady sat out Houston's last three games after starting the first 15. He had arthroscopic surgery on May 6, but said Tuesday that doctors have told him that the knee is not healed.

"Obviously, I came back a little bit too early," said McGrady, who was averaging 15.6 points. "I'm just not ready."

Tracy McGrady By The Numbers

Career vs. 2008-09 Averages

Season MPG FG% 3PT% FT% RPG APG PPG 08-09 33.0 .407 .417 .789 4.1 4.0 15.6 Career 35.0 .437 .338 .748 6.1 4.7 22.2

McGrady visited renowned orthopedist James Andrews on Monday. The team said Andrews confirmed the initial medical assessment by team doctor Tom Clanton that McGrady is suffering from general soreness in the knee.

Saturday will mark seven months since the surgery, and McGrady said doctors told him that his knee would require 6 to 8 months to heal. He said Andrews reassured him that he won't need more surgery.

"Now I've got some sort of peace of mind," McGrady said. "I don't have to worry about whether it's going to take the whole season for me to get healthy and what I've got to do for me to get back to 100 percent. I don't have to have to go under the knife again. I'm relieved."

McGrady felt like he was holding the team back, even though he's second in scoring, assists and steals. He was noticeably hobbled through long stretches of recent games and was shooting 40.7 percent from the field, three points below his career average.

"I don't want to be out there limping like I was and not really being myself," he said.

Luther Head started the last two games in McGrady's place. He scored 21 points in a 103-84 win over San Antonio on Saturday, but went 1-for-7 with only three points in Sunday's 104-94 loss to Denver.

Coach Rick Adelman has been juggling lineups all season because of injuries.

Shane Battier has missed 16 games already with persistent inflammation in his left foot, Ron Artest has been limited lately by a sprained ankle and Yao missed one game with a sore left foot, which was surgically repaired this spring. The Rockets said Monday that backup guard Brent Barry is out two weeks with a torn muscle in his right leg.

"It's kind of been a never-ending story this year, with guys in and out," Adelman said.

McGrady has been listed as "day to day" lately in the Rockets' game notes. He made a last-minute decision not to play in the Rockets' 91-90 loss to Indiana last Wednesday, then said he would miss two more games and visit Dr. Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.

Adelman wants McGrady to take all the time he needs.

"When he does go out on the court, he's got to be able to push himself," Adelman said. "If he can't go through it, then it's best for him not to play until he feels comfortable doing that. That's been my stance right along."

Adelman acknowledged that McGrady's condition had become a distraction for the Rockets, who were 11-7 and leading the Southwest Division heading into Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

"We just don't know when he was going to play, or if he was going to play," Adelman said. "If you know someone is out, you just go, you plug somebody in. It's been a problem, because Shane's coming back and you try to limit his minutes and Yao's minutes somewhat. It's not easy for anybody, but it's reality and what we have to face."

Battier said the Rockets are glad to finally have a definitive timeline on McGrady's status.

"You want certainty of knowing what you have going forward," he said.

McGrady missed 12 games last season with various injuries to the same knee and sat out nine games in 2006-07 with back pain. The seven-time All-Star is confident that as long as he rehabs properly, he'll regain his old form this season.

"I'm fortunate enough that I will be able to overcome this," he said. "I don't have to worry about losing any of my quickness, my explosiveness. I should be ready to go by the end of this month."