Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves fret over lack of training camps – NBA Update
The lockout really has brought things to a standstill in the NBA.
With training camps, pre-season and a month of the regular season already cancelled, the National Basketball Players Association and the NBA owners continue to bicker over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Naturally, the franchises are feeling the brunt. Anticipating a short season at best, teams know that time to get ready and gel is going to be at a premium, and two of them seem to be a little more worried about it than the rest.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors have some common issues. They both have rosters full of mostly young and talented players and they are both in a state of transition.
Rookie coach Mark Jackson will take the helm of affairs at Golden State when the season begins, just as veteran schemer Rick Adelman starts his reign in Minnesota. The trouble is; they both have basically no way to prepare.
The new coaches are barred from contacting players. All the assistant staff is as well and so are the owners. They cannot train with the players; they cannot run over defensive drills or offensive techniques. What the coaches can
do at the moment is just devise plans amongst themselves.
And Warriors owner Joseph Lacob revealed that his coaches are doing just that.
“It’s hard when you don’t have players to prepare entirely,” Lacob said. “But they are doing a ton of preparation. I’m very pleased.”
“They’re developing all the plays and were here for hours the other day going through all the plays.”
That though still means that when the likes of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis turn up for camp, they still won’t know anything about the plays. And Jackson will have only around 10 days to get them ready.
The situation seems a little more desperate with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“We need time on the floor, especially out there with Derrick and Ricky and really all the guys,” T’wolves forward Kevin Love said.
The Timberwolves not only have a new coach, they have new players too. And the old ones haven’t been around for too long either. The two best players on the team are Kevin Love and Michael Beasley, and Love, who is the senior member,
hasn’t been there for too long.
Add to it the fact that the side is set to welcome two rookies next year, Derrick Williams and Ricky Rubio, both totally unfamiliar with Minnesota, and one totally unfamiliar with the United States.
“We’ve really blown up our team the last couple of years. We all need to get out there and keep working together. I’m the longest-tenured Minnesota player and I’ve only been there three years.” Love exclaimed.
A training camp of just 10 days might not suffice for this side.
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