The Rake Magazine

It was the Wolves media day this afternoon and this exchange with Randy Foye was probably the most interesting conversation I had.

Who is the leader of this team? I asked Foye, point blank.

"I'll take it," Foye said instantly. "I am the leader. There is pressure in that but I like it. I don't think there are a lot of people in their career get a chance to say, `I was the leader of an NBA team.' That's how I am approaching things and how people approach me. I am the leader."

In the locker room as well as on the court how will your status as the leader change the way you behave? I asked.

"My motto is that you practice what you preach and you lead by example," Foye answered. "If you are in the locker room goofing off before a game and someone else is watching and I'm supposed to be the leader, [they will think], well I can do that too. Well I might be able to go out on the court and perform, but that person who is goofing off, he can't do it. So I am just going to come in with a straightforward attitude...my situation growing up, I am a natural born leader; I never was a follower of like anything. If someone said, Oh let's go do this, if it didn't feel right I wasn't going to do it, even if he was my best friend."

Third question: Who are you most looking forward to playing with this year?

Foye: "I am looking forward to definitely playing with Al. I'm looking forward to playing with Theo, because the way he's playing, he blocks everything. I'm looking forward to playing with Corey, and with Gerald, just because I love lob passes, and I'm looking forward to playign with my boy Craig, my best friend. And I'm looking forward to playing with the guys I played with last year. And with Ryan Gomes, because I played against him in the Big East and I know how he likes the ball."

Otherwise, Coach Wittman confirmed that Al Jefferson will likely be playing a lot of center, although he doesn't want to wear him down defending against the bigger bangers in the league--Dampier of Dallas was specifically mentioned. And Witt did say that Marko Jaric will be given a look at point guard, and made it clear that Marko gets frustrated when he doesn't get touches and that getting touches for Marko wasn't something he went out of his way to do last season; the implication being that Marko doing some point time would kill two birds with one stone in that respect; make Marko happy and give the Wolves a vet at the point when Foye and presumably Telfair need a blow.

Al Jefferson was impressive. It wasn't clear to me whether he requested it or it was given to him by management, but he will be ensconced in KG's locker space, a circumstance that he responded to with a nice blend of "I'm honored" and "I'm not the least bit intimidated." When I asked him why his game took such a big jump last year, he essentially replied that it was the first time he really dedicated himself to working hard and getting himself ready to go, even with the injuries. And when I asked if he felt the Wolves needed to prove something to him just as much as he needed to prove something to management, he said being traded for Kevin Garnett was proof enough on management's commitment. When another person asked about re-upping his contract, rumored to be in the works, he demurred and said he's just concentrating on playing ball.

Gerald Green offered nothing but platitudes to a variety of questions, which doesn't mean anything about how he'll play on the court but also offers zero insight into what makes him tick.

The Wolves head out to Turkey and won't be back for a couple of weeks. By then, the sifting of the roster will have begun. It is a shame, though perhaps financially understandable in these lean times for journalism, that neither the Strib nor the PiPress are sending their beat writer along.

First of all, a hat tip to PiPress columnist Charlie Walters, who wrote the other day that Trenton was going to the Mavs, a rumor that, citing Shooter's "spotty" reputation on such tidbits, I belittled.

Second, I don't like the deal. Greg Buckner is about two inches shorter and three years older than Hassell, which, given that both are defensive specialists, is not a good sign. Buckner has a little more range on his jumper but is less accurate overall as a shooter. Probably most significantly, Buckner is nearly $2 million cheaper over the next three seasons, and I suppose if the Wolves are going with youth anyway, the vets on the bench can be discounted.

[Update: A smart reader just informed me that because Buckner's third year is a team option and thus not guaranteed, Wolves could save up to $5.79 million in this deal.]

That said, Buckner was a quality defender in Denver who actually shot a little better (especially from the three point line) and defended a little worse than expected in Dallas. Along with money, I suspect this has its roots in the spat that occurred last spring, when Coach Wittman benched Hassell for a period of time and the relationship between the two was obviously strained.

Another thing: Buckner is not going to be able to get his stuff together and travel to Turkey at the drop of a hat. Thus he will be behind the curve when he does arrive for training camp.

To sum up, from the Wolves standpoint, losing Hassell saves some [make that potentially quite a bit of] money and loses a locker room leader from the bad old days at a time when they are trying to wipe the slate clean.

From my standpoint, Trenton Hassell was always a class act, a guy who would honestly answer questions with general good humor and became a crucial glue guy in the starting lineup almost from the moment he joined the team during the franchise's best-ever season in 2003-04. Two years ago when he was asked to look for his shot more often, he posted a career best 9.2 ppg, but always said that defense was his priority and his meal ticket. I saw him less than nine hours ago, sought him out as I was leaving the Wolves' media day, gave him a sympathetic kind-of "keep your chin up" sentence or two because we both knew he was on the outs with current braintrust. Then I wished him luck. And he got it, headed to a team that figures to go deep into the playoffs. Trenton Hassell will help grease that momentum.

The media were invited to Champs for a little lunch and hunch three days before the official media day this coming Friday. Coach Randy Wittman and VP Kevin McHale leaned against tables in the front of the room and took questions from about two dozen media folk. Here's what I gleaned from the 45 minute affair.

* McHale likes this team a lot better than the past two or three because they are young, teachable and will play the way he has always wanted the Wolves to play. Today he and Wittman talked about the need to get to the free throw line and pound the offensive glass. McHale likened rebounding to a running game in football, a crucial fundamental that separates the contenders from the pretenders.

* Don't be surprised to see Al Jefferson play some center this season. Not surprisingly, Jefferson is one of the reasons for McHale's upbeat demeanor. Comparing AJ and KG, McHale said, "Kevin was a freak of nature. Al is more of a prototypical low post player; he wants to bang you...We haven't ever had a smashmouth guy, someone who will put his shoulder down and get to the rim...Al doesn't shoot the same way twice, he just does what it takes to put the ball in the hole...if you're making shots from twenty feet away, the [opposing] coach will tell you to get a hand up in his face, if you're making shots from three feet away the coach says we need to double-team. That opens things up."

So why might AJ play the 5? Because McHale also loves Craig Smith and Ryan Gomes. McHale on Smith: "He's a matchup nightmare, a unique guy...in our league if you're odd and give [opponents]something people don't see [you have an advantage]. He's got strength and quickness...he can be a really good player in our league for a long time." As for Gomes, McHale calls him a banger too (one of his favorite compliments) and then flat out says "I love what I see out of Ryan Gomes."

* Wittman is directly comparing this Wolves squad to the Chicago Bulls of two and three years ago. "We've got eight guys under 24 years of age. Hopefully two and a half or three of them will step up and become all star caliber playhers. That's what Chicago has gone through...they had three guys who emerged and they were able to trade Chandler and Curry and now they are very competitive...we're looking for a similar thing." Later, when it came to the unhappiness of Juwan Howard, Witt didn't deny Juwan was bummed about the KG trade, but appropriately said the reasons they wanted Howard around are just as relevant pre- and post-KG. "Howard should look at what PJ Brown did with Chicago," Witt continued, noting that he played the good teammate, the veteran glue guy, "and now he has his choice to play with Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio..." Translation: We're not trading your ass this year but if you're a solid presence on the court and in the locker room, we'll see if we can send you someplace you might pick up a ring next year.

* Wittman is not using youth as an excuse for a poor record this season. He points out that Jefferson, Gomes, Green and Telfair are all in their 3rd or 4th year and that Foye and Smith "had good years last year and didn't back down...so it is not like we have eight guys who just came out of high school...we have the ability to compete in this league...with the talent we do possess we are going to win some games."

Then McHale chimed in that sometimes young guys get too competitive with members of their own team, become too preoccupied with surmounting a teammate and then struggle, rather than coming together once the rotation is sorted out. While there is truth to this, it is also serving notice that there will be some tough winnowing out and some promising youngsters who think they deserve more time are going to be logging a lot of bench sitting. "You can't play 10, 11, 12 guys. You're really only going to play 8, 9 guys," McHale declares.

* Given that view, my early handicapping would put minutes in for, in order, Jefferson, Foye, Davis, Smith, Brewer, and Gomes, with Jaric, Hassell, McCants, Blount, Green and Telfair on the bubble.

* Why is McCants downgraded? Strictly my interpretation, reading between the lines, but even when Wittman was talking about Shaddy in positive terms, there wasn't a lot of enthusiasm and conviction behind it. Maybe it was because it was the first question of the afternoon and everyone was still getting warmed up, but there was just something tepid, to the point where Witt followed one sentence by conceding, "I didn't see him his rookie year." Yes he said some nice things about McCants, noting that his injury is "night and day from last year...he's back to 100 percent...we finished near the bottom of the league in free throw attempts and he can help that...he's been here all summer so [if he falls off] it won't be for lack of effort..." But then McHale jumped in and claimed that McCants still doesn't have that "crazy hop up," adding that God puts people together best the first time and it is hard to come all the way back after such a significant injury.

* When someone mentioned that Davis could be a key to the season, Wittman replied that the "different things that went on last year can't happen," quickly amending it to mean he was addressing that to all the Wolves' players, but it certainly wasn't mere coincidence that the sentiment was raised in sync with RD. "We don't have to put up with that this season, we've got 16 players," Wittman reiterated. We'll see.

* Asked about trades, McHale was less enthusiastic about it then when I posed the same question three weeks ago. But some guys may be looking to leave before too long. For example, McHale is truly excited about Gomes. And he genuinely is pleased with the opportunity to have drafted Brewer. So where is the world does Trenton Hassell fit on this team? He wasn't mentioned by either Wittman or McHale; ditto Mark Blount.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be fortunate to win five games this season. And at the rate they are going, so will the Minnesota Vikings. Yesterday's flop was the kind of tone-setter that evaporates a team's fan base in a hurry. Other media folks who pay more attention, and are certainly more passionate, about the Vikes than I am, have already pointed out the silliness of keeping their only offensive weapon on the sidelines during their last possession. But where is the widespread umbrage over the absolutely pathetic performance of Bryant McKinnie, who was alternately manhandled and blown through by defensive end Jared Allen?

Allen's line wasn't too shabby--Eight tackles, two sacks, two pass deflections, three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. He was without question the dominant player of the game, mostly at McKinnie's expense. And when the Chiefs went to the primo pass rush late in the 4th quarter, Allen was moved inside, opposite Steve Hutchinson. Put simply, the Vikes once again got mashed at one of their precious few areas of supposed strength on offense. And, to bring this full circle, had McKinnie and Hutchinson not been so bedeviled by the heat (I'm offering up that excuse anyway), perhaps Coach Childress might have deigned to play Peterson even if he was a tad deficient in pass protection.

For the second week in a row, Cedric Griffin also got burned, once on the Chiefs touchdown and once when he missed a tackle that otherwise would have forced a punt and saved points. With Antoine Winfield having another strong game (even saving a potential touchdown by Drummond on a punt return), opponents will continue to flame Griffin until he improves or gets replaced.

I know this is beginning to sound like a rerun of my last Vikings diatribe, but that's because the troubling problems are becoming chronic. To wit, the horrible, horrible receiving corps. Yes, the tight end Shiancoe had a really nice day, and caught that TD pass from Mewelde Moore plain as day. He's got good hands and length--he's no Kleinsasser. But the wideouts don't get separation and don't catch well in traffic--assuming the ballclub had a QB who could deliver the ball are the rate occasions they were open. And assuming the offensive line allowed the QB time to survey the field....

You get the drift. Brad Childress is threatening to become a trivia question destined to stump Vikings die-hards around about 2019. As in who was the coach in 2006 and 2007?

PS--for all you Wolves fans. I'll throw something up sometime tomorrow or Wednesday after Tuesday afternoon luncheon with team officials.

Is anyone surprised that the absurd quarterback situation bit the Vikings today, resulting in a 20-17 overtime loss to the Lions?

There are precious few positions that are absolutely crucial in team sports. But quarterback ranks with hockey goalie and starting pitcher as a spot where a markedly subpar performance almost always dooms your ballclub. Surely coach Brad Childress knows this, so he is either arrogant enough to believe he can do with Tavaris Jackson what the Eagles did with Donovan McNabb, stupid enough to believe he won't get fired if he turns last year's 6-10 into the same or worse this season, or he has the word of the owner that he has at least another year after this one--and believes it. Which, again, makes him either very arrogant or very stupid.

Jackson seems like a good dude, and admirably accepted the heat for a terrible, terrible performance today. But that's really about the only positive thing you can say about him right now. All four of his interceptions were cringe-inducing, not a single one tipped by a defender or bouncing in or off a receiver. Instead, they revealed a lack of judgment, a lack of touch, and a lack of self-possession in more ways than one. It is really difficult to imagine this guy approaching the caretaker status of a Trent Dilfer, let alone someone who can win you ballgames on his own. I know it takes time to learn, and young QBs inevitably look shaky, but c'mon, last week's ugly squeaker over Atlanta is the current highpoint of his career, which is exactly what you'd expect from a guy whose best attribute was being a stud athlete, and who didn't even play major college football.

So far almost everything is going according to form with these Vikings. Most of their supposed strengths are indeed strong, but not nearly strong enough to overcome their obviously crippling weaknesses. I don't pretend to follow the game as closely as I do pro hoops, or even baseball, but I have seen seven of their eight and half quarters thus far this season (including today's entire contest) and am myself arrogant or stupid enough to spout off about my impressions.

**Adrian Peterson was even more impressive this week than on opening day. Yeah, I know his numbers were mediocre at best, but Peterson bounced off the first guy to hit him at least eight times today, and bounced off multiple people at least three or four, including that beautiful run--a mix of grit, lateral threading and that glorious speed of his--to set up Jackson's arm-stretched running TD for the only six by the Vikes' offense. At least ten times he picked up substantially more yardage than an average back would have garnered. One of his first carries of the day, an off tackle play to the left, wasn't there for him and his jag to the sideline seemed to be accomplished simultanously with his upfield explosion. It was probably only about a 6, 7 yard run, but it was the kind of play that scares the shit out of defensive coordinators on tape and gets linebackers and defensive ends warned to prioritize the "outside contain," which is why it would be fun to either throw Chester Taylor (when healthy) back there with Peterson or give the ball to Tony Richardson (when healthy) up the gut more often. The plays with my man (I may be his last staunch supporter, but I love the guy) Mewelde Moore and Peterson sharing a backfield were likewise very successful today.

One last thing about Peterson; you hear all this stuff about how he runs too high, doesn't get low enough. I'll concede that this might increase his risk of injury, but otherwise, man, it's part of his style, and everyone should leave him alone about it. A lot of fabulous backs ran high in their day, including Walter Payton, Christian Okoye and to a lesser extent Emmitt Smith. Besides, Peterson plays off that high style, in that he often lowers his shoulder and rises up to shrug off tacklers--that's one of the reasons they bounce off him. Watching him, you can certainly understand why his collarbone is injury-prone, and people coming at him sidewise really can measure him for a monster hit. But like all great backs, so much of what he is doing is intuitive and can't really be changed without sacrificing something good. Leave him alone and cross your fingers. And notice right now that it is Taylor and Richardson who are dinged, not AP.

** About the only thing that has really surprised me about the Vikes this season surprised me about them last year too, but I foolishly bought the hype again over the off-season: Their offensive line is way overrated. The right side was going to be shakey from the start, but the fabled left side, the expensive, star-studded trio of McKinnie-Hutchinson-Birk, simply aren't as good as their reputations. Shaun Rogers had a whale of a day at the nose tackle over Birk, and Corey Redding likewise was often in the backfield. There were precious few gaping holes for Peterson and co. to run through, and precious few occasions when Jackson could drop back in the pocket and casually survey the field. Those three stud linemen, plus Peterson, pretty much comprise the Vikings' only hope for offensive success this season, and the beef isn't pulling their weight in the expectations game.

**If you're going to have a QB as inexperienced as Jackson, it certainly would be nice to have at least one quality receiver to help bail him out. Bobby Wade came to Minnesota with the stats of a journeyman and has demonstrated a journeyman's skill set thus far. On a quality team he'd be your third receiver, at best, someone you threw in the slot on passing downs. Troy Williamson dropped two more passes today and is either physically or mentally incapable of overcoming this glaring flaw enough to gamble on his great speed. Sidney Rice looked good in the preseason, and made a good block on the screen pass versus Atlanta that helped spring Peterson for six. Don't know if Rice was injured or if Childress just decided to ride Robert Ferguson, but if this is indeed a rebuilding year (and only the most deluded fan would conclude otherwise), why not let Jackson and Rice get to know each other under game conditions as often as possible? Ferguson is obviously on the back end of his career. In any event, Wade-Williamson-Ferguson isn't going to stretch the field or otherwise scare anybody, especially with Jackson under center.

**It really is a shame that the line of scrimmage in a football game is one of the toughest places to really spotlight and appreciate a great defender. A good case can be made that Kevin Williams and Pat Williams are the best interior line tandem in the NFL right now, and when Kevin Williams breaks through and forces a fumble, as happened today, it reinforces the point. But most of the time teams don't even bother to run at the Williams boys--the Lions certainly didn't much today, and if the Falcons had anyone other than Joey Harrington they probably wouldn't have either--and when they do, it is just a rugby-like scrum most of the time. Kevin Williams is a better Keith Millard, and that's saying something because Millard, while being a crazy, 'roided MF, had some fabulous games in the pit. But the Vikes have never had a run-stuffer as good as Pat Williams was last season. Teams that live and die by the run, like the Bears, are going to be the most enjoyable opponents for the Vikings this season; although Chicago will probably even turn Rex Grossman loose against this pass defense.

**Which brings us to Cedric Griffin. I don't know the coverages, so I don't know if the Lions were picking on Griffin as much as it seemed today. But you certainly didn't see them completing much on Antonio Winfield. Griffin was one of my favorite players last year because he was upbeat and played with a no-nonsense attitude. But you can't teach height, and one of the few smart observations by today's commentators made the point about the physical disparity between Griffin and Lions receiver Roy Williams, not to mention the huge rookie Calvin Johnson. The Vikings' third round pick out of Fresno didn't have a great day either; ditto the linebackers in pass pro. Put it this way: The Vikes haven't come close to facing a quality quarterback yet, and already their secondary has been exposed. Hats off to Darren Sharper for two picks and heady forced fumble, and, to be fair, the defense has played well enough to be competitive both weeks thus far. But with the lack of offensive firepower, that back seven can't be as inconsistent as they've shown.

**Will we be looking at Kelly Holcomb before too long? Of all three signal-callers on the roster, he's the one with the most experience and the best credentials. Is Childress really prepared to go with Jackson through thick and thin? If so, tickets at the Dome are going to be fairly easy to come by around Thanksgiving.