Another day, another job candidate says no to Minnesota Timberw...

So much for those reports that the Minnesota Timberwolves would hire Portland Trail Blazers assistant general manager Tom Penn as their new head of basketball operations before Tuesday's draft lottery.

[Big D]

Anyone who finished top three in their NBA fantasy leagues last year should be considered a better replacement than McHale.

[Bob the Bilderberg]

They don't want to pay the high MN state income taxes. It's true.

[DD Austin]

Maybe Glen can find a good junior varsity coach from overseas to fill the position!
Everyone else with half sense is seeing what they're up against. Trying to run a club that is run by the owner who's is absolutely clueless as to what to do!
What a sad commentary to have to deal with for all Minnesota sports fans!
Do us all a favor, Glen, SELL THE T-WOLVES! NOW!!! PLEASE!!!!!!

[Planet Earth]

I don't think it is any coincidence that these people are pulling out. Having to keep McFail as a coach and have Taylor leaning over your shoulder, who would want to work for that?

[cwick]

How about Bill Simmions for GM?
or you could go with....?

[The JEW]

cwick wrote:

How about Bill Simmons for GM?
or you could go with....?

Bill Simmons!

[WALLY58]

Glen - Hire Fred Hoiberg as GM and Sam Mitchell as Head Coach and get out of the way!!

[Chase]

Tom Penn is a genius.
He got exactly what he wanted.
A raise, and staying put in a class organization in Portland.
Good for him.
Loved his.*tough decision* line in the article. CYA! That was a tough one!
Good luck to Glen Taylor.
He seems to think he can run his basketball operation like one of his companies.
Basically, underpay and not give anyone complete authority so he can keep meddling.
Good luck with that Glen.

[The Hard Truth]

It's real simple. Glenn wants Kevin to be able to call his own shots; any general manager who is worth his salt would refuse that deal. It's not that Kevin isn't a good coach, it's that the ghost of his former power would always give his voice unnatural weight in decision making. This is a moment for Glenn to stare into the mirror and ask himself whether loyalty to people he has chosen is more important than clarity in redefining a troubled franchise. It's not an easy call, and my guess is that he will choose one of the two internal candidates, much to the dismay of fans, and tell whichever it is that Kevin gets to stay until, say, Christmas, and then, if things aren't going well, the new man will have the power to relieve him of his duties. It's a clumsy solution, but it smells like Glenn's way of doing things.

[Andy]

Owner Glen Taylor hasn't returned phone calls for weeks, but he can't be happy about the prospect of having to reopen a search he had hoped to wrap up within two weeks after the season.

This is self inflicted. If he is going to mandate that McHale and others must stay there is no point for anyone on the outside coming in. They would just become aonther member of the country club

[Puppet Wanted]

Glen Taylor is looking for a puppet to run his basketball operations! With strings attached to this job requiring that they must keep McHale, why would anybody want this job? Taylor's infatuation with McHale is what brought this team down in the first place, and he still insists on protecting the guy. Apparently Taylor doesn't want someone that can think for himself and make good basketball decisions, he wants a "yes" man that will keep his buddy around. If McHale would have a conscience, he'd resign, but when Daddy Warbucks keeps putting millions in his pocket, why should he? Hire Fred Hoiberg.... he'll do your puppet thing and keep McHale around and you can probably get him on the cheap since he comes from such a poorly run program!

[wtf]

So how long before the T-pups relocate to Omaha?

[Da Crusher_RIP]

Definitely one of the worst run sport franchises in all of major league sports. Plus an owner who is committed to not making money on the team.
The media likes to pick on the Clippers as a poor run operation, but Glen Taylor's operation of the Timberwolves has them beat by a mile.

If a GM comes here it will strictly be for a pay check increase and not to try to build this team back to respectability. Not as long as Taylor gets in the way.

[Marcus Saracki]

We all know Taylor likes his boys and whatever he is telling these candidates (they won't have any control and they have to keep McHale as coach) turns them off. In the end he'll have untested Hoiberg as GM and McHale as coach.

[Dieter]

Long live the Country Club!!

[Scott in Orlando]

Really? Why would anyone turn down such a wonderful job with the T-Wolves! It's a solid organization with a history of wise personnel moves and a trophy case filled the the plunders of victory!

[jeff M]

Insanity is doing again what you have been doing in the past and expecting a different result. I see it on so many levels with Glen Taylor's reign as timberwolves owner. Of course Glen's general dependence on Mchale's personnel judgements year after year in the face of failure after failure, defending Mchale's free agent acquisitions and trades which have resulted in legions of second rate players for whom the wolves have overpaid in the form of draft picks and salary, second guessing draft picks and swapping for money and another pick on draft day and now blowing one GM opportunity after another by withholding the fundamental powers that a GM needs to make a difference by insisting on them keep his coach and personnel guy. Glen obviously is convinced he knows the professional basketball business better than the men he is interviewing in spite of years of utter failure in which his judgment has been the driving factor. Any candidate for the GM position is not going to be interested in taking the blame for the results Glen's decision making and micromanagement, thereby destroying his reputation through no fault of his own and ruining his future market value if things don't work out. Any GM willing to take the position with this proviso, probably is going to have no market value to risk in the first place like Fred Hoiberg for example. No matter how a candidate's potential might be, if he has to find consensus with Taylor and Mchale, he won't be able achieve that potential because the Wolves will be doing what they have always done in their past failures and expecting a different result.