Welcome to the Monday edition of The Cooler, where sometimes you have to be the bad guy. Let's get to it:
*Sunday was interesting, and slightly less chaotic for the Timberwolves, than the days that had preceded it.
Jimmy Butler practiced for the second time since requesting a trade before training camp, and for the first time since his shout-filled return to the court on Wednesday.
The Timberwolves have done their best to make it seem like Butler's first practice was not unusual, which is nonsense. I don't doubt that he's a trash-talker who commands attention and leads with tough love. But yelling obscenities at the general manager, then heading straight for an ESPN interview? There was very little that was normal Wednesday.
Sunday, though, was at least an attempt to present an air of normalcy. Butler practiced and talked to the local media. He met with owner Glen Taylor to essentially call a temporary truce, with Butler vowing to play hard until he's traded and Taylor vowing to continue to facilitate that deal.
As is the case in many areas of life right now, though, we should not confuse two sides temporarily acting civil for a problem actually being solved. That's not to say Sunday wasn't a step in the right direction — one that maybe should have happened weeks ago — but it doesn't come close to erasing the recent past or calming the impending storm.
For the latter, we only need to look to a key quote from Butler on Sunday, when he was asked what sort of fan reaction he anticipates Friday at Target Center for the home opener against Cleveland.
"Sure, boo me," he said. "Ain't going to change the way I play. Probably going to make me smile more. Please, come with it."
