No changes (yet) at top for 'rock bottom' Wolves

Citing NBA sources, ESPN.com reported Sunday night that Wolves owner Glen Taylor wants Kevin McHale to agree to coach the team before Taylor will agree to fire Randy Wittman.

By JERRY ZGODA, Star Tribune

Last update: December 8, 2008 - 7:56 AM

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Sunday apparently came and went with Randy Wittman still officially coach of the Timberwolves, a franchise that even an NBA rookie realized hit "rock bottom" with Saturday's desolatory loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at Target Center.

ESPN.com, citing NBA coaching sources, reported Sunday night that Wolves owner Glen Taylor wants Kevin McHale, vice president of basketball operations, to agree to coach the team before Taylor will agree to fire Wittman, who is 38-105 in less than two full seasons as Wolves head coach.

McHale reluctantly coached the season's final 31 games after he fired Flip Saunders during the 2004-2005 season.

Taylor grimly left Target Center late Saturday night, declining a request to speak to a reporter after his team trailed by as many as 29 points and lost 107-84 to an opponent that was 3-15 when it arrived in town after getting thumped in Memphis the previous night. A reporter asked Al Jefferson after Saturday's game if the Wolves had hit "rock bottom," a term rookie Kevin Love used just across the team's locker room.

"It's still early, man," he said. "I wouldn't care if we were 80 games in, we just got to keep fighting. You feel like we hit rock bottom? If you don't feel it, I damn sure don't feel it. It's frustrating. I don't know. I just feel like the worst teams have their best nights against us."

Wolves coach Randy Wittman said after the game that he's not worried about getting fired because it doesn't do any good.

"When you're hired, you're bound to get fired," he said.

Asked if he expects management to do something, anything, to reverse a course in which the Wolves have lost 15 of their first 19 games, guard Randy Foye said, "Management can do whatever, but it still comes from the players. Randy Wittman is not out there on the court. Kevin McHale is not out there on the court. It's me, Al, Craig, Ryan, and these guys in here. It has to change within us before anything."

Lack of execution is one thing. Lack of effort is something completely else.

"You're going to have bad shooting nights, and you're going to have nights where you're not as effective as you want to be," forward Ryan Gomes said. "But the hustle has to be there every night. The last couple nights, it hasn't been there."

The Wolves didn't practice Sunday. Today they prepare for Tuesday's game against Utah, which visits Target Center on the 20th anniversary of coach Jerry Sloan's hiring. The Wolves play Wednesday at Denver, meet San Antonio at home Friday, then play the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday.

"We have to get our rhythm back," Love said. "In order for us to get wins, we have to dive on the floor. We have to hit guys. We have to get get some easy hook shots in the lane or layups ... We need a break right now. We have two of our best players [Mike Miller and Corey Brewer injured], so we have to find something. Something's got to give."

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