Rick Adelman met the media this afternoon to talk about taking over as coach of the Timberwolves.
Because of the NBA lockout, Adelman and Wolves VP David Kahn couldn't talk about the team's players.
 
Said Kahn: "Rick is synonymous with NBA postseason success and success in general ... I have no doubt he’s a future Hall of Fame coach in our sport. Because of his success and track record, it creates an aura of confidence over our entire basketball team."
 
Adelman, who coached Houston last season, took his time pondering the job.
 
"I thought about the situation with the young group, thought it was a great chance, a great challenge and a very good opportunity," he said. "As soon as we get started we’ll find out what kind of players we have."
 
His decision to return to coaching took most of the summer.
 
"I was looking for very good teams, there were some there at the start of the summer, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do," he said. "As the summer went on … I was approached by David and the Timberwolves, we talked a number of times, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to coach one more time."
 
"I kept looking at this team and the challenge. I really enjoyed the last two years in Houston, when we lost our superstars because of injuries and things … you saw the growth of that [young] group. It was a real pleasure coaching in that atmosphere."
 
Adelman has watched film of the Timberwolves, and said this:
 
"They were a good offensive team, got better as the year went on,  have quality players at that end …but on the other end, there’s go to tbe some responsibility at the defensive end. That's the challenge."
 
"There's a lot of potential, lot of length, obviously a lot of youth."
 
How long will it take for the Wolves to challenge for a playoff spot?
 
"I’ve been in situation where it doesn’t take a long time," he said. "A lot of it is the growth of the players you have. ... Everything is there for us to make strides."
 
He couldn't talk about players, but added, "You've got to see them on the floor. You've got to be with them every day. You've got to find out what their strengths are, and you've got to put them in position to be successful."
 
 
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