In one of the most audacious attempts to influence draft odds in Minnesota history — or sports history, for that matter — backup Timberwolves big man Mark Madsen attempted seven three-pointers in the final 10 minutes of the 2005-06 season after not attempting a single three all season.
To tank or not to tank? That is the question in Minnesota sports
Creating at least some intention around losing now to be better later is a grim path, but also a potentially fruitful one.
September 14, 2023 at 4:54PM
All seven attempts came in overtime and double overtime of a 102-92 loss to the Grizzlies, and all of them missed the mark as part of a 1-for-15 overall shooting night for Madsen.
Grizzlies forward Brian Cardinal, who had tied the game with a late three-pointer that, had it been as wayward as Madsen's attempts, would have caused this farce to never exist, had the perfect quote afterwards.
"We were fortunate," Cardinal said. "Mark Madsen wasn't 'on' tonight."
The loss helped the Wolves finish the year 33-49, improving their draft lottery odds (and eventually draft position) by a couple spots.
As a reward, they found themselves with the No. 6 pick, which they used to select Brandon Roy — only to swap him immediately for Randy Foye, a nice player but hardly a franchise savior.
Roy, a three-time All-Star who later ran into injury problems, might have been worth one night of absurdity. The basketball gods, however, delivered their swift revenge on the Wolves.
Intentional losing (tanking, if you prefer) isn't usually so obviously defined, though, nor is its outcome always punitive — as I talked about on Thursday's Daily Delivery podcast.
More nuance reveals the dichotomy of tanking: That no self-respecting athlete or franchise would set out to lose intentionally on a large scale ... even while they know that it could have a long-term benefit.
It often happens more organically, couched in euphemistic terms like "rebuild" or "youth movement" that signal young players will be given a chance to prove themselves but that losses certainly could accumulate.
It's been on my mind as I consider the historical and current fates of the Vikings, Lynx, Wolves and Twins.
The Lynx looked like they were on a path to a high pick this year, intentionally or not, after an 0-6 start. But they rebounded to make the playoffs. They slumped into the postseason with two disappointing losses, though, and were trounced 90-60 in Game 1 of their series Wednesday.
Would they have been better off playing for a loaded 2024 draft? It's a hard sell, but let's remember: The four-championship dynasty of the 2010s never happens without No. 1 picks Seimone Augustus (2006) and Maya Moore (2011).
The Wolves made the playoffs each of the last two years in large part because of No. 1 overall picks Karl-Anthony Towns (2015) and Anthony Edwards (2020).
The Twins have a refreshed hope and are cruising to an AL Central title thanks at least in part to 2017 No. 1 overall pick Royce Lewis, their most exciting player and best leader in at least a decade.
None of those teams necessarily set out to lose in the preceding seasons — much of it happened organically as the result of youth, luck and other circumstances — but they also probably didn't mind how it turned out.
The Vikings, quite the contrary, have seldom bottomed out and instead are in a state of "competitive rebuild" that suggests they could have a hard time emerging into the truly elite of the NFL or conversely falling so far that they have the sort of draft capital often needed to draft a talented, cost-controlled QB of the future.
It's hard to imagine a 3-14 season happening organically for these Vikings, but check back in four weeks.
Maybe they could lure Madsen away from his head coaching job at Cal to kick some threes instead of shooting them?
Here are four more things to know today:
*Good scoop from Rochelle Olson that the Wolves are leaving WCCO Radio. I'll be curious to find out what their plan is going forward.
*An underrated play from Sunday's 20-17 Vikings loss to Tampa Bay came late in the first half when the Vikings came up a yard short on a third down pass deep in their own territory from Kirk Cousins to K.J. Osborn. It led to visible frustration on the sideline from head coach Kevin O'Connell, then a punt and the Bucs' tying touchdown.
Osborn, who also had his hands on the goal line interception later in the first half, had a Pro Football Focus grade of 50.2 in the game — No. 97 out of 110 qualified receivers.
Will we see more Jordan Addison on Thursday night?
*Dallas Keuchel was roughed up by the Rays in Wednesday's 5-4 loss, continuing a pattern in which he's been good against bad teams and bad against good teams. That wouldn't seem to bode well for his playoff roster fate, even if he has been a useful addition.
*There will be more Twins talk on Friday's podcast with beat writer Phil Miller, plus of course reaction to Thursday's Vikings game.
When he was hired after the disastrous 2016 season to reshape the Twins, Derek Falvey brought a reputation for identifying and developing pitching talent. It took a while, but the pipeline we were promised is now materializing.
