Mychal Thompson is arguably the greatest Gophers basketball player of all-time. He happens to know new Wolves head coach Kurt Rambis well. They were teammates with the Lakers for a season-and-a-half and for the last five years Thompson has been the team's radio analyst. Over those five years, Thompson had a great seat to watch Rambis coordinate LA's defense. I swapped emails with Thompson this week. The topic: Rambis.
(***Note: This email exchange was done prior to the news that Shaquille O'Neal called Thompson a horrible player...if done after, it would've been raised.)
Q: The Wolves' biggest issue last year was their perimeter defense. No. 2 was Jefferson's defense. Will Rambis, with his defensive acumen, motivate the guys to improve in those two areas?
A: Defense will be better under Rambis because he will demand you play it...Because HE was that type of player.
Q: I was told the Lakers, under Rambis, basically flooded the strong side with an extra guy, and if the other team isn't particularly adept at switching the basketball, they're in big trouble. Even if they do switch, the rotations are quick enough to disrupt when effort is there (though that's when having long guys like Ariza/Odom/Bynum/Gasol helps). Can Gomes-Brewer-Jefferson-Love get that done?
A: Yes! Minnesota's players are quick enough to handle the quick rotations required to play Rambis-style defense...Plus, you have intelligent players in, Jefferson, Love, Flynn and Gomes...so, they'll pick up strategies quickly.
Q: Star Tribune columnist Jim Souhan doesn't like the move. He wrote Friday: If you are made of the stuff of outstanding head coaches, you don't sit in the cushy chair next to (Phil) Jackson. You find an uncomfortable head coach's seat in the CBA, or at a high school, or a small college. You learn the craft of running a team, which is far different than the craft of running one or two aspects of a team.
How do you respond to that?
