Michael Beasley: Improved Player or Hot Streak?

These are the kind of shots Beasley was hitting against Sacramento.

During the past four games, Michael Beasley has averaged 32.5 PPG on 54.5% shooting from the field and 58.3% from downtown.  He eclipsed his previous career high of 30 twice during this past week (42 against the Kings, 35 against New York).

But is Michael Beasley doing anything different to score all these points?

2010-11 Season Previews: Minnesota Timberwolves

Oh Ricky, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind, hey Ricky, hey Ricky

The NBA season is fast upon us, so its time for the Pick and Scroll to begin previewing each team.  We're going to go in order from worst record to best. Yesterday was the New Jersey Nets, and today we move on to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team with the most made fun of GM in all of sports.

2009-10 Record: 15-67
Additions: Michael Beasley (Trade), Martell Webster (Trade), Nikola Pekovic (FA), Luke Ridnour (FA), Wesley Johnson (Draft), Sebastian Telfair (Trade), Anthony Tolliver (FA), Kosta Koufos (Trade), Lazar Hayward (Draft)
Subtractions: Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Ramon Sessions, Damien Wilkins, Ryan Hollins, Oleksiy Pecherov, Sasha Pavlovic, Brian Cardinal, Nathan Jawai

Unsung Heroes: Northwest Division

Players are often described as being "overrated" or "underrated".  In the NBA, this often translates to overrated players being players that are good, but vastly overpaid for their abilities, or who get more media exposure than some other players, while underrated often means a player who is making a pittance for his current production (funnily enough, underrated players tend to become labeled overrated when they get new, bigger contracts).

I do think there are some underrated players though, players that aren't as widely known for their roles on their team, who don't often get mentioned for their contributions but are indeed integral parts of their team.

Over the next week or so, I'll be looking at each team to find one "underrated" player for each team in the league.  Last Tuesday, we looked at the Atlantic Divsion, Wednesday the Central, and Thursday the Southeast.  Friday we moved on to the Western Conference and checked out the Southwest.  After the jump, we venture on to the Northwest.

The Circle of Kaaaahn!!!

Yesterday, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins, and a 2013 2nd round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair.

I find this funny, because it creates a full circle from last year, when Telfair also was with the Wolves.

A couple weeks ago, Tom Ziller wrote over at Fanhouse that an Avocado would likely have made a better GM than David Kahn.  I agreed with it at the time, and I agree with it now, because after the trade, the Wolves are back to where they were last year with Telfair, but worse.  Let's review:

7/20/2009:  Wolves trade Sebastian Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen ($9.465 million) to the Los Angeles Clippers for Quentin Richardson ($8.7 million).

8/4/2009: Wolves sign Ryan Hollins to 3 year, $7 million contract.

8/13/2009: Wolves trade Quentin Richardson ($8.7 million) to the Miami Heat for Mark Blount ($7.97 million).

9/4/2009: Wolves sign Ramon Sessions to 4 year, $16.4 million contract.

3/1/2010: Wolves waive Mark Blount who hadn't played a minute with them.

7/26/2010: Wolves trade Ryan Hollins, Ramon Sessions, and a 2nd rounder ($17.6 million) for Sebastian Telfair and Delonte West ($7.2 million).

7/27/2010 - 8/3/2010: Delonte West widely expected to be waived, as only $500,000 of his 2010-11 salary is guaranteed.

So in the end, instead of letting the contracts of Smith and Madsen expire, the Wolves paid for 1 year of Sessions (8.2 PPG, 3.1 APG) and Hollins (6.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG), paid $500,000 so that Delonte West won't ever suit up for them, paid Mark Blount almost $8 million to do the same, lost a 2nd rounder, and still have Telfair.  And its arguable that Smith and Telfair would've been more productive for the Wolves last year than Sessions and Hollins were, at a cheaper price.

It's the Circle of Kaaaahn.

David Kahn Wants to be Like Glory Day Kings?

So tonight I watched the Sacramento Kings play the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Las Vegas Summer League.  During the 2nd quarter, the announcers (Matt Winer and Chris Webber, an all-time great King) had Minnesota GM David Kahn on to explain his thought process on what he's trying to do with his team, since nobody else on this planet can seem to figure it out (the best explanation is that David Kahn was sent from the future in order to prevent a 2012 apocalypse from the Timberwolves being so good.  I would like to claim credit for this but I read it on Twitter here.)  Kahn told Webber that he was trying to model his team after the old Sacramento Kings and create an up-tempo system where everyone loves to pass.

Well David, if this really is your plan, you're doing it horribly wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong.