Minnesota Timberwolves: Front Office Shakeup Continues
By Aaron Mah
The Minnesota Timberwolves continue to restructure their upper-management staff as they officially enter the Tom Thibodeau era.
The offseason makeover of the Minnesota Timberwolves continued this Friday when they announced a series of front office changes, relieving previous general manager Milt Newton, vice president of basketball operations Rob Babcock, and most notably, vice president of sports performance Arnie Kander, of their respective duties.
In addition to Kander, Milton and Babcock, the Wolves also released assistant coach Sidney Lowe, but kept Ryan Saunders and David Adelman on staff (for now).
Asst coaches Ryan Saunders, David Adelman & Bryan Gates aren't on the list. That doesn't mean they'll be back, although Ryan probably will
— Jerry Zgoda (@JerryZgoda) May 20, 2016
The recent moves signal an official changing of the guard, as for the first time since purchasing the majority ownership of the Minnesota Timberwolves, owner Glen Taylor is taking a hands-off, empowerment approach.
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Taylor has given the keys to newly hired president of basketball operations and head coach Tom Thibodeau, conceding full control of all personnel and upper-management decisions.
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While such a development is refreshing for all Timberwolves fans — and rightfully so, with the generous contract given to Thibs — Newton did get the short end of the stick.
As Flip Saunders’ right-hand man for much of their most recent rebuild, he played an integral part in acquiring Andrew Wiggins and drafting both Zach LaVine and Karl-Anthony Towns.
More importantly, Newton was the man who held everything together after the elder Saunders passed last year. As a fan, it is a bit disappointing knowing he won’t be part of the franchise as it begins to reap the rewards of its rebuilding efforts.
Moreover, it wasn’t too long ago when Taylor gave Newton the dreaded vote of confidence, vowing to keep him through the draft and summer to “enact” his plan.
Losing Kander also hurts — literally and figuratively.
The Wolves had long been cursed by season-debilitating injuries before last year when Arnie came on board.
With his vast array of quirky remedies, like banana juices and kale wraps, he kept the Timberpups relatively unmarred — a significant feat, considering the injury histories of Ricky Rubio and Shabazz Muhammad.
The Kander firing may have come to a bit of a surprise, but the decision to split was mutual, as his one-year deal was up and was only willing to serve the Wolves in a consultant capacity from his home in Colorado.
Re: Arnie Kander's departure: he had a 1-year deal that's up, came here because of Flip, good chance he wouldn't have come back anyway
— Jerry Zgoda (@JerryZgoda) May 20, 2016
Finding an appropriate replacement will be key and Taylor might have to step in if Thibs has any thought of bringing in his old Chicago medical staff (see: injury hit seasons of 2011-15).
The firings and releases may be drastic and somewhat harsh, but they are not unprecedented by any means. By giving Thibodeau full control and president-plus-head-coach status, you are expecting the former Coach of the Year to bring in his own staff.
Yes, the decision to relieve Newton lacks empathy, but the additional firing of Babcock is the metaphorical changing of the guard the franchise needs to effectively build a new “culture”.
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The bad news: 10 people are now out of jobs as a result. The good news: the Minnesota Timberwolves are finally on its way to cultivating a self-sanctioned, fully-functional management team.