MINNEAPOLIS – Before the Timberwolves' final game on April 26, coach Rick Adelman joked about his return to the team for the 2012-13 season.
He'd be back, he said, unless someone knew something he didn't. It was a confirmation, of course, but hardly a ringing endorsement. Adelman admitted he was tired, and rightfully so. The man looked exhausted, the wrinkles around his eyes more pronounced, his shoulders sagging deeper than they had in January.
Rick Adelman was accustomed to winning, and the team's 1-12 record in April didn't mesh with his expectations. Neither did the collapse that was about to take place that night, a 131-102 loss to Golden State.
Adelman said he'd be back, but it was hard not to wonder if maybe, just maybe, he might have had some doubts. He's 66 years old, after all, and has posted just three losing records in his 20 full seasons as a head coach. The Timberwolves are likely his last hurrah, and if he felt he wouldn't be able to turn them around, then what would be the incentive to return?
On Wednesday, Adelman sat at a microphone, two seats down from Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn and beside the team's new small forward, Chase Budinger. When Adelman spoke, there was no doubt he is committed to the Timberwolves and they to him.
It wasn't Adelman's presence that signified that dual commitment. It was Budinger's. Adelman coached Budinger in Houston in 2009-10 and 2010-11, his first two years in the league. The small forward fit well in Adelman's system, and the Rockets staff was impressed with how much the 44th pick in the 2009 draft exceeded expectations.
Adelman likes Budinger. That's easy to see. He calls him a playmaker, lauds his attitude and work ethic. But the league has plenty of playmakers, a lot of hard-working guys with good work ethics. Some are free agents, others the team could have traded for. And instead, they chose Budinger.
At the end of last season, Adelman emphasized that he'd taken the Timberwolves job with the understanding he'd be involved in the team's offseason moves. He wanted input, and he's earned it. Sixteen NBA playoff berths when your general manager and two biggest stars have zero in their current roles will earn a man those rights, and the Timberwolves would have been ignorant to ignore Adelman's call for input.
But one never knows. It's hard to predict how those relationships go, how coordination between business and basketball might falter or even explode. One party might want a big name, the other a more specialized player. There are always financial considerations along those of attitude and team chemistry, and sometimes, that's too much to jell.
Chase Budinger is a statement that it can work. It's the first major move of Adelman's tenure, a statement that the Timberwolves are committed to their coach's unique system and vision. For anyone who's followed Adelman's career, who's spoken to him or even read about him, that's encouraging.
This isn't a knock on Kahn or a jab at Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio. It's not to say that the team couldn't have won eventually with the three of them and no Adelman. But it's hard to ignore the benefits a coach like Adelman can bring if a franchise allows him to work to the fullest extent of his abilities, off the court as well as on it.
So Chase Budinger just became a bit more exciting. Not that he wasn't already – though no superstar, he fills the team's most obvious needs going into the offseason and has the potential for growth. But beyond that, Budinger represents a commitment. He represents a future that could follow the pattern of Adelman's past. He's proof that there's an easy (easier?) way to build this team, one that's logical and makes sense.
Last season, it was difficult for Adelman to fully implement his corner offense with just a two-week training camp and a schedule that yielded almost no practice time. Players admitted that adjusting to the new coach was taking time, yet they still respected him and bought in completely to what he was doing. This summer and next season will be the first real trial of Adelman's offense in its full-fledged state in Minnesota, and having Budinger on board will make that process easier. He knows what he's in for, and he said that he plays his best within Adelman's offense. Putting a system in place is still going to be difficult with so many young players and such lofty goals, so why make it any more difficult?
After so many years in the game, basketball must be a routine to Adelman. But what's second nature to the coach is still a stretch for the Timberwolves, for this group that's so rife with both potential and immaturity. It only seems logical to give the coach some greater measure of influence, and though Chase Budinger might not be the biggest name the team adds this offseason, he's likely the acquisition that best represents the direction in which the Timberwolves are moving.
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