Minnesota

Top Seed in West Re-Signs Proven Vet to Second 10-Day Contract

Published

10 months ago

March 16, 2024

Top Seed in West Re-Signs Proven Vet to Second 10-Day Contract

Veteran NBA forward T.J. Warren has just inked a second 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team announced in a press release. The deal will keep him in Minnesota through March 25th. Warren was initially added on his first 10-day deal earlier this month, as essentially an emergency rotation addition to help cushion the blow of losing All-Star Minnesota power forward Karl-Anthony Towns.

On Tuesday, Towns went under the knife to address a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. Per an earlier Timberwolves press statement, the seven-footer out of Kentucky was expected to have the knee reappraised four weeks from the initial procedure. Though he will not be back in time for this final stretch of Minnesota’s regular season, the wording of the statement seems to indicate that there’s a chance he is back when the club heads into the playoffs.

At 45-21, the Timberwolves are currently the third seed in the Western Conference. The club is currently just 1.5 contests behind the top-seeded Denver Nuggets (47-20), and just one full game behind the 46-20 Oklahoma City Thunder, the West’s second seed. Warren has been a key part of the club’s frontcourt rotation off the bench. Big man Naz Reid has been brought in as the Timberwolves’ KAT replacement in their first five.

He was dusted off by the Timberwolves this month after not being able to find a landing place at any other time this season. The 6’8″ North Carolina State product, still just 30, was selected at the end of the NBA draft lottery in 2014 by the Phoenix Suns, with the No. 14 pick. He developed into a prolific scorer by his fourth season with Phoenix. Across 65 contests in 2017-18, he averaged 19.6 points on 49.8% shooting from the floor, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, one steal and 0.6 blocks. Warren finished among the top 25 vote-getters league-wide for Most Improved Player honors.

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a shot against TJ Warren #24 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Warren…

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Warren was flipped from Phoenix to the Indiana Pacers in the summer of 2019 for cash. He continued his high-scoring tear with Indiana. Warren evolved into being a lethal three-level scorer during that first Pacers season, averaging a career-most 19.8 points on .536/.403/.819 shooting splits, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.5 blocks per bout across 67 contests (out of 73 during a pandemic-abbreviated season). The emergent wing was honored on the NBA’s All-Bubble First Team while averaging 31 points in eight bubble contests during the season’s 2020 COVID-19 era Orlando Disneyworld restart.

That’s when the trouble started. Warren has been beset by the injury bug for several years. He incurred a left navicular stress fracture that required surgery early in the 2020-21 season, missing all but four games across the ensuing two seasons. He joined a star-laden Brooklyn Nets squad, led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, on a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal in 2022, and was flipped back to the Suns as part of the Durant trade near that season’s deadline.

Post-injury, Warren may never be the explosive athlete and dynamic scorer he was just a few years ago, but in limited minutes it seems like he can still contribute to a winning program. In his four bouts with Minnesota thus far this year, Warren is averaging 4.8 points on 47.4% shooting from the floor, two rebounds and 0.8 dimes a night. His new deal will carry him through the club’s next five games. If Minnesota wants to keep him around after this agreement expires, it will need to sign him to a rest-of-season contract.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Source link

Related Topics:Featured Minnesota Timberwolves NBA

Click to comment

Minnesota

Minnesota task force recommends decriminalization of magic mushrooms

Published

2 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

Minnesota task force recommends decriminalization of magic mushrooms

MINNEAPOLIS — A task force is recommending the decriminalization of magic mushrooms.

A nearly 200-page report from the Minnesota Psychedelic Medicine Task Force said psilocybin mushrooms show evidence they may improve mental health.

Logan Fleischman co-owns Wonderland Mushroom Dispensary in St. Paul, a shop specializing in mushroom-infused gummies and drinks that tout supposed real-life health benefits.

“We’re not saying that this certainly will give you energy or will give you focus, but for some people, it does help,” Fleischman said.

Fleischman does not sell “magic mushrooms,” also known as psilocybin mushrooms, that cause hallucinations and are still illegal.
However, news of a state task force report that lays out potential health benefits, gives Fleischman hope.

“Really helping combat things like depression, anxiety, PTSD,” Fleischman said.

By a two-thirds supermajority, members of the Psychedelic Medicine Task Force are recommending the Minnesota Legislature create a state-regulated clinical program for the therapeutic administration of psilocybin-containing mushrooms, while removing criminal penalties for their use, and allocating for more funding for research on psychedelics, like psilocybin mushrooms.

The task force also looked at a clinical program for synthetic drugs like MDMA and LSD, but that didn’t garner enough support. There also was not enough support for a recreational market for magic mushrooms.

“The report itself is meant to be a long-term resource for the state,” said Jessica Nielson, chair of the task force. “We do need someone in the legislature to actually introduce the bill and move it through the system.”

Minnesota Sen. Mark Koran, R-North Branch, a member of the task force, is optimistic.

“If we can get a true environment to have some research done and find an effective way to administer it, and we have the resources to do it here, then I would be all for moving it forward,” Koran said.

Jason Rantala

Jason Rantala joined WCCO as a reporter in June 2023. He’s a Minnesota native and is thrilled to be telling the stories of those in his hometown.

Source link

Minnesota

Ohio State vs. Minnesota Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Monday, January 6th

Published

10 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

Ohio State vs. Minnesota Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Monday, January 6th

Ohio State will look for some Big Ten consistency on the road against Minnesota.

The Golden Gophers are struggling to keep up with high-end competition, yet to beat a top 80 team in the country thus far. Can the team score a home upset against Ohio State? The Buckeyes have yet to win a true road game but are laying a handful of points on the road on Monday night.

Here’s our best bet for this one.

Spread

Moneyline

Total: 136.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Ohio State

Bruce Thornton: Enjoying a career-best year, Thornton is up to nearly 17 points per game while shooting 54% from the field and 44% from three. The veteran guard will be tasked with guiding the Buckeyes to a road win as the team looks to keep its three-point shooting at a high.

Minnesota

Dawson Garcia: The senior is averaging 19 points per game with seven rebounds while also showcasing improved playmaking with two assists per game. The Gophers are struggling to find consistency on offense, but a lot of it is coming from the 6’11” senior.

Ohio State continues to be an overvalued commodity after a strong start to the season. The team is ripe for regression, including three percent overall with a massive drop-off expected from beyond the arc (four percent), per ShotQuality.

The team will face a Minnesota team that grades out as a better defense according to shot quality and does a great job of contesting perimeter shots, which is a key to Ohio State’s offense. The Gophers are 38th in the country in three-point rate allowed, which can slow down Ohio State’s offense that ranks top 30 in three-point percentage.

The Gophers play at a prodding pace, bottom 10 in the country in adjusted tempo, and Ohio State’s defense continues to be overvalued due to poor shot-making marks, ranking 14th in effective field goal percentage. However, the team is outside of the top half of the country in turnover percentage, defensive rebounding rate, and opponent free throw rate.

In a low possession battle, give me the home underdog to keep this close.

PICK: Minnesota +5.5

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Source link

Minnesota

Big Plays by Vikings Defense Early Not Enough in Detroit

Published

18 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

Big Plays by Vikings Defense Early Not Enough in Detroit

Detroit’s next series was upended by another turnover of sorts, this time a stop on fourth-and-1 that was caused by Jonathan Bullard tipping Goff’s pass at the line of scrimmage. It returned the ball to Minnesota with three-and-a-half minutes left in the first half – and a prime opportunity to double-dip.

But they botched that chance, too, tasking Reichard with another field goal after fading at Detroit’s 13.

“This game could look differently in the end, very easily, with one or two more plays down in the red zone, being successful, and the way that works with momentum, and the way that works for the energy of your whole team. I thought the guys fought. I thought they battled,” Kevin O’Connell said. “They answered the bell, in that first half, turning the football over, giving us ops, getting stops. … We were going to go down there and try to get seven points, and we just didn’t do it. And you’re not going to beat a team like that, regardless of some of the other metrics in the game, when the weighty downs kind of go the way it did, and weighty as they get. They don’t get more weighty than scoring plays.”

Minnesota’s inability to capitalize offensively lingered in the third quarter, when Smith plucked an overthrown ball for Williams out of mid-air. Again, Reichard kicked a field goal.

To understand how well Minnesota’s defense played early look at the difference in second-quarter performance – a good indicator being it has been the most productive frame for the Lions this season in terms of yards (120.9) and points (10-plus) – Sunday and Week 7: The Vikings yielded 65 yards on 18 plays (3.6 avg.), and just three points, versus 202 yards on 17 plays (11.9 avg.) and 21 points in October.

Eventually, however, Gibbs stole the show.

The second-year phenom compiled 170 scrimmage yards and scored all four of Detroit’s touchdowns. He did it via a blend of untouchable speed, uncanny vision between the tackles and a serious finishing burst.

Source link