McHale's Last Gasp

Finally, if McHale really wanted to use Casey as a human shield or employment insurance policy, he would have kept the coach around through the end of the season. Instead, he seems to be making a do-or-die bet on the Wolves improving their performance the last three months of this season. Almost everything we have seen or heard from Casey's replacement Randy Wittman (that he will give KG more rest, emphasize tough interior defense, be very direct and no-nonsense in practice but upbeat and encouraging on the sideline) is reminiscent of McHale's 31-game coaching stint two years ago. If the Wolves don't win more games than they lose and fail to make the playoffs this season, McHale is discredited, and out of scapegoats. And a sea change is in the offing for the Wolves franchise.

But for Wittman and the rest of the Wolves' personnel to vindicate McHale's faith after all, a number of tall orders have to be filled. Perhaps first and foremost, free agent point guard Mike James—a bust during the first half of the season—has to make the psychological leap from gritty, undrafted overachiever to reliable linchpin, and assume responsibility commensurate with his $6 million annual salary. (As a forceful advocate for signing James, KG also has a personal stake in his rehabilitation.) Davis has to stop intermittently pissing away his formidable talent due to pique, sloth, and lack of focus, or else accept a demotion to the bench without creating a distraction. And the learning curves of potential stars like Foye and McCants have to be accelerated in time to provide Garnett with a redoubtably worthy sidekick before his skills fade further or he's dealt away in a blockbuster fire sale.

None of these things will be easy to accomplish. It's not like you can simply fire the coach and make everything all better. I suspect that more than just the 2006-07 season is at stake for the Wolves over the next three months.

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