The Minnesota Timberwolves were blown out by the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, two days after the front office decided to fire Brian Shaw. The players had reportedly tuned out Shaw, who complained constantly about a lack of effort and went to desperate lengths to recapture their attention, even resorting to rapping a scouting report. The Nuggets' brass had stood by Shaw, who was brought in to instate a defensive culture after George Karl was let go, but it was clear his time in Denver was up.
Kevin Garnett says the Nuggets are quitters
The Timberwolves’ star said the team gave up on recently-fired coach Brian Shaw.
Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
It was a complex situation in which a flawed roster built to play a fast-paced style was forced to adjust to a rookie coach who wanted to change the way things had been done in the past without having the right players to better implement his system.
Or, if you believe Kevin Garnett, it's simpler than that. Via @cjzero):
When asked after the game if the Timberwolves were expecting the Nuggets to come out with more life after Shaw’s departure, Garnett simply said this:
“No, to be honest, they quit on Brian Shaw -- I thought they’d quit again. A quitter’s a quitter. That was my take on that.”
The Nuggets eventually won by 15 in Minnesota, so Garnett’s read was obviously off.
Garnett has never minced words, but at this point of his career, he's free to say whatever he wants. He's joined Kobe Bryant in the "I don't care about what anyone thinks" club of living legends who are not worried about ruffling a few feathers. All that's missing now is for Tim Duncan to start calling out teammates.
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