MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Rick Adelman is back in Minnesota to meet with the Timberwolves again, the second time this month that he has traveled from his home in Oregon to talk about the team’s vacant head coaching position.
Adelman arrived in the Twin Cities on Tuesday to meet with owner Glen Taylor and other Timberwolves officials, a person with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press. The person spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because neither side is commenting publicly on the process.
Adelman also traveled to Minnesota on Aug. 23 to talk about replacing the fired Kurt Rambis.
The 65-year-old Adelman is 945-616 in 20 seasons as a head coach of the Trail Blazers, Kings, Warriors and Rockets. He parted ways with the Rockets in April, and Houston hired former Timberwolves coach and general manager Kevin McHale to take over the team.
Adelman said at the end of last season that he still had a lot of coaching left in him, though many believed he would prefer to take a year away, just as he has between every other stop during his career.
But the NBA lockout could give him plenty of time off if the players’ union and the owners don’t resolve their considerable differences soon, and Adelman has a history with Timberwolves All-Star Kevin Love that could make the job an attractive one for him.
Love played on the same Oregon high school team as Adelman’s son, and the two got to know each other well while Adelman attended the games. The Timberwolves also have an intriguing young cast around Love, including Spanish import Ricky Rubio, swingman Wes Johnson, No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams and Michael Beasley.
The athletic group would seem to fit with the kind of system Adelman has been known for running, which is exactly what Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn wants.
Adelman runs the kind of uptempo, free-flowing offensive system that Kahn has wanted to install in Minnesota ever since he took over in 2009. Kahn clashed with Rambis over the philosophy, which ultimately led to Kahn’s decision to fire the coach after just two seasons.
Adelman has coached 19 full seasons, leading the Blazers to the NBA finals in 1990 and 1992. He coached the Warriors to back-to-back losing seasons in 1995-96 and `96-97, the only times he has coached a full season and had a team finish with a losing record.
The Timberwolves are coming off an NBA-worst 17-65 season. They have also interviewed Terry Porter, Mike Woodson, Don Nelson, Larry Brown, Sam Mitchell and Bernie Bickerstaff for the job.
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