# Wolves release Stepp, Rickert, and Butler



## sheefo13 (Jul 13, 2002)

http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/transactions_041025.html



> Oct. 25, 2004 — Timberwolves General Manager Jim Stack today announced the team has waived Jackie Butler, Rick Rickert and Blake Stepp.


In my eyes this is bogus. I was expecting to keep at least one of these guys for the simple fact they have potential. I think stepp wouldvbe been a great fit. He can shoot and distribute the ball. Yeah you wanna say turnovers? well he is a rookie and he is playing in his first nba games. He is adjusting. People like watching potential, thats why we like watching ndudi and why people pay to see summer league games. I am just very dissappointed right now and i think you guys can tell.


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## Pan Mengtu (Jun 18, 2004)

Rickert's chances of making the team ended August 31st.


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## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

the headline should have read garnett releases............to keep eddie griffin over rick rickert is not only a joke it shows who's running the team. here's a hint, it isnt kevin mchale or flip saunders.


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## mysterio (May 20, 2003)

I think they will regret canning Stepp. He'll be back on another team and show everyone that he's has NBA game.


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## 4-For-Snapper (Jan 1, 2003)

Dang, I was hoping that Stepp would have a spot on the team. I really liked watching him play in high school. He torched my HS for like 45 points when I saw him.


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## sheefo13 (Jul 13, 2002)

Stepp was probably my favorite t wolves other than spree and kg.i began talking to him a lot during the summer league guys. He seemed like the only player that actually enjoyed being there. I do hope we still have stepp's rights or else i am going to be super mad. If not he will be starting for the bobcats and torch us for like 20 points! i hope at least

rickert.... The only reason i wouldnt mind seeing him on the team is because he is from minny. He isnt too good but i like his style. the reason he sucks so bad now is because trent tucker and kevin mchale forced him to change his game and now he plays only inside instead of the old rickert, indide-outside.

As for butler. He was the only high schooler not taken that entered the draft. He looks like a poor man's version of charles barkley. He played great in the summer league and wasnt givena chance to prove himself in the preseason. This guy was invited by a lot of other teams but ended up picking the t wolves.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Stepp's problem is, he isn't a PG. He's a SG. The turnovers would have continued to be a problem on the pro level.


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## oblivion (Aug 6, 2003)

Sure it sucks to cut 3 guys, all of which, have potential to become decent NBA players. But, given the position the wolves are in, I can't really fault them. Last year, their big problem was the PG position in the playoffs. If someone were to go down this year, I would rather have Veteran Anthony Carter to fall back on, than rely on a rookie in Stepp, who would be hardpressed to duplicate what Darrick Martin did (which wasn't much). 
I think we have to keep the guys that give us the best chance to reach and win the finals, and unfortunately those 3 don't fit right now. If we were a .500 borderline playoff team, then i can see investing more in the future.


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## Flanders (Jul 24, 2004)

> Originally posted by <b>oblivion</b>!
> Sure it sucks to cut 3 guys, all of which, have potential to become decent NBA players. But, given the position the wolves are in, I can't really fault them. Last year, their big problem was the PG position in the playoffs. If someone were to go down this year, I would rather have Veteran Anthony Carter to fall back on, than rely on a rookie in Stepp, who would be hardpressed to duplicate what Darrick Martin did (which wasn't much).
> I think we have to keep the guys that give us the best chance to reach and win the finals, and unfortunately those 3 don't fit right now. If we were a .500 borderline playoff team, then i can see investing more in the future.


I couldn't have agreed more.

We are a championship team right now, we don't have the time to develop rookies who are going to make mistakes. 

And yes, any GM would keep Eddie Griffin over Rick Rickert, Griffin has been solid in the preseason games he has played....as for Rickert....:no:


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## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Flanders</b>!
> 
> 
> I couldn't have agreed more.
> ...


when they picked up griffin it seemed like rickert was doomed. or maybe he was doomed back in the summer when he seemed to get under kevin garnett's skin. i'm not sure every gm in the league would want griffin and the baggage he brings to the team. so that statement is purely your opinion. i hope rickert gets a chance with someone else. maybe an organization that actually has some class.


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## whiterhino (Jun 15, 2003)

Blake Stepp and Jackie Butler will both make NBA rosters at some point and Butler in a few years could be very good....I think the Wolves should have kept at least one guy for future "potential", that team is relying on Sprewell & Cassell and they are getting up there in age, you are going to need future guys to step up and right now you only have Ebi.


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## oblivion (Aug 6, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>whiterhino</b>!
> you are going to need future guys to step up and right now you only have Ebi.


I agree, but the wolves will now have something they haven't had in a long time...Draft Picks. 
Let's Hope they choose wisely.


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## sheefo13 (Jul 13, 2002)

ok I dont even care for rickert it is stepp that makes me mad. The thing is, stepp right now is already better than goldwire and carter. The reason is because he shoot and pass. When casssell and t hud were out, what was the one thing we lacked? SCORING AND ASSISTS. Carter and goldwire apparently cant do either. I dont get how you can say he isnt a pg, he is a guard and plays point. the reason for that is because he was 7th in the nation in assists last year. Most of the players at gonzaga sucked with the exception of like 2. 

Carter could be injuried just as much as t hud this year. Carter's only good thing is defense. He has a horrible shot. Goldwire, well he is just filling up the pg position and we know he cant score. some one has to make up for the 30 points and 12 assists if hud and sammy are out. I am sure stepp would pick up some slack. 

Stepp would also would greatly imrpove over the span of the season. He would learn more from flip and cassell than carter or goldwire would. Stepp is expecting to learn, unlike carter and goldwire. If stepp can put a piece of cassell and flip in his game, i think he can be a very reliable backup now and in the future. If he cuts down on the turnovers, and learns to control the tempo of a nba game, woooo watch out.

Finally, in my eyes stepp is just a better overall player than goldwire and carter. And one reason is because of one weakness you guys see in him. He can play the 2 and 1. plus the size for it. He is a lot more durable than goldwire and carter. He can adjust to playing the 1 or the 2. He racks up assists when playing the 1 and will get shots off as the 2. He is going to rack up more assists once he is calmed. And he is going to shoot better from behind the arc once he adjusts to the 3-point lines. The only factor the other two have is experience. Once stepp gains experience, that will mean less turnovers, less fouls, more assists and more points.

The main point is that if anyone would make the biggest diffrence if cassell and hud were to get hurt again, it would have to be stepp because he is a better scorer, passer and shooter than carter or goldwire. that is why darrick martin didnt do so good against the lakers, he can't score. So if we dont want that tradegy to happen again, we would've kept stepp.


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## socco (Jul 14, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Pan Mengtu</b>!
> Rickert's chances of making the team ended August 31st.


Rickert never had a chance from the beginning, way before "August 31st:.



> Originally posted by <b>rainman</b>!
> the headline should have read garnett releases............to keep eddie griffin over rick rickert is not only a joke it shows who's running the team. here's a hint, it isnt kevin mchale or flip saunders.


What are you talking about? Rickert sucks. Griffen doens't. If Griffen stays out of trouble, he can be a player in this league.


I don't know what you guys were thinking, but I COMPLETELY expected this. We only have 2 spots to fill, or at least we're only going to fill 2 spots, that's obvious. One of them was going to be Griffen, that's been known for a while. And Stepp is not at all what we needed for the 3rd PG spot. We need a veteran that is a good defender and understands the system. Goldwire knows the system, Carter plays good D, and both are veterans. Stepp is none of that. I thought these moves were VERY obvious to predict and I would've been shocked if any of these 3 guys made the team.


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## sheefo13 (Jul 13, 2002)

why do we need a third stringer who plays defense? cassell and t hud go down, we are lacking scoring, schooting, and assists. none of them play d, we have good defenders in other positions already.


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## arenas809 (Feb 13, 2003)

By releasing Stepp you no longer have his rights...

I read he signed with a team in Serbia.


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## sheefo13 (Jul 13, 2002)

wow, i think we are missing out now, i was really hoping he would stay with us.


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## socco (Jul 14, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>sheefo13</b>!
> why do we need a third stringer who plays defense? cassell and t hud go down, we are lacking scoring, schooting, and assists. none of them play d, we have good defenders in other positions already.


We need it so we have somebody to defend the point. We have enormous loads of scoring elsewhere, we don't need it from our 3rd string PG.


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