Tag: Ryan Saunders

At halftime, Wiggins was 1-of-4 with …

At halftime, Wiggins was 1-of-4 with four turnovers. Ryan Saunders, then the Wolves coach and a fervent backer of Wiggins, screamed at Wiggins in the locker room. “I don’t even remember what he said,” Wiggins recalls now. “But he’s still my guy.” Saunders was so intense, he began feeling chest pains, sources say. Team doctors examined him for potential cardiac issues. They concluded Saunders had pulled a muscle in his chest yelling at Wiggins, sources say. Team officials like to say Saunders loves Wiggins so much, berating him almost broke his heart.

Former Sixers assistant Joseph Blair to take job with Timberwolves

Former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Joseph Blair will take a job with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The changes within the Philadelphia 76ers that have been made recently allowed one of their assistant coaches to leave for a new opportunity. After the Sixers hired Dave Joerger to their coaching staff on Thursday, that meant former assistant coaches must find new jobs.

Joseph Blair was brought on to Brett Brown’s staff in the 2019 offseason and he oversaw Philadelphia’s offensive production. With the firing of Brown and Doc Rivers coming in taking over as the new head coach, that signaled changes among the coaching staff. So that means Daniel had to find a new job.

Blair will join Ryan Saunders’ staff with the Minnesota Timberwolves with a new position. Blair will now have the chance to work with a developing roster and he is the second Sixers assistant to leave after Kevin Young joined the Phoenix Suns.

Blair was not able to get the offense really humming in Philadelphia, but that is most likely due to an awkward fit of their roster. With the Timberwolves, he will have the chance to work with young stars such as Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell. [lawrence-related id=38387,38360,38354]

All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns …

All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns suffered an incredible loss when his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, died from the coronavirus in April. And Towns and several teammates were front-and-center in the calls for justice following the Memorial Day death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Rosas said that he and coach Ryan Saunders have tried their best to be there for Towns and the team. “It has been a tragic, tragic period in Karl’s life, not only with what everybody in the world is facing but when it hits home and it results in the death of his mother, it has been very tragic,” Rosas said. “Myself, Coach, the organization, we have regular communication with Karl and his family. We want to make sure that we’re there for them every step of the way. We have structures in place, even though we’re not together right now, to check on not only Karl but all of our players.”

Gersson Rosas: “He has spent the …

Gersson Rosas: “He has spent the majority of his time here in Minneapolis, which has been great. We’ve had a chance to meet with him and his family, safely, through this process and just continue to support him. Everybody handles losses differently, and this is a major loss for him and his family. But he is a special individual with an incredible heart. He has a special family. And they are getting through it together. We’re fortunate because of who he is and the character he has and we’re doing everything we can to support him and his family.”