Fragen und Antworten » shrouded in uncertainty surrounding the long-

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Timberwolves best days came with Flip Saunders on the sideline. Now that the organization is shrouded in uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of star forward Kevin Love, Saunders is returning to the bench to try revive a franchise that hasnt made the playoffs in 10 years. With the teams coaching search complicated by Loves status, the Timberwolves decided the best course of action was to have Saunders, who was hired last season as president of basketball operations, step in for a second stint as coach until the situation stabilized, Saunders said in a text message Thursday. The official announcement will come at a news conference on Friday afternoon. Saunders previously coached the Timberwolves from 1995-2005. He won 411 games in 10 1/2 seasons in Minnesota and guided the Wolves to the only eight playoff appearances in franchise history, including the Western Conference finals in 2004. He has a career record of 638-526 in 16 seasons as an NBA head coach, a career that also includes stops in Detroit, where he coached the Pistons to three straight Eastern Conference finals, and Washington. Saunders is joining a short list in the NBA of coaches who also have final-say executive authority, one that includes newly hired Stan Van Gundy in Detroit, Doc Rivers with the Los Angeles Clippers and, to a certain extent, Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. Saunders will continue to work closely with GM Milt Newton in the front office while handling coaching duties. When Rick Adelman retired at the end of the regular season, he did so in part to try to help the Timberwolves move forward with a plan to show Love, a three-time All-Star who can opt out of his contract next summer, that there was a long-term plan in place for success. But Loves tenuous situation didnt help the search process, with trade rumours serving as a caution sign for several high-profile candidates. Saunders was in the market for a coach with extensive head coaching experience, either in the NBA or at a major college program, one that could command the respect of a young locker room and also handle the media scrutiny that comes with the questions surrounding Love. Names like Tom Izzo, Billy Donovan and Fred Hoiberg came and went without any traction. The Wolves hosted Memphis coach Dave Joerger for an interview two weekends ago, but Grizzlies owner Robert Pera sweetened his contract to keep him around. Sam Mitchell, Lionel Hollins, Scott Skiles and several others received consideration as well. Unable to find what they felt was the right fit for a delicate job, Saunders and owner Glen Taylor met this week to reassess the situation, according to two people with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team was not publicly discussing the search process. Taylor said when he brought Saunders back as team president that he would not put him back on the bench. He fired Saunders as coach once before, in 2005 when Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, unhappy with their contracts, submarined the follow-up to the teams stirring run to the Western Conference finals. Saunders was also hopeful that he could find someone other than himself to take over the team. But with Loves status preventing them from pursuing the coaches they felt would fit best, the two decided that Saunders should take over for at least this season if not longer. The Timberwolves have not given up on convincing Love to play out this season in Minnesota and re-sign next summer to a contract that can pay him and extra year and about $26.5 million more than any other team. It was not immediately clear what the appointment of Saunders would do for Loves desires to stay or go. The Timberwolves planned to meet with Love to see where he stands now that the head coaching vacancy has been filled. Love has yet to make the playoffs in his six seasons in the league and is believed to be growing impatient with the Wolves, who finished 40-42 and in 10th place in the West this year. Love created a stir when he spent last weekend in Boston, where the Celtics are rumoured to be making a run at trading for the 25-year-old power forward before the June 26 draft. Just how long Saunders will coach remains to be seen. There is the possibility that Saunders will add assistants to his staff who could be groomed to eventually take over. The Wolves were expected to reach out to Mitchell, a former Timberwolves player and Raptors head coach, and David Blatt, who has spearheaded Russias return to Olympic relevance and coaches in Israel, to gauge their interest in joining his staff. Alan Page Jersey . 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The Los Angeles Clippers defence and the Knicks general ineptitude both played a role in the unsurprising finish to a meeting of two teams headed in opposite directions. Chuck Foreman Jersey . LOUIS -- Julius Randle had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Aaron Harrison finished with 18 points and No.WINNIPEG -- Dustin Byfugliens move from defence to forward was made official Friday as coach Claude Noel says the Winnipeg Jets must find ways to boost production and win games. "What Im hoping to accomplish, not only with that line, with each line, is production, just positive production and hope we can move forward," Noel said after practice. The move was telegraphed Thursday when Byfuglien wore a forwards jersey during practice, but with a couple of players out with the flu it could be explained away and Noel wouldnt confirm the change. Friday, however, there was no pretense. A line change isnt all the Jets (19-22-5) need, however, said the coach. "Lets make sure were clear here. If were going to move in any direction weve got to get our workboots on thats the first thing," Noel said. "I dont care where youre playing weve got to win battles, weve got to get to the hard areas and weve got to win in the hard areas. You can juggle all you want." No one is sure how long the change will last but Byfuglien will line up with team captain Andrew Ladd and centre Bryan Little when the Jets face the Columbus Blue Jackets Saturday at MTS Centre. Columbus (19-20-4) is one of the teams in the NHL with fewer points than the Jets, although at 42 theyre only one behind. Byfuglien made a very brief appearance last season as a forward, a position he tried with the Chicago Blackhawks as well before moving back to defence, and Noel wasnt saying how long he might remain in that position this time. It means Blake Wheeler moves to a line with Devin Setoguchi and Olli Jokinen, and for now it appears Evander Kane is out with an injured hand.dddddddddddd Noel said he didnt know how long Kane might be gone. Kane was one of several Jets whose frustration as the Jets floundered in Tuesdays 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning boiled over in scraps with opposing players. Little and Ladd say after losing four in a row, its not hard to see why Noel would want to shake things up a bit. "Im looking forward to it," said Little. "(Byfugliens) the kind of guy who can play any position out there. Hes really offensively gifted and you know right now we really kind of need a spark." Byfuglien wasnt talking about the move Friday but Little says it looks like hes enjoying it. "I think youre trying to find ways to make a group and different ways to get the team going," said Ladd. "With four losses in a row, I think wed be worried if you werent trying different things." Byfugliens offensive skills are proven and hes currently tied with Little at 34 points as the teams top scorer. But hes also a team worst minus-16, although he also spends a lot more time on the ice than any other player. Moving him to forward might prevent some of the defensive slips that have led to goals. Wheeler, who shook off his own early scoring slump and now sits in second place for the Jets with 33 points, says he isnt looking at his move as a demotion. "It can give some guys some life and some energy," he said. "You see some new faces and sometimes sparks fly." 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