Wolves. Towns, last seasons ROY, has the look of a budding All-Star, perhaps the most exciting young player in the league. Young wing Zach LaVine quietly had an outstanding second half last season,

News from Thursdays meeting at Cheltenham where Perfect Candidate gained compensation for missing out on the National.Perfect Candidate once again demonstrated his affinity for Cheltenham as he gained some compensation for missing out on an Aintree run with victory in the Llewellyn Humphreys Handicap Chase at Prestbury Park.The Fergal OBrien-trained gelding was making his seventh consecutive start at the course after failing to make the cut in the Crabbies Grand National for which he was third reserve. The bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown was also mooted for Conor Shoemarks mount, but OBrien had the final word and that decision paid dividends.Picking up the bridle with a vengeance coming down the hill, the 11-1 winner stayed on strongly from the final fence to score by a length and three-quarters from Forgotten Gold.OBrien said: We had him in the National and were disappointed that he didnt get in. We also looked at Sandown but, along with the owner, I agreed that he would be better off here.All his runs have been here (this season), including in the Kim Muir at the Festival, and he ran on like a lion that day. In five runs at Cheltenham, hes done us proud.Briery Belle signed off for the season with a gutsy triumph for Henry Daly and Tom OBrien in the Arkells Brewery Mares Handicap Hurdle.Enjoying the ground and fast pace, the 8-1 chance fought off Debdebdeb and Flementime by three lengths and nine.Daly was thanking his lucky stars that he decided to resist the temptation of running in a race at Ayrs Scottish National meeting that starts tomorrow.He said: We nearly went for the three-miler where she would have enjoyed the longer trip, but Im glad we came here.I thought we would get a fast pace today and her jumping kept her in it.I shall probably give her a school over fences before sending her on her holidays. Shell probably go novice chasing next season. Shes a big mare and made for that.Neil Mulholland, successful with Fox Norton at the course on Wednesday, brought Indian Stream back from a 225-day absence to run out a clear-cut winner of the EBF TBA Mares Novices Chase Handicap Finale at Cheltenham.Noel Fehily seized the initiative on the 8-1 winner when Cresswell Breeze departed coming down the hill and the duo kept on strongly up the hill to prevail by eight lengths from Kilronan High with Ebony Empress back in third.I took her away for a gallop, but then you cant beat a run, said Mulholland.It was all about today and there is no major panic, but Ive put her in the two-miles-five-furlong mares handicap chase at Punchestown.Cresswell Breeze was bang in contention when falling at the top of the hill and was unscathed following her spill.Katie Too rounded off a productive campaign with what appeared to be a fortuitous triumph in the Thoroughbred Breeders Association Mares Novices Hurdle.Rapidly drying ground failed to halt the progress of the 100-30 favourite, who was scoring for the third time in only four starts this season.However, her battling neck verdict over Actinpieces might not have happened if The Organist had not landed steeply and crumpled at the final flight when still a couple of lengths to the good.That left the path clear for the Alan King-trained winner to maintain a neck advantage to the line under Wayne Hutchinson.King said: Two things that worried me were the moderate form of my horses right now and the fact that she had an easy three weeks after developing an ulcer at the back of her throat.Shed either been stood in her box or just doing light exercise, and when she lost her position at the top of the hill I thought she was going to need it.Thankfully, after intentionally skipping the Festival, we were able to bring her here. She must be good to overcome what she did today.The Organists trainer Oliver Sherwood gained a measure of compensation as Hitherjacques Lady (4-1) landed the closing Spreadex Sports And Financial Betting Mares Standard Open NH Flat Race.Paul Nicholls saddled the first and fourth in the Barbury International Supporting the IJF handicap Hurdle courtesy of The Eagleshaslanded and Southfield Vic.After a disappointing run at Exeter, Nicholls decided to equip the Sam Twiston-Davies-ridden winner with blinkers.The headgear did the trick as the six-year-old powered up the final hill to score by six lengths.Nicholls said: The blinkers have sharpened him up and Ill probably run him again later in the week. That will be it and hes a nice prospect for fences next season.A pronounced rain shower made conditions tricky for horses and jockeys in the Nicholson Holman Novices Limited Handicap Chase.The final two fences concerned Solstice Son and Get Involved and the former grabbed the initiative before the last to go four lengths clear up the hill for Anthony Honeyball and Harry Cobden. Sky Tickets Racing Fast, secure racing tickets: Exclusive racing offers near you Fake Yeezy Online . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. Clearance Yeezy For Sale .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. https://www.yeezychina.us/ . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. Cheap Yeezy Free Shipping .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. Yeezy China . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon.MINNEAPOLIS -- Tom Thibodeau, king of solitary marathon film sessions, got lonely.It happened throughout the past year as he moved around the country, trying to take advantage of a paid year away from the NBA. In all, he spent time with 13 NBA teams, watching practices, having lunches with coaches, watching games and, of course, going through security checks and riding shuttle buses.I didnt like traveling alone, Thibodeau said. It got to me. I dont know how people do it.The Minnesota Timberwolves hired Thibodeau because of his strong history of teaching defense and his demonstrated ability to squeeze everything out of his Chicago Bulls teams from 2010-15. But owner Glen Taylor, who gave him a five-year, $40 million deal to also oversee the teams basketball operations, might be getting a coach who is slightly different from the one the NBA last saw.Thibodeau kept telling people he viewed last year as a sabbatical. That meant more than rest, it also meant training. In all that time alone, Thibodeau did a lot of thinking and considering. Whether it will lead to real changes is to be seen.Thibodeaus methods were often branded as old school, even though he repeatedly showed his defensive principles were designed to slow modern offenses. When it came to playing time and the 3-point shot, well, he wasnt as progressive.But there are already signs he is trying to modernize his approach in his first days working with one of the leagues most promising young rosters. As an example, Thibodeau for the first time has hired a shooting coach -- Peter Patton, who was schooled by San Antonio Spurs shooting coach Chip Engelland -- because as he went around the league he noted many teams were adding the position. Patton wont just work with the Wolves players, he will consult the front office in looking at player acquisitions and draft preparation. Again, thats progressive.When examining how the Wolves can break their 12-year playoff drought, Thibodeau immediately pointed to the 3-point line. The Wolves finished 29th in 3-point attempts and makes last season.We gave up nine [3-pointers] a game, and we made only five and a half, Thibodeau said. Thats like starting the game 10 points behind.Thibodeaus Bulls teams werent 3-point heavy. They were 28th in attempts in 2013-14 and 29th in 2012-13, though in his final season, they improved to 16th. Some of that, of course, was due to personnel. But his focus on it now is part of the old-fashioned coachs attempts to evolve.Were a work in progress, Thibodeau said, perhaps even talking a little about himself. Weve got to close the gap.Thibodeau has been using that line a lot in the first days of the season, sometimes reaching his arms out and making a symbolic squeezing motion.The team had plenty of salary-cap space this summer, and some speculated theyd get deep into the bidding on former Bull Luol Deng. But instead of using a large block to chase a veteran starter, they signed a range of reserve players, including?Cole Aldrich, Jordan Hill and Brandon Rush. Thibodeau also signed veterans John Lucas III and Rasual Butler, both of whom played for him with the Bulls, to help the transition for younger players and to teach his systems.The Wolves left $10 million in cap space unused, and two of their highest-paid players, Kevin Garnett and Nikola Pekovic, wont be playing for the team this season. Its a young, relatively cheap and deep roster, albeit still largely unproven.In theory, at least, all the bodies should reduce Thibodeaus famous dependence on riding his front-line players for major minutes, which some believed led to the Bulls rash of injuries. Long-term rest techniques and injury-prevention methods were other league trends Thibodeau observed, notably in his time around the Golden State Warriors and their strength in numbers vision.I liked the core of the team. I want to get to know them better, he said. Im going to focus on the players we have. That gives me a better idea of what our needs are.The Wolvees finished last season ranked 27th in defensive rating, a woeful number that Thibodeau certainly has the expertise to improve.dddddddddddd They did win four of their last five games, including a bit of a magical West Coast trip in which they won at Golden State and Portland in the same week. Still, it added up to just 29 wins, another losing season.We have the talent, and we have the length to be better on defense, but we didnt always have the discipline, Karl-Anthony Towns said. Im willing to say I dont know. I want to learn.Towns said he thought Thibodeaus defensive system was similar to what he ran at the University of Kentucky, and he was encouraged that hed learn quickly. When this was mentioned to Thibodeau, he just grunted with a half-smile. Towns and the Wolves havent seen anything yet.Thibodeau didnt need a league-wide tour to learn how to teach defense. Looking at the way the Wolves have set up their preseason schedule makes it clear who is in charge now and what his goal is. Thibodeau essentially designed three training camps. Though technically voluntary, every Wolves player was doing full workouts for 2-3 weeks before the beginning of actual training camp. According to players, these were de facto practices.Its a clinic every day, guard Ricky Rubio said. Theres an intensity in practice. Hes tough but in a good way.Then Thibodeau scheduled 11 days between the start of official practice and his first preseason game. Some teams had as little as four days of practice before the preseason opener. In a way, that is the second training camp. The third is an unusual nine-day preseason road trip that will take the Wolves to five cities, including stops in Kansas City, Missouri; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Louisville, Kentucky. This will enable a long bonding session, much of it in non-NBA cities, that will mimic an offsite training camp.In this time, Thibodeau, as one would expect, is drilling his players on defensive techniques. He didnt say it, but his actions make it clear he was appalled at the Wolves defensive habits last season. More than half of the early workouts were focused on defense. There were film sessions focusing on positioning. There were drills intended to create habits.We have to get an understanding of it. We cant rest, Thibodeau said before starting a checklist. We have to be a talk [on defense] team, we have to be challenging shots, we have to learn to finish defense correctly.Thibodeau gave the impression that theres a long way to go for the Wolves, even if his players talk positively about their improvement. Hes also paying a lot of attention to Andrew Wiggins, who two seasons ago was the leagues rookie of the year. In many ways, Wiggins holds the key for the long-range upside of the Wolves. Towns, last seasons ROY, has the look of a budding All-Star, perhaps the most exciting young player in the league. Young wing Zach LaVine quietly had an outstanding second half last season, especially shooting from long range. Theres a lot of excitement over rookie point guard Kris Dunn, who had a promising summer league.But the team needs Wiggins to grow into his potential, to be heading into the conversation for All-Star and All-NBA teams starting now. Going into his third season, this is the time when he should be taking large leaps forward. Thibodeau is spending extra time with him, watching him work on individual drills after practice and giving special instruction.Theres significant excitement around the team, the idea that Thibodeaus arrival combined with natural maturation of young players could truly create the roots of a serious team. Combined with a new practice facility and a renovated Target Center, there is a feeling of rebirth. Thibodeau, of course, is more focused on the work than anything else.Its like building a house, Thibodeau said. Were still working on the foundation. ' ' '