Checking on Vegas is McCaw’s priority
SHENZHEN, China — Finding reliable Wi-Fi in Shenzhen has been tricky for Patrick McCaw.
Typically, that would be a relatively trivial concern. But in the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history Sunday night in Las Vegas, a city McCaw calls his “second home,” the need for a good signal has been paramount.
“My phone hasn’t been working,” McCaw, the Warriors’ second-year shooting guard, said before an optional workout Tuesday afternoon at Shenzhen City Arena. “It’s working, then it’s not. When I’m on a Wi-Fi that works, I was trying to reach out to everybody and make sure that their family and friends were OK.”
From 2014 to 2016, McCaw attended UNLV. McCaw has played for Golden State in the Las Vegas Summer League each of the past two summers. In July, only weeks after winning the NBA title as a rookie, he took the Larry O’Brien championship trophy to UNLV.
“I’ve been to Mandalay Bay so many times that I can hardly count,” McCaw said. “For something like that to happen there, especially being there and being in the area and having stepped foot there, it’s hard to believe.”
Because the Warriors didn’t have Wi-Fi on their 14-hour flight, McCaw didn’t learn about the shooting until the team touched down in Shenzhen. Sleep came in fits as he struggled to reconcile how one of the U.S.’s most horrific episodes could unfold in a place he so cherishes.
“I’m just so happy and glad that nobody I know personally, family or friends, were affected by it,” McCaw said. “I send a lot of prayers to everybody that was affected by it.” Following Warriors’ lead: Entering their exhibition Thursday (11 p.m. PDT Wednesday) against the Warriors in Shenzhen, the Timberwolves are emulating the rebuilding that made Golden State the class of the league. Their hope is that they accelerated their development by adding several proven NBA contributors over the summer to a young core of Andrew Wiggins and KarlAnthony Towns.
“Every team is different, but I think you can learn from every team, too, and certainly teams that have been able to sustain success,” Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “The thing that I liked looking at the Warriors is that they did build it from scratch.”
After taking over a promising — albeit raw — Minnesota team in spring 2016, Thibodeau stumbled to a 31-51 record in his first season. It paved the way for a blockbuster summer. The Timberwolves shipped guards Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine ,as well as the No. 7 pick, to Chicago on draft day for three-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and the No. 16 pick, which turned into Creighton center Justin Patton.
Eight days later, Minnesota traded enigmatic point guard Ricky Rubio to Utah for a 2018 first-round pick via Oklahoma City. The Timberwolves signed two starters July 10 in point guard Jeff Teague and power forward Taj Gibson. It wasn’t long before they added Jamal Crawford, a three-time Sixth Man of the Year, to the mix.
The question now is whether their dynamic offseason will yield a breakthrough campaign similar to the 2012-13 season the Warriors enjoyed. Powered by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes, Golden State went 47-35 (after going 23-43 in a lockout-shortened 2011-12 season) and made the Western Conference semifinals.
“They were a high-scoring team that was very good,” Thibodeau said. “But when they made a commitment to defense, they went to an entirely different level . ... I think that’s what makes them so special.”