T'Wolves Owner Glen Taylor yesterday said that he "doesn’t anticipate any changes" in the team’s basketball operations department while President of Basketball Operations and coach Flip Saunders continues treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Saunders said that for the past eight weeks, he has been "receiving chemotherapy treatment" at the Mayo Clinic for what his doctors "consider to be a 'very treatable and curable form of cancer.'" Saunders "has attended to all of his duties during the past eight weeks." Univ. of Minnesota hematologist and oncologist Dr. Veronika Bachanova said that Saunders would "likely need six months of outpatient chemotherapy," and that his "goal of being cancer-free was 'absolutely very achievable.'" She added that Saunders "should be able to continue his coaching duties." Taylor said that he "continues to talk with Saunders almost daily, just as he always did before the diagnosis." T'Wolves G Kevin Martin: "It hasn’t been affecting him at all this month. He has been sending us texts, what he wants from us. He’s upbeat about the coming season" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 8/12). In St. Paul, Andy Greder notes Taylor is "confident in the Wolves' support staff," including GM Milt Newton and assistant coaches Sam Mitchell and Sidney Lowe, both former NBA head coaches. Taylor said of Saunders, "I think he has the right people around him. But at this point, I really think that he will continue his leadership" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 8/12).
