2007 NBA Minnesota Playoff Hopes
Timberwolves Try to Ride Kevin Garnett into Postseason
Advice for NBA teams to improve their teams as the 2007 trade deadline nears, covering all 30 teams, from worst to first. This installment: Minnesota Timberwolves
Sports fans have long emphasized with the plight of Kevin Garnett. He has spent his entire twelve-year career with one NBA team that has never come close to winning a championship. During that time, his performance has been among the best, certainly a top-ten player of the past decade. Just as John Elway in football, and Ray Bourque in hockey were tagged at one time with the label of “Best Player Never to Win A Title", Garnett now struggles to capture a title ring before his considerable skills begin to wane.
Though Elway was able to eventually guide his only professional team to Super Bowl glory, Bourque had to be traded away from Boston, where he had been an icon for many years, to Colorado before he could taste a drink from Lord Stanley’s Cup. Rumors have swirled lately that this will be the likely path for KG to follow also, and any NBA team would, in a perfect world, get a deal done for him with few reservations of whom they had to give up in return. But a perfect world would pay basketball players sane wages, not the sort of money ($24 million next season) Garnett is contracted for. Expiring or not after the ’08 campaign, Garnett’s money throws almost every team over the cap and into the luxury tax bracket, which for most owners is a big no-no.
So, long story short, expect more frustration for KG this year into the next as the T-Wolves perhaps sputter their way into the first round by holding off the Clippers, Kings and Golden State, but with Dallas as the opponent , June vacations can be safely planned by coaches and management alike. Kevin McHale, who runs a close second to Isiah Thomas as worst player personnel czar in the league, needs to let the Garnett issue go back-burner – he’ll be able to easily move him next year and there’s no way to resign him after that anyway.
The pieces that are in place and should stay in place are very few, but there is at least a core of optimism to be found. Mark Blount is a marvelous mid-range jump shooter as a 7 footer. He’s putting up a career-high points average, he boards about 7 a game in 32 minutes per, and he’s not afraid to be physical. A late bloomer at 31 to be sure, but the Wolves need to hold onto him during rebuilding as a steady hand. Craig Smith isn’t getting the playing time his skills deserve (still he's been able to accomplish one ridiculous breakout game against Denver during which he went for 36 and 16) and new coach Randy Wittman needs to keep him on the floor and suffer through the growing pains. He’s your KG of the future that is making cheap second round money only through next year – locking him up through 2010 is mandatory for McHale to achieve.
Randy Foye has shown poise beyond his rookie status, though the numbers don’t dazzle. He has taken minutes away from Mike James, who got a four-year, $23.5 million contract before this season and has done nothing to show he deserved it. Trenton Hassell should be part of the guard rotation going forward, but you need to have a stronger starter at the two position than his game gives you. Marko Jaric can shoot threes and defend, but apparently is unhappy so he may be shipped.
Other than that, there is no value to keeping the other pieces of this mismatched puzzle. Ricky Davis is a 2000’s version of JR Rider; Troy Hudson has worn out his lengthy stay; chronic drug problem-child Eddie Griffin won’t be back, and the bench leftovers are no better than what you could get from calling up random D-League players.
All of which further illustrates the greatness of KG. Minnesota would be under 20 wins without him, and it’s a shame that another year of his talent gets wasted. That’s why these Wolves need to sandbag this year to get a chance at an impact player, Al Horford or Corey Brewer (both from Univ. of Florida) would be nice upgrades, and then a few free-agent signings and the expected package they’ll no doubt get for Garnett gives them a 3-5 year window of building a playoff contender. Here’s hoping that the T-Wolves can get it right, and KG can finally get his overdue ring.
Next: Not-So Golden State of Affairs in Bay Area
Prev: Time is Now for Knicks
