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T-wolves headed for the NBA lottery
By Derek Sullivan
Published:
Thursday, April 7, 2005
With Denver's victory against Memphis Tuesday, the Minnesota Timberwolves' chances at their ninth straight playoff appearance are slim and none. Slim just started packing his bags and is about ready to leave town.
It was only 10 months ago that I watched Kevin Garnett -- on his 28th birthday - lead the T-wolves to a Game 7 victory against the Sacramento Kings, the same Kings the T-wolves beat 112-100 on Sunday to remain in the playoff race.
While the Timberwolves are finally healthy and playing better, it's too little, too late.
So where does Minnesota go from here? They have eight players under contract for next year, but an interim coach and a new general manager.
The first thing the Timberwolves need to figure out is who is going to coach the team. Current head man Kevin McHale said he would rather fish in the morning and work in the front office during the day. So who will coach the Wolves? It is anyone's guess, but my money is on three guys: Terry Porter, Phil Jackson or Randy Wittman. Porter helped Kevin Garnett adjust to the NBA in the mid-90s. He probably will get fired from the Milwaukee Bucks, where not even George Karl, who has led Denver's late season surge, could find success.
The more the Timberwolves keep winning, the better Wittman, a longtime Timberwolves assistant, looks before applying for his second head coaching job. He was scheduled to take over for Mike Davis at his alma mater, Indiana, but Davis was given a reprieve. Wittman was the head coach of the Cavaliers while Zydrunas Ilgauskas was injured and before LeBron James finished high school.
Speaking of the Cavaliers, they might be the next destination of former Timberwolves' head coach Flip Saunders. If the organization's all-time leader in wins and losses gets a job, team owner Glen Taylor doesn't have to pay Saunders more than $5 million next year. That could free up money to pay for Phil Jackson and his nine championship rings. He will likely command a 5-year, $40 million contract. Taylor has shown the willingness to spend money and Minnesota does have $20 million (Latrell Sprewell, Ervin Johnson, Mark Madsen) in salary going off the books. Jackson's salary demands might be steep, but so were Garnett's eight years ago.
After choosing a coach, the team next looks to the 2005 NBA Draft. Currently, the Wolves hold the 14th overall pick. There's always a chance Minnesota could move up to the top of the draft in the NBA lottery, but you have a better chance of winning Powerball than the T'wolves have a chance to move up to the top three.
If Sam Cassell and Troy Hudson are really healthy and can enter next year's training camp without ankle injuries, hamstring pulls and contract disputes, Minnesota will be fine at the point. Garnett and Eddie Griffith are solid at the power forward position. Trenton Hassell and Wally Szczerbiak will man the small forward position. Then things get sketchy.
There are not too many centers or shooting guards in the upcoming draft, and none carry more pros than cons. If I were a gambling man, my money would be on one of the following four players moving to the Target Center: Arizona center Channing Frye, Texas A & M guard Antoine Wright, Pittsburgh center Chris Taft or Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez.
None should make you want to run out and buy season tickets. Frye is the second coming of Loren Woods; Wright had a great freshmen year, a horrible sophomore year and a decent junior year; Taft has an NBA body, but couldn't dominate the Big East and Fernandez scores a ton because he shoots a ton.
How much Taylor spends on Minnesota's next head coach will determine if the Timberwolves are active in free agency. Antonio Daniels, Kyle Korver, Raja Bell, Kwame Brown, Ronald "Flip" Murray and Jerome James could be of interest.
Don't memorize the names above. My guess is Minnesota will bring back the eight players under contract, hire a new coach, draft a player in the first round, re-sign Griffith and Anthony Carter and then sign a low-level free agent.
The Wolves of 2004-05 will be the Wolves of 2005-06.
Can they carry their late-season surge into next season? I would never bet against Garnett. He might not be able to carry a team on his back every year, but eight playoff appearances in 10 years is a great track record.
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