Saving KG: Rewriting T-Wolves History

[NaturalThunder87]

Optimistic Hope Turns to Bleakness as Timberwolves Fall to 11-36 Record at All-Star Break

Kevin Garnett's Injury Derailed a Hopeful Season for the Timberwolves

Twelve games.

That was all the Minnesota Timberwolves got before their dream season turned into a nightmare.

Coming off a promising offseason and entering the year with legitimate playoff aspirations for the first time in franchise history, the "Young Pups" looked like they were taking the next step. Minnesota opened the season 7-5, and Kevin Garnett was playing like a bona fide MVP candidate. Through 12 games, the 21-year-old superstar averaged 22.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.3 steals while once again proving himself to be one of the NBA's premier two-way players.

Then came November 20. Late in a 124-107 loss to the Utah Jazz, Garnett suffered a devastating broken left leg. The injury immediately silenced the Target Center crowd and sent shockwaves throughout the league. Medical imaging confirmed the worst fears. Garnett would require surgery and miss the remainder of the 1997-98 season.

Just like that, Minnesota's season seemed doomed.

The Timberwolves simply had no answer for losing the player around whom their entire franchise had been built. Steve Nash continued to battle admirably, but without Garnett drawing double teams and anchoring the defense, Minnesota unraveled at both ends of the floor. What had begun as a hopeful 7-5 campaign quickly devolved into one of the league's worst stretches. By the trade deadline, the Timberwolves sat at an NBA-worst 11-32, posting a dismal 4-27 record since Garnett's injury.

Despite the losses piling up, there were still reasons for optimism inside the organization. Nash elevated his game dramatically in his second season and emerged as one of the NBA's brightest young point guards. At the All-Star break, the 23-year-old was averaging 17.6 points, 8.5 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals while flirting with the exclusive 50-40-90 club, shooting 47% from the field, an eye-popping 48% from three-point range, and 86% from the free throw line. His growth as both a scorer and floor general reinforced Minnesota's belief that they had found the perfect long-term backcourt partner for Garnett.

The Timberwolves also found another encouraging development in rookie Tim Thomas. While much of the attention centered on Garnett's injury, Thomas quietly began to find his footing at the NBA level. By the All-Star break, the versatile 6-foot-10 forward was averaging 10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in just 23.7 minutes per game while shooting an efficient 46% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc. Even more encouraging was his recent stretch of play, during which both his production and efficiency had noticeably improved. The organization remained convinced Thomas possessed the versatile inside-out offensive game that made him the sixth overall pick and viewed his second-half development as one of the few bright spots in an otherwise lost season.

With the playoffs no longer a realistic goal, the front office shifted its focus from competing in 1998 to building for the future.

The biggest move came at the trade deadline, and it was an admission that one of the organization's most recent gambles had failed. Fourth overall pick Stephen Jackson endured a miserable rookie campaign, averaging just 4.2 points per game while shooting a dreadful 29.1 percent from the field in 18.3 minutes per night. Despite Jackson being only 19 years old and still possessing considerable upside, Minnesota's scouts had become convinced that the upcoming 1998 draft was unusually deep with high-end talent.

Armed with that belief, the Timberwolves packaged Jackson with Denver's top-10 protected 1998 first-round pick, an asset acquired previously that appeared likely to convey with the Nuggets sitting fifth in the Western Conference. Indiana accepted the offer, sending its own 1998 first-round pick and veteran forward Antonio Davis' expiring contract to Minnesota. It was a calculated gamble. The Timberwolves sacrificed a recent lottery selection in hopes of improving their positioning in what many scouts believed could become one of the strongest draft classes of the decade.

As the league reached the All-Star break, Minnesota limped into the midpoint of the season with a 12-35 record, including a staggering 5-30 mark since Garnett's injury. The optimism that surrounded the franchise in October had given way to another long winter, with player development and lottery odds replacing playoff races as the primary focus.

Elsewhere around the NBA, the championship picture remained as competitive as ever. The Phoenix Suns entered the break atop the Western Conference at 29-19, while the Eastern Conference featured a three-team battle for the league's best record. The Philadelphia 76ers led the way at 35-12, narrowly ahead of the defending champion Chicago Bulls (32-14) and the Washington Bullets (33-18).

Individually, Grant Hill had emerged as the frontrunner for his first Most Valuable Player award, averaging 24.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while carrying the Detroit Pistons into contention. The Rookie of the Year race had become must-see television, with No. 1 overall pick Tim Duncan living up to every expectation by averaging 21.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game. Pushing him every step of the way was No. 2 overall pick Tracy McGrady, whose electrifying all-around game had produced 18.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per contest in an outstanding debut season. On the defensive end, Scottie Pippen and Shaquille O'Neal appeared locked in a two-man race for Defensive Player of the Year honors.

For Minnesota, however, those league-wide storylines felt a world away.

The franchise that entered the season believing it had finally escaped the NBA cellar was once again staring into it. Yet even amid the disappointment, there was evidence that the rebuild itself remained intact. Nash had blossomed into one of the league's best young point guards. Tim Thomas looked increasingly comfortable as an NBA starter. Garnett's prognosis for a full recovery remained encouraging. The losses could not erase the foundation the Timberwolves had spent the past three years building. The challenge now would be surviving one lost season and returning healthy enough to resume the climb they believed had only been postponed, not derailed.

[Captain Canada]

Seems like KG and Steve Nash are one hell of a duo, but once KG goes down, it was bed time for the season.

Hopefully the squad fills out sooner rather than later.

[NaturalThunder87]

1997-1998 Season Repor

Dikembe Mutombo anchored a balanced Nuggets squad that finished 1st place in the West.

The 1997-98 NBA season produced one of the most balanced playoff races in recent memory, especially in the Western Conference where the Denver Nuggets emerged as the surprise regular season champions with a 50-32 record. Rather than relying on a single superstar, Denver overwhelmed opponents with remarkable depth, featuring seven players averaging at least 10 points per game. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf led the offense with 16.4 points and 5.3 assists per game, while Antonio McDyess (15.7 PPG, 9.6 RPG), Dikembe Mutombo (13.5 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 2.1 BPG), Jalen Rose (12.4 PPG, 7.6 APG, 5.2 RPG), Kerry Kittles, LaPhonso Ellis, and Bryant Stith formed one of the league's deepest rotations. Behind the Nuggets, the conference standings were a weekly dogfight. Phoenix, Dallas, and Houston all remained in contention, while just two games separated the fifth-place Seattle SuperSonics (41-41) from the ninth-place Los Angeles Lakers (39-43), leaving the Lakers on the outside of the playoff picture despite finishing only two games out of fifth.

The Eastern Conference saw the Chicago Bulls reclaim the NBA's best record at 63-19 after injuries kept them from the top spot the previous season. The race behind them was equally competitive. Orlando won its final 10 games to finish tied at 53-29 with both Cleveland and Washington, earning the No. 2 seed via the tiebreaker, while Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Atlanta rounded out a loaded playoff field. Much like the West, every game mattered down the stretch. Only five games separated the second-seeded Magic from the eighth-seeded Hawks, and just three games separated the fifth-place Pistons (50-32) from the ninth-place Miami Heat (47-35), leaving a 47-win Miami team out of the postseason. The league's remarkable parity set the stage for what promised to be one of the most unpredictable playoff tournaments in years.

For Minnesota, the standings told another disappointing story, but they failed to capture the full picture. The Timberwolves improved from 22-60 to 26-56 despite losing franchise cornerstone Kevin Garnett after just seven games with a season-ending broken left leg. Any hopes of ending the franchise's playoff drought vanished with Garnett's injury, yet there were still encouraging signs beneath the surface. Steve Nash blossomed into one of the NBA's premier young point guards, taking a massive leap in his sophomore season and proving he could lead an offense without the team's superstar. His continued development, along with flashes from rookie Tim Thomas, provided a very thin silver lining during another lost campaign. Minnesota entered the offseason believing that if Garnett could return to full strength, the foundation of its young core remained firmly intact despite another finish near the bottom of the Western Conference.

Shaquille O'Neal narrowly edged out Michael Jordan to take home 1997-1998 MVP honors.

The 1997-98 awards season featured one of the more debated MVP races of the decade. After winning back-to-back MVP awards, Michael Jordan appeared to have another compelling case, averaging 26.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.1 steals while leading the Chicago Bulls to an NBA-best 63-19 record. Instead, voters awarded the trophy to Orlando's Shaquille O'Neal, who averaged 26.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks while guiding the Magic to a 53-29 finish. O'Neal's dominant interior presence and monster statistical season ultimately won over voters, although many around the league questioned whether voter fatigue had finally caught up to Jordan, whose production remained remarkably consistent with his previous MVP campaigns despite leading a team that finished 10 games ahead of Orlando.

Elsewhere, Scottie Pippen earned the first Defensive Player of the Year award of his career after spearheading Chicago's league-leading defense, while Phil Jackson was recognized as Coach of the Year after guiding the Bulls back to the NBA's best record. Toronto rookie Tim Duncan immediately lived up to his billing as a franchise cornerstone, averaging 21.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.4 blocks en route to Rookie of the Year honors. His spectacular debut season also earned him Third Team All-NBA, a rare accomplishment for a first-year player. Other award winners included Toni Kukoc as Sixth Man of the Year and Clippers forward Peja Stojakovic as the league's Most Improved Player.

The All-NBA teams reflected the league's changing landscape. Jordan, Jason Kidd, Scottie Pippen, Grant Hill, and Shaquille O'Neal headlined the First Team, while Allen Iverson, Chris Webber, Karl Malone, and Hakeem Olajuwon highlighted the Second Team. Duncan's Third Team selection confirmed that the Raptors had landed a franchise-changing superstar, while Penny Hardaway, Damon Stoudamire, Vin Baker, and Alonzo Mourning rounded out the squad. On the All-Rookie teams, Duncan was joined on the First Team by Chauncey Billups, Tracy McGrady, Brevin Knight, and Keith Van Horn. Despite Minnesota's disappointing season, rookie forward Tim Thomas provided one bright spot by earning Second Team All-Rookie honors after averaging 10.0 points and 4.4 rebounds while showing steady improvement throughout the second half of the season.

Michael Jordan and the Bulls capped off their second 3-peat by defeating the Houston Rockets 4-1 in the NBA Finals.

The 1998 NBA Playoffs ultimately ended the same way so many had throughout the decade: with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls standing alone at the top of the basketball world. Chicago captured its third consecutive NBA championship, but the road back to the Finals was anything but easy. After dispatching Atlanta in the first round and eliminating Detroit in six games in the Eastern Semifinals, the Bulls met Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic in a highly anticipated Eastern Conference Finals that many viewed as the league's true championship series.

At first, it looked like a mismatch. Chicago completely overwhelmed Orlando, outscoring the Magic by an astonishing average of 123-92 through the first three games to race out to a commanding 3-0 series lead. But with their season on the brink, Shaq and Penny Hardaway spearheaded one of the greatest comebacks in NBA playoff history, winning three consecutive games to force a decisive Game 7 in Chicago. Any thoughts of a historic collapse quickly disappeared, however, as the Bulls delivered one final statement. Chicago dominated the winner-take-all contest from the opening tip, cruising to a 107-77 victory to secure its third straight trip to the NBA Finals.

The Western Conference saw defending conference champion Houston once again emerge from a crowded field despite entering the postseason as the No. 4 seed. The Rockets knocked off Seattle in the opening round before eliminating the surprise top-seeded Denver Nuggets in six games and Dallas in another six-game series to capture a second consecutive Western Conference crown.

Unlike the dramatic conference finals, the NBA Finals proved largely one-sided. Houston managed to steal Game 3 behind Hakeem Olajuwon's brilliance, but Chicago controlled the series from start to finish, winning four of the five games by an average margin of 13.2 points. Michael Jordan was once again named NBA Finals MVP after averaging 29.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and shooting an incredible 57% from the field and 60% from three-point range. With the championship, the Bulls completed their second three-peat of the decade, further cementing Jordan's dynasty as one of the greatest in NBA history while immediately turning their attention toward an unprecedented fourth consecutive championship in 1998-99.

Dirk Nowitzki made history by being the first foreign-born player who did not play college balll in the U.S. to be selected #1.

The Knicks hope Paul Pierce, selected #2 overall, can revamp the franchise and set them on the right track to contender status after a lean three seasons since their 1994 Finals appearance.

High-flying Vince Carter was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the third overall pick.

The 1998 NBA Draft class marks what many scouts believe to be another deep draft class with franchise altering talent in line with the 1992, 1994, and 1996 classes. It began with the Boston Celtics selecting 20-year-old German phenom Dirk Nowitzki with the No. 1 overall pick. The 7-foot forward is the first foreign-born player who did not play college basketball in the U.S. to be selected with the number one pick. He enters the NBA with a rare combination of size, shooting, and ball-handling ability that many believed could revolutionize the power forward position. The New York Knicks followed by selecting Kansas star Paul Pierce at No. 2 after a stellar collegiate career, while North Carolina teammates Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison came off the board back-to-back, with Sacramento taking Carter third overall and Portland selecting Jamison fourth.

The Timberwolves selected versatile forward and high-school phenom Rashard Lewis with the fifth overall pick.

The Minnesota Timberwolves entered lottery night hoping fortune would smile on them. Thanks to their own 26-56 record and the additional first-round pick acquired from Indiana at the trade deadline, Minnesota held the best odds to land the third and fifth overall selections. Instead, the ping-pong balls had other ideas. The Timberwolves slipped to the fifth and ninth picks, a disappointing outcome considering the premium talent available near the top of the draft.

Still, Minnesota's front office walked away believing it had further strengthened one of the NBA's most intriguing young cores. With the fifth overall pick, the Timberwolves selected 18-year-old Rashard Lewis out of Alief Elsik High School in Houston, Texas. At 6-foot-10, Lewis possessed one of the most unique skill sets in the draft, blending exceptional length with perimeter shooting, ball-handling ability, and the versatility to score both inside and outside. Many scouts viewed him as a perfect modern complement to Kevin Garnett, giving Minnesota another long, athletic forward capable of stretching defenses while fitting seamlessly into the team's positionless philosophy.

Cuttino Mobley, a sharp-shooting guard out of Rhode Island, was the Timberwolves pick at #9.

Four picks later, the Timberwolves addressed their backcourt by selecting Rhode Island senior Cuttino Mobley. One of the nation's premier shooters, Mobley averaged 17.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while knocking down 42 percent of his three-point attempts during his final collegiate season. Capable of playing either guard spot, Mobley projected as an ideal fit alongside Steve Nash, giving Minnesota another floor spacer and secondary playmaker who could thrive in an up-tempo offense.

Although the lottery didn't cooperate, the Timberwolves once again stayed true to their long-term vision. Rather than chasing short-term needs, Minnesota continued surrounding franchise cornerstone Kevin Garnett and rising star point guard Steve Nash with versatile, high-IQ players who could shoot, handle the basketball, and switch across multiple positions. With Lewis and Mobley joining an already promising nucleus that included Tim Thomas, the Timberwolves believed they had added two more important pieces to a foundation capable of growing into one of the NBA's most dynamic young teams.

[redsox907]

sucks to drop that far back and lose out on guys like VC and PP. Shard is a nice consolation prize, he should help keep the front court versatile. Imagine how deadly Shard would be in todays NBA?

[NaturalThunder87]

sucks to drop that far back and lose out on guys like VC and PP. Shard is a nice consolation prize, he should help keep the front court versatile. Imagine how deadly Shard would be in todays NBA?

Yeah, was hoping for it but it didn't work. I didn't expect to land a top 5 pick going into the season, but then the KG injury popped up and I knew the team was going to suck and the shameless tank was on. Didn't even really need to try and tank. Just kept the rest of my rotation the same and it was enough. But having guys like Shard, Tim Thomas, and Cuttino Mobley to fill out the roster is still nice and provides scoring depth. Just gotta hope we stay healthy this year.

And yeah, Shard's game was tailor made for today's NBA.

[NaturalThunder87]

1998-1999 Minnesota Timberwolves Preview

After a season derailed by Kevin Garnett's devastating broken leg just 12 games into the year, the Timberwolves enter the 1998-99 campaign believing they can finally see what their long-term vision looks like. Garnett is back to full strength, Steve Nash is coming off a breakout sophomore season, and if the two stars can simply stay on the floor together, Minnesota may finally have the dynamic duo capable of leading the franchise into playoff contention.

While Garnett's return is the biggest storyline, Nash's emergence may have been last season's biggest silver lining. Thrust into the role of franchise cornerstone after Garnett went down, Nash responded with career highs across the board, averaging 18.4 points and 8.3 assists while establishing himself as one of the NBA's premier young floor generals. Combined with a healthy Garnett, the Timberwolves suddenly boast one of the league's most exciting young duos.

The supporting cast is deeper than it's ever been. Tim Thomas looks poised for another leap in his second season, while sharpshooter Tim Legler, veteran wings Scott Burrell and Doug West, and defensive-minded center Ervin Johnson round out a balanced starting five. Off the bench, Minnesota is injecting even more youth with prized rookie Rashard Lewis and explosive rookie scorer Cuttino Mobley, while Alvin Williams provides steady backcourt depth. Veterans Antonio Davis, Pervis Ellison, and Antoine Carr give the Wolves size, toughness, and valuable frontcourt experience.

Two years removed from a 22-win season, expectations in Minnesota have changed dramatically. Last year's promise was cut short by injury, but the foundation remains firmly in place. If Garnett returns to his All-NBA form and Nash continues his rapid ascent, the Timberwolves have the talent, depth, and continuity to make their long-awaited push into the Western Conference playoff picture—and perhaps establish themselves as one of the conference's rising powers.

[NaturalThunder87]

[NaturalThunder87]

[kibaxx7]

Now this is an interesting what-if

[redsox907]

great start to the season