2006-2007 Minnesota Timberwolves Season Preview

2006-2007 MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES SEASON PREVIEW

Before we get started, a few articles on the web also previewing the Timberwolves....

ESPN.com

Yahoo Sports

Sports Illustrated

The Sporting News

With all that being said....let's get started.

05-06 Season Review

The 2005-2006 season was probably one of the more disappointing and depressing for the Timberwolves, for a number of reasons: the first, and most important, being the dissatisfaction of Kevin Garnett. With the possible exception of the first 25 games of the year, it looked as though KG was lost and dismayed as to the direction of his team. Also, the "KG will demand a trade" or "KG deserves to be traded" talks started going last year. That couldn't have been very nice for KG to have to deal with; he's a private man who lets his basketball speak for himself. Who wants to talk about him not wanting to be on a team he single-handedly brought to prominence?

Then there was the mid-season trade with the Celtics. I was a supporter of the trade (something needed to be done), but I also feel like this year, the parts coming in from that trade (Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Justin Reed) needed a solid training camp to mesh together before they would be working cohesively. It was sad to see Wally Szczerbiak go, but that's the nature of the business.

People seem to forget that this was a team that, early in the season, was 10 or 11 games above .500, and leading our division. This was also a team that lead the league in games lost when going into the 4th quarter with a lead. The opportunities were there; the execution wasn't.

2006-2007 Season Preview

The Starting Lineup

Point Guard - Mike James



The Wolves' most significant offseason pickup was the addition of Mike James. Let me get this out there....I love Mike James. I love his game, I love his attitude, and I love how he'll look next to KG and on this team. He can drive to the basket where he's strong enough to finish, he's 40% plus from 3, and can also hit the midrange jumper. His defense is also far superior to anything the Wolves have had at the point guard position in some time. He reminds me of a younger, more athletic Sam Cassell; not only in game, but in attitude. Mike James brings an attitude to this team that was sorely needed. This is a player who wants the ball in crunch time, and he'll get it.

Shooting Guard - Ricky Davis



The main piece of the trade between the Wolves and the Celtics last year, Ricky showed that he could be a legitimate sidekick to KG. His midrange jumper is one of the best in the NBA, and when he sets his mind to it, he can play decent defense. He also provides the slashing ability that the Wolves have sorely needed. Ricky is another guy who has a definite attitude to his game, which again, I love. Ricky is not afraid to take the big shot, as he proved several times last year.

Small Forward - Trenton Hassell























Trenton, along with KG, is the only piece in the starting lineup that remained from the Wolves' Western Conference Championship run back in 04. Fortunately, he has gotten better since then. In a lineup filled with potent offensive talent, Trenton is the one wrinkle; a defensive minded 3 who could not score in a game, but still feel happy with his performance. Trenton is usually assigned to guard the opposing team's best player, and more often than not, does a great job on them. He has the quickness to take on guards like Allen Iverson and Mike Bibby, and also the length to guard forwards like Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady. An invaluable piece to a winning puzzle.

Power Forward - Kevin Garnett



What can you say about KG that hasn't already been said: a phenomenal talent, a winner, a passionate performer, etc etc. The only question is how patient is KG: if the Wolves don't get out to a solid start, will he want out? Certainly nobody would berate KG for doing so; he's been about as solid a player and teammate as you can ask for. As far as his playing goes, nobody really questions KG...everyone knows he's going to be productive and fill the stat sheet like no other. If the preseason is any indication, KG is being more aggressive and getting to the line more often, which is an excellent thing; other than that, you can expect the same old MVP-caliber Kevin Garnett.

Center - Mark Blount









































Another piece from the trade with the Celtics, Mark Blount is another fine offensive player with questions on the defensive and rebounding end. As far as offensively, he's about as good as you'll find in a center; he has solid post moves and a smooth jumper which he can extend out to 15-18 feet. He also runs the floor well for a 7 footer, which will give the Wolves a suitable running attack. The question is, is he tough enough to compliment KG properly? For a 7 footer, he doesn't rebound particularly well, and is prone to ticky-tack fouls. The Star Trib had Blount working out with Navy Seals, and apparently he weighs the same as last year, but is more cut and defined. Good thing, because in order for the Wolves to be successful, they'll need Blount's offense AND rebounding.

Staring Lineup Overview

I'm a big fan of the Wolves' starting 5. I think there's a great mix of styles that can beat you any way: they can run with you, they can play the grinding half court game, they can shoot, they can get to the basket, they can get to the free throw line, and they can defend. I have some concerns with rebounding (aside from KG, of course) and turnovers (particularly with Blount on both counts), but expect good things out of the whole starting 5.

Key Reserves

Randy Foye - Combo Guard



The other big offseason move for the Wolves was drafting Randy Foye. Dare I say McHale has hit his stride with the draft? Foye is a player who could be the X factor for the Wolves off the bench. If he could average 15 points a game coming in for Mike James or Ricky Davis, it would be a huge boost for this team. Again, he provides more slashing ability and can get to the rim virtually at will. A possible Rookie of the Year winner.

Eddie Griffin - Power Forward/Center

































EG is another player who needs to come up big for the Wolves to do anything in their division. Last year, he looked lost out on the court: heaving up 3s at a miserable percentage, picking up unnecessary fouls, and looking generally confused. In the offseason, EG worked on his fitness (he lost 20 pounds) and finally got Lasik eye surgery (his eyesight was terrible), and looks excellent in the preseason, particularly in the rebounding department. If Eddie can come off the bench, get a few garbage baskets, grab a lot of rebounds, and block a few shots, he'll be an excellent part of this Wolves team.

Marko Jaric - Combo Guard/Small Forward

















Another disappointing part of the Wolves' season last year was the play of Marko Jaric. Physically, he's a matchup problem; a 6'7, 220 pound point guard? With that kind of size, you'd like him to either A) be exploiting the size disparity with his fellow guards or B) play the 2 or 3. Marko seemed to do neither, and was resigned to shooting jump shots and picking up fouls as the quicker guards blew past him. I feel like this year, Marko will be in a much better place coming off the bench. He has the versatility to play 3 different positions, and I like him particularly at the 2. Look for him to have a great season off the bench.

Rashad McCants - Shooting Guard



Rashad McCants impressed me a great deal last year. I remember when we drafted him, everyone was angry that we didn't get Hakim Warrick and some other players, but near the end of the season, Rashad was regularly putting up 15 points a game off the bench. Unfortunately, he'll be out for the first 5-8 weeks of the regular season, but just knowing he's coming back makes me very optomistic for this Wolves bench. While defense isn't the best part of Rashad's game, he has a smooth inside-outside game which could make him a star in this league.

Troy Hudson - Point Guard































Troy is an enigma on this Wolves team. In one game, he'll have 25 points and be hitting his shots from everywhere on the court...in the next, he'll have 6 and be 2-15 from the floor. It's this kind of inconsistency that have drove Wolves fans, including myself, crazy. I'm happy he'll be coming off the bench, where he can be a dangerous 3 point shooter....but still, not a big fan.

Mark Madsen - Power Forward/Center

















Not much you can say about Mad Dog this year. If Blount and Eddie get in foul trouble, he'll be called upon to grab boards and play good defense, both of which he can do. His size is a concern for both positions he plays, but his tenacity and concentration seem to make up for it.

Justin Reed - Small Forward/Power Forward

























Justin was a surprise off the bench last year for the Wolves. His work ethic impressed KG, and he has a solid offensive game. His jumper is a little shakey, but he's strong and quick enough to get to the hoop and finish strong. His defense is also solid, so another solid bench player to back up Trenton or KG.

Bracey Wright - Shooting Guard




















I'm actually excited about Bracey for this year. Wright, the scoring champ of the NBDL, had a pretty good end to the season with the Wolves (when none of the games really counted), so he might get 7-10 minutes a game. He sometimes, similarly to Troy Hudson, goes a little crazy and takes shots that he has no business taking, but when he's playing well, he's slashing to the basket and using his smooth jumper to stretch the defense.

Vin Baker - Power Forward/Center



I liked this pickup for the Wolves for a number of reasons: 1) he's cheap 2) he's a veteran, which KG likes 3) there's virtually no risk involved and 4) he's a former all-star, so he has to still have some talent. I would be shocked if Vin got more than 5 minutes a game, but who knows.

Bench Overview

I like (not love) the Wolves' bench, particularly when Rashad McCants returns. There's a solid mix of players who can score and defend. Rebounding is still a concern (hopefully Eddie Griffin will be able to address that), and it'd be nice to have that lights-out 3 point shooter coming off the bench (aka Fred Hoiberg), but still a good, solid bench.

Coach - Dwayne Casey


















I didn't think Dwayne did a bad job last year, but I didn't think he really did a good job last year either. With that being said, it was his first year, so it wasn't entirely surprising. The team struggled with its identity; are we a running team? a grind-it-out defensive team? a mix of the two? Nobody really knew, including the players. With a training camp under their belt, I think Dwayne will do a much better job and be much more conscious of his players' roles on the team.

Season Preview

50-32
Northwest Division Champions

I LOVE THIS GAME!