Are New-Look Wolves Ready to Win Big?

(2004 post season special addition)

By Eric Nelson
Photos by Tom Dahlin
Fall/Winter 2003

The Minnesota Timberwolves team photo has changed radically this season. Air brushed from the picture are Rasho Nesterovic, Anthony Peeler, Joe Smith and Marc Jackson. In their places are the smiling faces of Latrell Sprewell, Sam Cassell, Michael Olowokandi, Fred Hoiberg and Mark Madsen.

The changes were fostered by another early exit from the playoffs. After being bounced from the first round of the playoffs for an NBA-record seventh straight season, the T-wolves were far from picture-perfect. The latest post-season fiasco fostered radical changes, as Minnesota tried to become more photogenic in the eyes of its impatient followers. Even the most loyal Wolves fanatic was sick of watching the NBA's version of "Groundhog Day." The cast had to change. The Timberwolves knew it. The fans knew it. The media knew it. Even Crunch knew it.

But no one expected the picture to improve this much. Thanks to major cosmetic changes, the Timberwolves are suddenly very photogenic and primed to end their annual playoff woes.

"If I were in the salon right now, I would definitely say we were getting a makeover," Kevin Garnett said. "It's a brand new team, new personalities, very likable personalities. I think the fans are going to sort of gravitate toward the different kind of personalities and the fact that I'm not the only one that plays with passion and plays with energy. I'm excited.

"Right now we've got cucumbers [on],we've got a big mask on our face, [you] can't really tell who it is, you can't really see it. But, after awhile, when you take the cucumbers off the eyes and what looks like mud right now, when you take that off, it's going to be all good." Yes, the Minnesota makeover is complete. On the surface, the Wolves look much better than the team that was eliminated by the LA Lakers last May.

"Every year I step in with the idea of trying to be the last team standing," said Wolves coach Flip Saunders. "I think in order to do that, your team has to reach their potential and you have enough talent to do it. I think we have more talent than we've ever had, so I think our potential is raised a lot." "This is as good as it has been since I've been here, the people to work with," said Wolves assistant coach Randy Wittman. "It gives Flip and us coaches an opportunity to do a lot of different things."

NEW ATTITUDE
The new players clearly give the Wolves a talent upgrade. They also give the team an on-court attitude transfusion, that will result in a fiery and passionate product on the floor. Cassell and Sprewell in particular are combustible, in-your-face players.

Need someone to challenge a teammate? They'll do it. Need someone demanding the rock in crunch time? They'll beg for it. Need someone craving pressure situations? They are your guys. "That's what I do," Cassell said. "I love the pressure. I love it." In years past, the Wolves had a marshmallow soft reputation. "Just a team of nice-guy jump shooters," the critics said. Now that stereotype is gone.

"You want good people, but we didn't have that nasty edge on the floor," Wittman said, "where if things are going bad within our own family, somebody gets in somebody's face. Sometimes I felt we got pushed around and didn't have anybody to stand up and react to it. "I think we've got that now. Sam Cassell is as good a competitor as there is in the league in terms of winning and losing.He doesn't like to lose and he will let people know. I think that sometimes we had a group that was scared to step on each other's toes."

As for Sprewell, he brings a unique game to the Twin Cities. The Target Center faithful should love this multi-talented player who is comfortable at shooting guard or small forward. "He's going to bring energy, some long braids and is a feisty guy on the court," said Charles Oakley of the Washington Wizards. "[He's] a guy who can play two or three positions."

"He's a good slasher, a high energy guy," said Wolves' General Manager Kevin McHale. "He gets out there and defends and plays the passing lanes real well. [He's] a very good defender who can keep people in front of him. I think he understands the game.He is able to drive and kick." And he has an on-court edge to his demeanor.

"I think he brings toughness," Wolves assistant coach Sidney Lowe said. "I think he brings defense out front. He has always been very good at getting his hand in the passing lanes in terms of steals."

"Sure he likes to play hard, but that's what you're supposed to do I thought," McHale said. "You're not out there to make friends." Then there's Madsen, who left the sun and surf of Southern California for the frigid Twin Cities. Madsen had free agent offers from Dallas and Minnesota, but settled on the Wolves' rejecting Mark Cuban's millions and that plush Maverick lifestyle.

"I'm so fired up to be here," Madsen said. "I'm so fired up to be playing with the players on this team, to be able to learn from a guy like Kevin Garnett. There's not much more I could ask for as a player. Flip Saunders is a phenomenal coach. I am looking forward to trying to play with as much energy and physicality as possible."

Madsen's nickname is "Mad Dog," a fitting moniker that describes his playing style perfectly.When he played for the Lakers, Madsen was the anti-Kobe or anti-Shaq, gladly carving out his niche setting picks, grabbing rebounds and annoying opponents.

"He plays hard," McHale said. "He comes in and knocks people down and is gonna get after it. He plays hard in practice, he plays hard in games. He only knows one way to play. I like those guys." "I enjoy playing without the ball, whether that's going to the offensive glass, whether it's setting picks, or whether it's slashing to an open area," Madsen said. "I think these are skills that are maybe lost a little bit in today's game."

Olowokandi should also give the Wolves a boost. He can block shots, rebound and clog the middle with his 7-foot, 270-pound space-eating body.

In 1998, Olowokandi was the first player selected in the NBA draft. Being chosen first was great, but being chosen by the LA Clippers was not. Olowokandi got sucked into the Clippers cesspool of losing and fell off the NBA radar screen.

That can happen when a guy plays for the "Paper Clips," who are not even top banana in their own arena. On the Staples Center priority list the Lakers, NHL Kings, any concert coming to LA and the circus all rate ahead of the Clippers.

Now, Olowokandi is free from the Clipper mess and happy to be in Minnesota, glad that Wolves owner Glen Taylor hopped on his private jet and flew to Southern California to lure him north in the off-season.

CHEMISTRY CLASS
Of course, having a galaxy of stars on one team doesn't always equate into more wins.

Finding the right chemistry could be a challenge for the Wolves. Is one basketball going to be enough? Will guys sacrifice personal stats to insure on-court success? Will this team gel?

"I don't think it's hard," McHale said. "I can't say that we're more talented than [ex-Laker teams with] Worthy, Kareem, Magic and Scott. They seemed to make it work. Or [ex-Celtic teams with] Bird, Parrish, McHale, Dennis Johnson, Bill Walton and Danny Ainge. Those guys weren't bad either. They seemed to make it work. If everybody has a common goal, it works. If you don't have a common goal, nothing works.

"There are plenty of teams out there that don't win 30 games...because no one will sacrifice. If no one sacrifices on the team, we won't be very good, I can tell you that much. If everybody sacrifices and everybody gets after it defensively, we can be a very good basketball team. I'm not worried about that. That shouldn't even be a concern," said McHale.

"We're gonna win," Cassell said. "We're gonna win...I'm not worrying about that."

"On paper we're one of the best, if not the best team in the league," Olowokandi said. "The big challenge for us right now is to show people that we can work together.

"There's a lot of scorers on this basketball club. I think it will be up to Flip to designate who gets the ball and when. Obviously the ball's going to go through Kevin [Garnett] first."

Another non-concern for the Wolves is Sprewell's checkered past. Yes, he choked P.J. Carlisemo in a much-publicized incident while playing for Golden State in the mid-1990's, but that story is so old it has cobwebs.

Said Wittman: "Obviously the episode at Golden State is a blip on the radar screen that I'm sure he would rather that it did not happen, but it did. From a standpoint on his basketball career, that's been the only thing."

Sprewell was a hot commodity in the off-season. San Antonio with prodding from one of its assistant coaches also tried to acquire him from New York.

That coach was a guy named Carlisemo.

Said Lowe: "Talking to the people in New York and not just the basketball people and friends that I have there they love him. They raved about him. I think we are getting a very good guy."

ONCE A WOLF, ALWAYS A WOLF
The exclamation point to Minnesota's eventful off-season came two days before training camp opened. Perennial All-Star forward Garnett was signed to a five-year contract extension for a reported $179 million. The move squelched speculation that Garnett would jump into the off-season free agent pool and swim away to another team. Now Garnett could spend his entire career in Minnesota.

It all makes sense, because with many new pieces, it would be foolish for the Wolves to ignore their centerpiece. After all, Garnett is as much a part of Minnesota as lakes, the Foshay Tower and the Mall of America. Garnett's commitment to the Wolves means he approves of the team's current direction. It means the icon is happy, which should result in more Minnesota wins and possibly get the franchise off the playoff treadmill.

If that happens, it will be just in time. In an ultra-competitive sports market where the Gophers, Twins, Vikings and Wild also want their slice of the athletic pie, the Wolves had to make an off-season splash to convince their fans they were serious about winning.

Folks in these parts have seen enough Groundhog Days.