What’s wrong with the Wolves?
Over one-fourth of the way through the season and once again the Minnesota Timberwolves are struggling with a below-.500 record. Worse yet, attendance is down. And all over the Web, radio and TV, folks are talking about the problem and pinning the blame on Kevin.
But the Kevin they’re point at is not the inept general manager of the Wolves, who has traded solid players for junk players while giving away two years’ worth of number-one draft picks, which will haunt the franchise for years to come. Nope, the Kevin whose departure folks are saying would help the Wolves is The Big Ticket, Kevin Garnett.
Umm, are the folks suggesting this the same ones who said the Vikes should get rid of both Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper? What are Minnesota sports fans and commentators smoking?
Sure, it’s an enticing idea: trade KG to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for a solid player or two, a couple players with contracts ending at the end of the year, and two number-one draft picks. The Iverson trade makes it clear that such an asking price for KG would be realistic, and there might even be some benefit in it for the Bulls, who have plenty of young talent but need a veteran leader like Garnett.
But let’s get real: does anyone really expect that the other Kevin… Mr. McHale… has the GM savvy to pull off a trade like this without the Wolves getting taken to the cleaners yet again? I personally have no faith in Mr. McHale to do anything but screw it up. With him in charge, we’d probably be the ones giving up two number-one picks, not Chicago.
So, until Kevin McHale is shown the door, Kevin Garnett should stay right where he is. Here in Minnesota, with the Wolves.
