Returning to the Glory of the 90s: The Gabriel Arcadia Story (TPB 2K5) [Archive]

Izulde

06-13-2005, 01:33 AM

Most people think the NBA has a long and illustrious history, filled with paegantry and decades of tradition and glory. I suppose that's true in a sense, but the NBA as we know it today didn't really begin until 1980.

You see, back before then, there were numerous professional basketball leagues all competing with one another for fans, money, and glory. Some of you know their names I'm sure and can roll them off your tongue as easy as can be: the National Basketball Association, the Continental Basketball Association, the American Basketball Association, the United States Basketball League, and so on.

In the beginning this worked out okay. Folks loved the sport of playground kings and they flocked to these startups, cheering on their local team to victory in the small ponds of their leagues. Enough profit was being made to pay the players a decent salary and the owners were satisfied enough with their bottom line to keep things going that way.

But just like that soft and plush stuffed animal you got for Christmas lost its fuzziness and cuddly newness after a while, so too did it go with the leagues. Once the novelty wore off, a lot of the fans stopped going. Owners started getting hungry for more money and so did players. Competitors in other sports were growing in popularity as well. The NFL was getting a larger fanbase and Major League Baseball was still America's most loved pastime, awash in the autumnal glory that would seem all the more beautiful after the steroid and strikes tarnished the game in the mid-to-late 90s.

The heads and owners of the scattered basketball leagues saw their products declining and after intense negotiations in that unforgettable summer of 1979, announced that they were dissolving all of their leagues and uniting together under the banner of the National Basketball Association. Taking a lesson from the American Revolution, they knew that they would either hang as one or hang separately.

23 clubs began play that winter of 1980. Teams were allowed to keep the records they had from their own leagues, but all playoff appearances and all championship titles were stricken from the record. This was a whole new league and everyone was starting over fresh.

The consolidation proved to be a overnight success, resurging an interest in the sport of professional basketball. Over the next decade, league attendance and merchandise sales soared through the roof, beyond even the most optimistic NBA brass's expectations. The exponential growth in popularity was helped by an East Coast-West Coast battle for basketball supremacy waged every season between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Eight of the ten titles awarded in the 80s were won by those two teams--Boston with three and the Lakers with five. They were the undisputed royalty of the NBA and the marketing gurus of the league loved them for the publicity they generated.

In fact, the NBA was so immensely successful, that before the 1990 season, the league made a daring move that stunned the more conservative business minds in the country. Because of the viability and health of the league, the commish's office announced and because it was the 10-year anniversary of the new NBA in the coming season, there would be an unprecedented expansion of seven teams, including the first-ever Canadian team.

So much excitement was generated by the bold tactic that it even made international headlines. Those with an interest stake in overseas leagues turned their attention to the United States to see how the model worked. Fans in the new cities were ecstatic to be a part of something new and exciting unlike what anyone had ever seen before. It's true what they say that success breeds success, for the seven noviate teams all had pretty high fan interest and sales of both tickets and paraphenlia were quite brisk even before a single minute of basketball had been played.

Seven teams. It's amazing to me even now that the NBA made the decision they did, but I'm happy they did. It allowed me my first step into the general manager ranks and for that I am eternally grateful.

I suppose you want to see some newspaper clippings right about now, something you can see and feel, maybe even smell the dust of the ages rising up to meet you. Something to give weight to the words of a man whose not so young anymore.

I can do that, but first, let's go get a cup of coffee. My throat's dry and I need to wet it before I can continue.

Izulde

06-14-2005, 05:05 PM

Good coffee they have over at Larry's, isn't it? I always try to patronize the local shops whenever I can. There's something about those big corporate chains that just strikes me as cold and soulless. There's more spirit in a ground out cigarette butt than a national franchise to me. Of course, they were once small and local, too. So at what point did they lose their essence then, I wonder?

Ah well. This isn't the time for philosophical discourse. You wanted to see a newspaper article, yes? All right, here's one. Be careful with it please. It's old and prone to cracking. Somehow I just can't bring myself to laminate it. Too much like neutering it if you ask me. Go on and have a read.

Unknown Hired As Minnesota Timberwolves GM

In a shocking announcement made yesterday, Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor introduced the man he's appointed to be the general manager of the fledgling NBA team, a 35-year old virtual unknown by the name of Gabriel Arcadia.

Unheard of in NBA circles, Arcadia does have GM experience, having served the past three years in that capacity for the Lacrosse Purple Knights, an independant semi-pro basketball team.

After being presented, Arcadia remarked, "This is an exciting opportunity, both for a young man like myself and for a young team like the Minnesota Timberwolves. While the early years will be difficult, I am fully confident that by the end of five years, you will see the Wolves in the playoffs."

The guarantee was met with a roar of approval and a standing ovation from the crowd. A daring proclamation to make, it remains to be seen whether Mr. Arcadia can live up to the promise he delivered.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of seven expansion teams joining the NBA starting this season. The others are the Miami Heat, the Orlando Magic, the Memphis Grizzlies, the New Orleans Hornets, the Charlotte Bobcats and the league's first Canadian team, the Toronto Raptors.

***End Article***

Pretty saucy words for a rookie GM of an expansion team wouldn't you say? But then, that's how I got the job in the first place.

You see, at my interview, I told Glenn, "I've been a general manager for three years now and I know I'm awfully young to be a GM at this level, but I'll work for you for five years at $25,000 below whatever the next lowest-paid general manager in the league is making. If we make the playoffs in that period, you'll reward me with a contract comensurate with my success after the five-year contract is over. If we don't, then you can fire me and you'll have gotten by cheaply for the first five years of the franchise."

I remember he laughed just then and brushed some rogue strands of his combover back to their original place. It looked really funny but I wasn't about to tell him that he either needed to get a toupee or just leave his hair be. I had a job to win.

"You've got balls, Arcadia and I haven't had a creative offer like that yet. Since I'm a patient guy, I like your plan and I'll accept your offer. We'll have the contract to you out by the end of the week. Welcome to the Minnesota Timberwolves!"

There have been few other points in my life that exhilirated me as much as that one. My childhood dream had come true... I was the general manager of a professional sports team.

After leaving Mr. Taylor's office, I danced like a crack-smoking monkey out in the hall, whooping and hollering as if I'd just won an NBA championship. When you grew up in a small northern Wisconsin town like I did, nobody expects you to reach this level in any profession. And here I'd achieved it.

Still, underneath my celebration, I was worried. I'd shown a lot of moxie and bluster in getting the job, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to carry out my claims. The packed stadiums and big-money world of the NBA were a far cry from the small crowds and low wages of the semi-professional teams.

My thought then was only that I hoped I'd be able to pull off the promise I'd just made back in the owner's office. At that time, it was too much too fast to even begin to think of dreaming beyond that.

Izulde

06-18-2005, 12:25 AM

The day after news of my hiring hit the press, I went in to my office to look over the notes on the team that I'd written in the practices since I knew I'd gotten the job.

1990 was the first year the NBA instituted a salary cap. It wasn't a concern of mine, as we were a very comfortable $11 million under the cap.

Coaches:

Head Coach: Hubie Brown
65 years old. 1 year left on contract. $4 mill. salary. Coaching philosophy is avg. off. pace w/high pressure D. Pretty good strategist and good scout. Works well with kids. May or may not keep. Not happy with his lineup.

1st Assistant: Sidney Lowe
30 years old. Player-coach. Making $500k p/yr as coach with 2 yrs left on contract. Terrible at tactics and an average scout. Can spot the defenders, though. Only okay with youngsters. Will fire as a coach immediately.

2nd Assistant: Flip Saunders
34 years old. 2 years left on contract. Absurd $4.3 mill. salary. Coaching philosophy is slow off. pace. w/high pressure D. Pretty good strategist. Is okay at determining potential and knows how to scout the off. and def. abilities of a player. Okay with youngsters and extremely greedy. Will promote to 1st Assistant, but will not renew contract.

3rd Assistant: Dave Cowens
41 years old. 2 years left on contract. $300k salary. Okay strategist. Can't scout at all but does all right with the kids. Will keep but not renew contract.

Before you move on to the players, let me tell you what I did with my coaching situation. Like I said, I called Sidney in and told him he was no longer going to be coaching for us. He was upset at first, but understood when I told him I wanted him to concentrate on his role at point guard for us. Flip was ecstatic when I told him he was being moved up to the top assistant position. I have a feeling he was pretty sure he was going to be able to replace Hubie after the season. Naturally I didn't tell him that wasn't going to happen and that his days with us were numbered.

After extensive hunting and talking to people, I hired Mike O'Koren as our second assistant. He was 31 years old, average at the Xs and Os of the game, okay at figuring out the potential kids had, but couldn't develop them worth a damn. On the bright side and the reason I chose him really, was that like Flip, he was good at scouting out just what talents players had on both sides of the ball at any given in point in time. Not only that, but he came cheap. $391k for 3 years was his starting contract. I didn't know then if he'd turn out to be head coaching material or not, but at the time, he was the best assistant available.

Okay, you can go on to reading about the players now. I didn't get a chance to choose my own team at first, by the way. Glenn did all the expansion draft and signing decisions himself. Some of his choices I thought were excellent. Others I was more than underwhelmed with.

Players:

PG Sidney Lowe:
6'0". 195 lbs. May not be much of a coach, but superb ballhandler and good passer. 2 years left on player contract. $6.9 mill the first year, $7.6 mill the second. Mediocre on D but can steal quite a few passes. Smart and disciplined. Lazy in practice and obviously angry about getting fired as coach. Inconsistent and disliked by other players. Hated by fans. Must trade.

PG Pooh Richardson
6'1" 180 lbs. 23 years old. Rookie whose passing and ballhandling already on par w/Sidney's. Subpar D and slight above average stealing ability and intelligence. Average scorer, but terrible from charity stripe. Fiercely determined to get better. Puts in average effort in practice and is liked okay by teammates. Pretty good consistency. The PG of the future. Love this kid.

SG Doug West
6'6" 200 lbs. 22 years old. Another rookie w/better outside shot than Pooh's and same scoring instincts. Horrible defender and very stupid. Undisciplined and an average ballhandler. Extremely loyal, motivated, works hard, and is popular with fans. Despite intangibles, will try and trade while some teams still think he has potential.

SG Tyrone Corbin
6'6" 210 lbs. 27 years old. 4-year vet. Long contract left. 7 years remaining. Starts at $5 mill and ends at $7.5 mill. Not happy about that. Slightly better shooter and scorer than Pooh and Doug. Average ballhandler and slightly above average rebounder. Good D and better thief than Lowe. Average intelligence. Not the loyal type. Extremely motivated, but average otherwise intangibly speaking.

SF Tony Campbell
6'7" 215 lbs. 27 years old. 6-year vet. 3 years left on contract at good salary for what he brings. Good shooter with very good scoring instincts. Average ballhandler and rebounder. Slightly above-average D and intelligence. Disloyal, lazy, and hated by fans and teammates, but motivated.

SF Adrian Branch
6'7" 185 lbs. 26 years old. 4-year vet. 1 year contract for $675k. Mediocre shooter and ballhandler. Above-average rebounder with mediocre D who has a suprisingly uncanny and prodigal talent for stealing. Also really knows how to draw a foul despite not being all that bright on the court. Motivated and doesn't care about money. Horrible intangibles otherwise. Will wait and see how he does this season before deciding contract status.

SF Sam Mitchell
6' 6" 210 lbs. 26 years old. 4-year vet of the semi-pro leagues. 3-year contract ranging from $1.3 mill to $1.5 mill. Slightly above-average shooter. Average rebounding and D. Looks lost right now on an NBA court. Devotedly loyal, works hard, is motivated, loved by teammates, and is a fan favourite. Unfortunately also very greedy. Still, the best value guy on the team.

PF Donald Royal
6'8" 210 lbs. 25 years old. 2-year vet of the semi-pro leagues. 2-year contract for pocket change. Average scorer with a decent inside shot. Horrendous ballhandling and D. Mediocre rebounder. As lost as Sam on the court. Average intangibles except for great motivation and good consistency.

PF Scott Roth
6' 8" 210 lbs. 26 years old. 4-year vet. 2 year contract averaging out to $1 mill a year. Very good inside shot w/good scoring instincts. Average ballhandler who's mediocre at rebounding and D. Good stealer with average intelligence. Can draw a foul or two. Terrible intangibles except for extremely low greed, high motivation and iron durability.

C Tod Murphy
6'9" 220 lbs. 26 years old. 3-year vet. 2 year contract with $1 mill and some change in each year. Mediocre shooter and defender. Average ballhandler w/above average rebounding and intelligence. Not all that loyal, but not greedy either and decent intangibles outside of that.

C Gary Leonard
7'1" 250 lbs. 22 years old. Rookie. Mediocre shooter who can't hit a FT to save his life. Also mediocre on D, but above average rebounder and a shot-blocking demon. Clueless on court and poor stamina. Horrible intangibles, save for motivation and very low greed.

C Randy Breuer
7'3" 230 lbs. 29 years old. 6 year-vet. 4 year contract going from $6.8 mill to $8.9 mill. Bad, bad contract. Good inside shot but only average scoring instincts. Average ballhandling and D. Above-average rebounder with good shotblocking talent. Above-average intelligence. Great motivation and not too greedy. Not very well liked by anyone and has average durability.

I knew after looking over my notes that there had to be some changes made even before the season started. So I hit the phones and spent the next few days talking over various trade offers to teams. Lowe wouldn't go by himself, I knew. Not with that contract. West would have to go with him in a package deal.

It's a funny thing how life works sometimes. Though I originally intended to have West and Lowe leave first, that wasn't what happened. My very first trade as an NBA GM actually turned out to be with Golden State. I've got the newspaper clipping around somewhere, but I can't be bothered to find it right now.

The deal was this: Leonard, Roth, and our 1991 second-rounder went to Golden State for shooting guard Mitch Richmond, center Manute Bol, and the Warriors's 1992 first-rounder.

Golden State adored Roth's all-around game, especially his shooting talents, and his contract. They also thought that Leonard was a younger, better version of Bol and they liked the players both highly enough that they were willing to give up their first-rounder two years down the road if we gave them an extra second-rounder for the next year.

On my end, Mitch was a good shooter with very good scoring instincts, young at 24 years old, quite intelligent, and had workhorse endurance that more than made up for his subpar ballhandling abilities and average defense. Intangibly speaking, he was really motivated and extremely consistent and durable, and folks liked him okay. The one worry I had was that he wanted to play for a winner, so I wasn't sure if we'd be able to keep him happy. It was a chance I had to take though, especially after I'd seen him light up the NBA in his rookie season by averaging 22 points a game. His contract was a steal at averaging a million bucks for two years. Golden State hadn't picked up his rookie option for some reason. To this day I don't know why. You can bet I picked up his option real fast, though. That gave him to us for another year at $1.4 million, which I felt was a steal.

Manute on the other hand was probably the worst shooter on the planet. He also wasn't too good with handling the ball, but I loved his height. At 7'6", he was an even more amazing shotblocker than Leonard had been and he was just above average on defense and in terms of intelligence. Plus he had one year left at $863,000. He was also coming off an injury from the season before, but I didn't care. My intention was that Hubie would have him serve from the bench and if he panned out, I'd sign him to another contract. If not, then he'd be let go and he could take his what would be five years of NBA experience elsewhere.

That first round pick was what really had me excited, though. Two first-rounders in 1992. I was pretty sure Golden State would be improved by then, but I didn't think they'd be good enough to make the playoffs, especially after trading away Mitch. I figured even if they did miss the lottery, we'd still have a mid first round selection, which, everything else figured in, was worth it in my book.

That was the end of my offseason dealing before the 1990 campaign. Nobody wanted Lowe's contract and I couldn't blame them. I certainly wouldn't have taken it myself.

Still, I was happy with the move I made. True a lot of it was a gamble, but in my heart I thought I'd be able to have the Timberwolves winning quick enough to make Mitch happy and that our extra first-rounder would be further ensure the winning ways.

Oh, one more thing before I tell you how that first season went. I have Coach Brown's lineup card that he made out after the Golden State trade and training camp:

Starting Line-Up Minnesota Timberwolves 1990 Post-Training Camp

PG: Tyrone Corbin
SG: Mitch Richmond
SF: Tony Campbell
PF: Tod Murphy
C: Randy Breuer
6th Man: Sam Mitchell

Izulde

06-19-2005, 03:47 PM

It's funny how you never forget your firsts. Your first kiss. Your first girlfriend. Your first car. Your first job. Your first house. They're all forever a part of you and your memories because they broke a barrier that was important both to you yourself and the society you lived in. I suppose if we'd grown up in a sub-Saharan tribe, our points of rememberance would be something like our first kill in the hunt or the first spear we made.

But that's getting off track. I'll spare you any further sociological aside and move back to the original topic. Like I said, you never forget your firsts. I'll always remember my first game as GM of the Lacrosse Purple Knights and I'll definitely always remember that first game as GM of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

We were on the road against Magic Johnson and the mighty Los Angeles Lakers. I thought at the time that there was no greater first test that we could have faced in the NBA and that we were likely to get slaughtered. Still, it would allow me the chance to really look at a championship-caliber team and see the blueprint that the Purple and Gold had used to win half of the NBA's titles. Not that I would copy them, you understand. I had my own style and own philosophies concerning a team. But it was always good to look at successful organizations and learn from them.

I still can see it to this day. Breuer winning the tipoff and the boys racing down to their half of the court. Corbin fed it to Campbell who found Randy inside. Breuer went up for the jump shot and dropped in from 10 feet out. We officially had our first lead 10 seconds into our infant history. 2-0 against the godly Lakers. I cheered in my seat.

I became even more ecstatic after we extended our lead to 6-0 before the Lakers finally scored. Mitch answered right back with a slam dunk on the other end and we were still up, 8-2. The Staples Center crowd was furious, booing us and booing the poor quality of the home team.

We got to a 16-10 lead before Hubie sent our subs in and it was all downhill from the there. By the end of the first quarter, the Lakers had captured the lead and they never looked back, or so I thought would happen.

Then, midway through the third quarter, a funny thing happened, something so bizzarre and so miraculous that I had to blink twice before I was sure I was seeing right.

Mitch Richmond had just nailed a 25-foot jumper and we'd gotten the lead back.

What followed after that was a fierce back-and-forth battle between two determined teams. I've lost count now of the number of lead changes that occurred over that last quarter and a half of play. All I remember is the numbers at the end, gleaming in their red brilliance on the scoreboard.

Minnesota 117 L.A. Lakers 113.

The expansion NBA peasantry had knocked off the league's royalty in their very first game.

Here, I still have the post-game report from that night. It's not the original copy, mind you, but one I had a computer whiz-kid draw up for me. The original is someplace safe where only I and a few other people know of its location. No, I'm sorry... I can't tell you where. Not yet at least. Maybe as time goes on and we get to know each other more.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/score.jpg
Quite possibly the single-greatest upset in NBA history...

Izulde

06-19-2005, 08:47 PM

Highlights of that first month came in greater profusion than I'd anticipated. There was Mitch Richmond scorching the Utah Jazz for 27 points in the first half en route to a 38 point game as we beat the Malone-Stockton combination 107-89 in our third game.

Our comeback win against the Sonics in which Richmond, Corbin, and Campbell all scored more than 20 points and we blitzed Seattle 36-15 in the 3rd quarter.

There were lowlights, too. The dismantling we took from the Jazz three days after Richmond's amazing output. Defending champion Detroit pounding us every which way possible in a 107-69 loss for our side.

Even high points and low points. Even record, too, as we finished our first month of play 7-7. Although we were only half a game out of the playoffs after the first 30 days, I knew we were playing far above our actual talent level and that changes would have to be made if we were to maintain our initial pace throughout the season.

A look at the early returns of statistics and watching the games revealed several things about us.

First, that Mitch Ritchmond was as good as advertised. Though his turnover ratio was a little high, averaging 3.1 a game, his 23 points per game really galvanized us and had been integral to the success we'd had.

Second, my preseason suspicions concerning Tyrone Corbin's ability were justified. Though he was averaging in double figures, he was also comitting 5 turnovers a game on par and that wasn't acceptable to me. Not even when he was below that for his assistant mean. Unfortunately, though Pooh Richardson outplayed Tyrone when subbing for him, Hubie refused to displace Tyrone and Corbin's contract meant that he was untradeable. Still, I put him on the trading block and hoped an offer would come through.

Third, Randy Breuer was vital to our gameplan as well. Chipping in double figures in both points and rebounds, he also was getting nearly two blocks a game.

Fourth, Tod Murphy wasn't the answer at power forward and was barely serviceable starting there. The truth was, I liked Donald Royal, his sub, a fair amount better than Tod, but Hubie wouldn't hear of it.

Fifth, Tony Campbell's 19 and a half points a game were huge and presented more production than I'd expected about him. My hunch was that his numbers would go down over the course of the season and so he was certainly available as trade bait.

On non-starter notes, Pooh was playing well, like I said. Doug West was developing fairly nicely too. Manute Bol did well with the minutes Hubie gave him, and Sidney was a lemon, not playing much and earning far too much money.

A lot of guys were on the trading block after the first month and some were even unhappy. I didn't want those guys unless they were upset about their lack of playing time and could be an upgrade at power forward for us. Tod Murphy didn't excite me one bit as I said.

After a lot of calling around the league, I finally made my second trade of my career.

Doug West and Tony Campbell went along with our 1992 2nd round pick to the Seattle Supersonics for two young kids who I thought looked really promising and should start for us right away, power forward Derrick McKey and point guard Avery Johnson.

McKey was a big defensive upgrade over Murphy and had room to grow. Excellent intangibles too.

Johnson, on the other hand, wasn't as good an intangibles guy, but he was masterful with the ball in both handling and passing, had a good outside shot, and was good on the D, too. He was also one of the smartest students of the game you could ever hope to come across.

On Seattle's side, they wanted the extra pick and Campbell gave them someone they thought could be an offensive powerhouse off their bench. West started off on their IR, but the Supersonics figured he might have a shot at filling in the legendary Dale Ellis's place when he retired.

I was angry when I found out Hubie's new starting line-up, though. The two kids we'd just gotten who I felt should be starting got the short end of the stick. Avery was listed as the sixth man and McKey was just part of the rotation.

"Hubie", I said to him in my office, "Either you start at least one or both of those kids by the end of this season or your contract will *not* be renewed. Is that quite clear?"

Coach Brown didn't answer me. He just tightened his lips and stormed out. Evidently he thought a guy thirty years his junior didn't have the right to order him around like that, but I knew I did. I was his boss, after all.

Anyway, that's the note the first month ended. How about we go and get ourselves some ice cream? Dairy Queen sounds good right about now.

duckman

06-19-2005, 11:02 PM

Very good start. I like way you are telling the story.

damnMikeBrown

06-19-2005, 11:20 PM

Yeah, very nice job!

Izulde

06-20-2005, 01:31 PM

duckman: Thanks. :) I was trying to figure out a way to present this dynasty when I d/l'ed LaTulipe's 1990-2004 roster set when I hit upon the idea of a GM telling someone his story after the fact. I'm glad you like it.

damnMikeBrown: Thanks! I have to confess, I like it quite a bit myself, which is rare for the stuff I write. ;)

Izulde

06-20-2005, 01:32 PM

I love Dairy Queen's Blizzards, especially the Butterfinger kind. It's bad for my teeth I know because of all the sugar, but I don't care. It's still delicious to eat.

Now then, have yourself a seat. Where was I? Oh yes, I'd just gotten done telling Hubie he'd best move Avery or Derrick to the lineup by the time the season was over or he would be the one that was over.

So it was a mixed first month we'd had, but overall, I felt pretty good. A five-hundred record is darned good for an expansion team and I thought with the Seattle trade, we'd be in a nice position to improve on that in the second month.

The first game, we hung with Michael Jordan and the Bulls for three quarters before falling in the fourth. Jordan reamed us for 40 points. There's never been any player who's been as brilliant as him, I think. His capacity to take over a game was just phenomenal and beyond description.

Among the good memories of the month were Randy Breuer's 23 point, 13 rebound performance in a win over our expansion brothers, the Orlando Magic, followed by a dominating 29 point, 13 rebound game in which we beat Bernard King's Wizards by the narrowest of margins, 105 to 103.

Our come-from-behind victory over the two-win Toronto Raptors, memorable only because we were down 19-4 and I was swearing that I would fire Hubie after that game if we lost to them. We won by double-digits with a solid all-around effort and 23 points off the bench from Avery, who still wasn't starting, much to my annoyance.

The win against the Supersonics that snapped our five game losing streak, where not even former Timberwolf Tony Campbell's 12 points and 5 steals could save Seattle. Corbin, Richmond, and Breuer all had more than 20 for that game, too, with Randy grabbing 11 rebounds for another double-double.

After that match, we went out to dinner with Tony, I and a few of the other guys on the team. We caught up and spent a very pleasant evening chatting and wining and dining. He'd worked his way into the starting lineup of the Sonics by then, something that made me proud. I liked Tony, I really did. I liked even better that we'd held him 7 points below his season average in that game.

There were the bad memories, too. Our heart-breaking, last-second loss against the Knicks. That 23 point debacle against the Nets, where we lost even though Mitch had 33 points because our bench did nothing that game.

All those times we would suddenly, inexplicably, turn cold and not score for long stretches of time, vast deserts of empty nets where our lead would be sliced to shreds, frequently displaced by our opponents overtaking us and going ahead.

The lowest point of the month, a 112 to 64 massacre by the Hawks after which I was embarassed to say that this was my team, my Timberwolves.

All told, at month's end we were 11-18, now well out of the playoff hunt. The last three games, we'd lost by an embarassing average of 25 points, roughly. Mitch was now starting to become unhappy with the losing habits we'd suddenly acquired, just as I feared might happen when I traded for him.

Statistics wise, Mitch was still holding steady with his 23 points and 3 turnovers a game. I thought his growing discontent might start to affect his play, but he was too good and too important for us to think about trading. It was my intention to build the franchise around him and I couldn't do that if I traded him away.

Though Tyrone had cut his turnovers down to about 4 and a half per game, his assists had also dipped and he continued to frustrate me. Hubie and I got into a lot of heated debates in our offices about him. I wanted Pooh or Avery to start and Tyrone to be relegated to the bench. Hubie wouldn't hear of it, though.

Sam Mitchell was doing okay since he stepped back into the small forward role after Campbell got traded, but like Tod Murphy the month before, it wasn't exciting me.

As for Murphy, statistically speaking, his game had improved significantly over the last thirty days, but that was somewhat misleading, as he was now clocking an average of 37 minutes a game, by far the highest on the team.

Randy continued to contribute steadily in the paint, though his rebounding average had dropped to just below double digits by this point. I still considered him one of the key players on the squad, though.

In the reserves, Pooh replaced Avery as the sixth man early in the month in Coach Brown's rotation and frankly he deserved it. He was outplaying the new Timberwolf and really should have been starting.

McKey and Johnson, to speak of the additions from the month before, hadn't lived up to expectations. Derrick wasn't playing as well as I'd anticipated even when Hubie did give him some minutes. Avery as I've already mentioned was being passed up by Pooh.

Though I was pretty sure that I was going to stick with the team I had, I nonetheless made some calls and did some exploring with my fellow GMs around the league.

Then, in Miami, a golden opportunity arose.

Glen Rice wasn't happy with how the team was playing, for like Mitch, he wanted to be part of a winner. A rookie who was already scoring in double figures at 15 points a game, he could shoot quite well, was a good defender and showed nice discipline on the court.

The chance to improve the Timberwolves was too much, especially since the Heat were asking so little.

In the end, Donald Royal and Adrian Branch went to Miami for Rice and the Heat's 2nd round pick of the next year, thereby netting us the pick we'd given up in the Richmond trade.

This time, Hubie wasn't about to disagree with me. The same day the trade was announced, he declared that Glen was going to be the starting small forward and that Sam would be moved back to the sixth man position.

I suppose you're wondering how the trade made sense from Miami's end. Well, it was pretty obvious that they weren't going to go anywhere this year and they didn't want Glen to become a cancer on the team, so they were looking to dump him. Adrian and Donald gave them two young guys who could really strengthen their bench, which was pretty sickly at the time. More importantly, they were low-salary guys who weren't obsessed about playing for a winner. That was a key part of the Miami front office strategy back then.

Richmond and Rice. 'Come see the Timberwolves for a little R & R.' That was the marketing slogan I had in the back of my mind.

I knew that this trade would either be a great coup and we would start winning, or it would prove to be a massive failure and I'd have two extremely talented, extremely unhappy young stars on my hands.

Izulde

06-23-2005, 08:50 PM

As the third month began, I prayed that we would start surging and drawing closer to playoff contention again, or R & R would both be wanting out and my rebuilding project would have to take that much longer.

The day before our first game, I signed Louis Orr, a power forward from the semipro leagues. He'd been playing down there for the past eleven seasons, was 33 years old, and had never gotten a shot at the NBA until we gave him a one-year deal. Hubie loved him so much he made him the seventh man in the rotation, which I thought was a mistake. Then again, I thought a lot of what Hubie had done up to that point in the season was stupid.

We opened badly that month, getting beaten by both L.A. teams. The Lakers crushed us in the opener and the Clippers nipped us at the last second for by a single point.

Then Glen broke through with a 25 point game against the Rockets and Orr gave us his second double-digit scoring game in three appearances, with eight rebounds besides as we came from behind to beat the Rockets 99-97.

Other high points including Mitch scorching the Kings on the road for 34 points and a sweet runaway victory on our part. Mitch again, this time blitzing the defending champion Pistons for 37 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals in a 117-101 upset at the Palace. If nothing else, I thought to myself after that game, we specialized in pulling the red carpet out from under the NBA's nobility in their home courts.

We had a lot of heartbreaks, too. That buzzer-beater loss to the Clippers. Another one we had to the Suns, followed immediately after by a two-point defeat at the hands of the Sonics.

The best performance against us was Larry Nance of Cleveland, who reamed us for 24 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a game the Cavaliers dominated 105-77. After that game, I considered trying trading for him but decided against it. He was one of the franchise players of the league at the time and nothing could pry him away from them.

By the time the dust settled on the month we were standing at 17-27. Our gap between wins and losses had widened, and as you can probably guess, Mitch was not happy about it. He still wasn't asking for a trade though, so I resolved to hang on.

After the month was over, I met with Hubie and his assistants in my office. They told me that, much as I'd anticipated, Pooh was turning out to be the Real Deal. On the other hand, Glen wasn't progressing as well as they'd hoped, either. True he wasn't exactly doing terrible out there, but he wasn't really impressing anyone either.

His numbers had dropped a bit since joining us and that concerned me. I also found it troubling that McKey wasn't getting any minutes out on the floor. The rest of the guys were all staying pretty constant with what they'd been putting up and I'd given up on trying to get Tod out of the rotation, because he was actually doing pretty good in there, with near double figures in both rebounding and scoring.

I was pleased to see that Tyrone's turnover numbers had lowered again and I began to think maybe he wouldn't be that bad after all.

There was still room for improvement on the team obviously. Mitch was the only bona fide star we had and he wasn't enough. I only hoped we could keep him from outright revolting before we had the chance to really make impressive gains and improve. He still remained the cornerstone to everything because I felt in my heart that by the time he was done developing, he would be one of the top players in the league and worthy of being considered a franchise player.

I just had to pray he'd be willing to weather the storm with us until we turned the corner.

Izulde

06-25-2005, 11:27 PM

We opened up the next month against four teams that were playoff-bound by record at the time and we managed to get a split, something I was happy with. The Knicks were the first ones we beat, as we came from behind to top them.

The second victory of the split is the one I'll always remember the most, though. Mitch Richmond weaving and burning through the Jazz as if they were so much straw to his searing pillar of flame. By the end of the first quarter, he had 22 points. The first quarter. It was like nothing I'd ever seen, nor likely would see again. He ended up with 48 points, easily the most dominating performance of the young Timberwolves history. I still have the tape of that game. You can watch it sometime if you like. I felt like the best GM in the NBA after that contest.

Two games later though, I was reminded of just how far we had to go when we played the Chicago Bulls. Jordan and Pippen shredded us for a combined 58 points and after the game, Mitch stopped by to talk to me.

"You see Mike and Scottie out there? I want to be like them.. I want to be winning now and someday I'm going to be as good as Jordan. Glen, he ain't no Scottie. I've been on a winning team all my life and it hurts to have to be losing now." Mitch told me.

I looked at him straight him in the eye and said, "Look Mitch, I'm not going to B.S. here. We're an expansion team and it'll be at least a year or two before we're winning. Glen may not be up to Scottie's level yet, but he's still just a rookie. Give him time to develop. As for you, you aren't on Jordan's plane either right now. You turn the ball over too much for that and aren't as good on defense as he is."

Mitch only nodded and walked on. As he headed for the arena exit, I only hoped that I'd said the right words and given him the assurance he needed that things would get better with time.

One of the biggest low points of the month, if not the biggest, came a few games later with a 97-90 loss to the Heat. We blew a 10 point halftime lead, Glen went 2 for 9 against his former team and Tyrone had a disgusting 10 turnovers. I wished more than ever that Herbie would just put Pooh in as the starting point guard, but he still refused to. It didn't make me want to re-hire him at the end of the season, I can tell you that much.

Adding insult to injury was losing by double digits the next game to the Charlotte Bobcats. Everyone forgot how to shoot and play defense. Glen in particular drew my ire with his for 4 for 16 showing. I was beginning to think that maybe Mitch was right and Glen wasn't fit to be the accessory man after all, at least until I found out he'd sprained his finger during the game and was out for 13 days. Tod got hurt too and was down for 16 days.

So out went Glen and Tod and in went Sam and Louis to take their places. Tod's injury also had the nice bonus of getting a chance to see Derrick finally get some PT. I was hoping he'd do well enough in the opportunity he'd been given to at last get it through Hubie's thick skull that he needed to be starting on a permanent basis.

Before I could find out though, All-Star Weekend was upon us. Pooh was named the starting point guard on the Rookies team and Mitch got the nod as the starting shoot guard for the Sophomore squad. The Sophs won 106-98 behind the combined efforts of Clifford Robinson, who had 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks, Grant Long chipping in 18 points from the bench on perfect 7 for 7 scoring, and Mitch's 14 points. Pooh was the second leading scorer for the Rookies with 15 points. All in all I was happy with the performance from my guys.

Though nobody from our team was named to the All-Star squad, I watched the game anyway. The East won 144-126 behind MVP Larry Bird's great all-around performance of 27 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks, and Jordan's 28 points. What was interesting for me to see was that Tony Campbell, who'd we traded to Seattle as part of the McKey/Johnson pickup, was named to the West Team as a reserve, though he didn't play. I enjoyed seeing him there. He told me he really enjoyed the city of Seattle and was happy there, but that he kept tabs on us to see how we were doing.

All-in-all, I felt pretty good after my first All-Star Weekend. As our selections showed, our backcourt for the next several years at least was going to be very solid indeed, which meant that I would be concentrating on our frontcourt in the draft and in free agency.

Derrick didn't do very well in his first extended-game duty in a long time. He failed to score a field goal, though he did pick up 7 rebounds and had 4 assists. By the end of the game, it was clear that Louis, who had played well since I signed him from the semipro heap, was outshining him on the court.

The trade deadline came and I spent quite a bit of time researching my team and the available options out there. Some deals had already been made by the time I started looking at my choices. Here, I've got a sheet of the trades and my thoughts on them. Have a look.

1990 Deadline Deals

Detroit Pistons receive:
SF Billy Thompson

Miami Heat receive:
SG Gerald Henderson
Detroit 1st round pick (1991)

Billy gives Detroit some extra rebounding muscle and steps in as the 6th man for the Pistons, who are trying to make a championship repeat. Gerald hasn't been performing to expectations and I think he might be on his way down at 34. The extra first-rounder will help the Heat though it probably won't be worth much as the Pistons are still one of the top teams in the league. Both contracts are expiring, but Gerald's expires for $12 mill., whereas Billy's is only for $4.5 mill. The extra money, should Miami renounce the contract, will put the Heat at $20 million under the cap and give them the chance to make a splash signing in free agency.
Winner: Draw.

Portland Trailblazers receive:
SF Derrick Gervin
NJ 2nd round pick (1991)

New Jersey Nets receive:
SG Drazen Petrovic

Gervin is supposed to be a phenomenal scorer but hasn't lived up to the billing, as the four-year veteran is barely breaking double digits, even though he was a starter for the Nets. However, he also comes really cheap for this year and next, at $383k and $425k respectively. Drazen is a much, much better all-around scorer, passer, ballhandler, and defender, though he's only average at the last three categories. He instantly becomes NJ's starter at SF. Locked up for the next three years at a very reasonable $1 mill and some change for the still under-cap Nets.
Winner: New Jersey by a mile.

L.A. Lakers receive
PF Phil Zevenbergen
Memphis 2nd round pick (1991)

Memphis Grizzlies receive:
C Vlade Divac

The Lakers get a bench player and a mediocre pick for a guy who could become one of the most dominating centers in the league when he's done developing. How does this trade make sense for L.A.? It pretty much comes down to this: Zevenberger is a good rebounder and is more polished than Divac, and a polished player is what a team thinking championship title needs. Vlade is a godsend to the Grizzlies. He may still be quite raw, but he steps in as the starting PF and is without question Memphis's best defender, a fact indicative of just how poor our expansion kin are on D. Still, I love this trade for Memphis. It reminds me a lot of the Mitch trade we made with Golden State and of the trade the Nets made for Drazen.
Winner: Without a doubt, Memphis

Portland Trailblazers receive:
PG Kelvin Upshaw

Golden State Warriors receive:
C Wayne Cooper
Portland's 1st round pick (1991)

The Blazers are at the trading again and this trade makes more sense than the Drazen deal. Kelvin is still young at 27 and is a good all around player and very good thief. They also took a $12 million contract headache off their hands, as Cooper is earning that this year and is making $13 million next season. I have to wonder what Golden State is thinking. That first rounder will be more like a second-rounder and they're eating up all their cap space on a guy who isn't even starting. Not to mention, it only adds to the logjam at C they have out in California. Oh yeah, Cooper's also 33 and probably on his way down, even if he is a stellar rebounder, a good defender, and a very good shotblocker. I don't like what Golden State's doing this year though from their organization's standpoint. Stupid moves all around. First giving Mitch away for what was essentially a song and now this. They're already below .500 and with what they're doing now, I predict they'll be one of the worst teams in the league for quite a few years to come. This is great news for our '92 1st rounder from them, though.
Winner: Portland

L.A. Lakers receive:
C Maurice Martin

Memphis Grizzlies receive:
SG Michael Cooper
L.A. Lakers 1st round pick (1991)

A day after the Divac trade, the Lakers and Grizzlies decided they weren't done trading with each other yet and made another swap. Martin's a very good rebounder and an okay shooter, but is medicore on D and doesn't have much wind to speak of. He'll slot in as the 6th man for the purple and gold because of it. Cooper is a veteran guy who plays smart, has good endurance, can really make the charity stripe shots, and won't turn the ball over much. Unfortunately, he also takes up all but $2 mill of Memphis's contract space for this year with his $14 mill contract and he earns $15 mill next year. The Lakers' pick, like a lot of first rounders I've seen traded lately, won't be worth much more than an early second-rounder. Don't much like this trade for either team.
Winner: Draw and not in a good sense

We were 20-34 at the deadline and Mitch, while still not happy about the losing, still was willing to stick it out with us. That was something I was really thankful for as it meant I wouldn't have to trade him. With that in mind, I scoured the trading blocks around the league to see if there was anyone I was interested in getting that could be had without ruining the foundation I'd lain. My main interest was obviously in the frontcourt, so that was what I was keeping an eye out for, especially at power forward.

I very nearly traded for Rony Seikaly from the Heat. He was a better rebounder and defender by far than Randy, was 23 years old and a second-year player, and had a much nicer contract. Already a dominating center, he only looked to get better and better. Unfortunately, he was also prone to cases of butterfingers and in the end, that and his hunger to win like Rice and Richmond is what prevented me from pulling the trigger. I don't think Miami would have been willing to accept Randy's contract anyway.

Richard Anderson from the Bobcats was another guy I very strongly considered. About equal with Tod on defense and rebounding, he was a better scorer and ballhandler by far. In the end though, I decided that his contract was too exorbiant and too long for me to pick him up. He also had terrible intangibles.

As it turns out, no deals went down on the day of the deadline, though there was a lot of discussion going on around the league. I found myself thinking the day after that I should have tried to trade Derrick away as a part of a deal to get Rony, but it was too late now.

Mitch dropped 45 points a couple games later against the Hornets, getting 6 rebounds, an assist, and a steal in besides. I felt better and better about having traded for him. He really was the straw that stirred our drink.

It appeared by month's end that my decision to stay pat was the smart one, because we finished with a three-game win streak and stood at 23-34. Our last game was against Rony and the Heat. We overcame a double-digit deficit to win 109-100, thanks to Tyrone's going crazy with 34 points. Rony had 26 points and 14 rebounds, but also 5 turnovers. I still wasn't entirely certain I'd made the right long-term move in trading for him, but I was happy enough with the short-term result.

Mitch felt a little better after the streak too, though he was still not that thrilled about our place in the league overall.

Oh yes, here's a picture of Mitch after that 48-point night against the Jazz. It's one of my favourites.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/supermitch.jpg
His first of two 40+ point games of the month

Izulde

06-26-2005, 05:40 PM

As we got set to play the last 25 games of my inaugural season as GM of the T-Wolves, I thought to myself that we'd done pretty well for ourselves and I still believed, much as I had not long after we got Glen, that we were only one or two really good player away from being a solid playoff team, possibly even a bona fide contender.

The need for a quality big man became even more apparent to me than ever at we opened the month by getting blown out by 32 points against the Pacers, in which their power forward, Detlef Schrempf, took us apart for that margin and in the next game, versus the Clippers, where Benoit Benjamin ripped into us for 38 points, 21 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks. Derrick most certainly was not the answer or the future for us at the four spot. I resolved to trade him at some point in the offseason.

Tod's coming back helped us as we snapped the losing streak by beating the Blazers handily at home. Though I'd disparaged him for much of the season, he really was quite solid and dependable there, hovering near the double digit mark in both scoring and rebounding while being relatively turnover-free.

After that, we tumbled into another losing streak where too many teams exposed the soft underbelly of our interior and we were helpless to stop them. Even the victory that broke it only came at the last second on Mitch's timely 38th and 39th points against the Bucks.

Without question our best game of the month was 128-99 thrashing of the Lakers, where we were led by Glen's 27 points. It wasn't as fantastic as our first win, though, in my opinion. Like I said a little while ago and you saw in my notes, I thought the trades they'd made were greatly to their detriment and the game against us showed it. Maurice Martin's sievelike defense was killing the Purple and Gold.

We played Golden State twice that month and we beat them both times, the last game thanks to Mitch sweeping through the Warriors for 35 points and 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He really seemed to get up for playing against his former teammates, something I was grateful for.

Though I'd hoped to have 30 wins by the end of the month, a heartbreaking 111-110 loss to the Jazz on the second to last day prevented that. I still have a bitter taste in my mouth from that game. We were so close and Mitch played his heart out again, getting 30 points, but it just wasn't quite enough.

So instead we were 29-41 by the time the thirty days was up. At 7 and a half games out of the 8 seed, it was more or less guaranteed we weren't likely to make the playoffs, but we were also the tenth team in the Western Conference playoff race. We also had the 10th-worst record in the NBA at that point. The Eastern Conference was a much rougher and more competitive conference than the West that year, which is why the situation was as I've just described it to you.

The status quo was the story with Mitch. He still wasn't very happy with our record, but he wasn't standing on top of any soapboxes demanding a trade either. I apologize if I seem so obsessive about him. He was the first player I'd ever traded for and all through that first year, I felt in my bones that he would be the cornerstone of our franchise for seasons to come.

I noticed as I was talking to the other GMs around the league about their team that Rony was very eager to get out of Miami and quite desperate to be traded. He was an option that I silently promised myself I would continue to keep open and would explore the possibility of trading for in the offseason, depending on how free agency and the draft looked.

Richmond, Rice, and Rony. That had a pleasant, alliterative ring to my ears. I wasn't sure then if I'd end up creating the Triple R's or not, as I nicknamed them in my head in those days when I envisioned the three of them on the court together.

Ah, I talk too much. Let's go get some Mike's Hard Lemonade and catch the ball game down the street. Then you don't have to listen to this old man babble.

DeToxRox

06-26-2005, 06:34 PM

Excellent read, keep it up.

Izulde

06-27-2005, 12:15 AM

Excellent read, keep it up.

Thank you very much! :) I will. I'm really loving doing this dynasty.

Izulde

06-27-2005, 12:16 AM

Nothing is more fun than spending an early summer evening watching a city softball game. The crowds are smaller, the atmosphere's relaxed, and you really get to know the fans and players. That was a good game, too. Who would have thought Johanesson would have corked that homerun for the win in the last half-inning? Not me, that's for sure. He's a nice guy though, even if he does drink a little too much.

Want a Pepsi? It's in the fridge. I'll have myself a seat back on the couch before I continue.

All right, so there we were, 29 and 41 with the last smattering of games to be played before we hit the postseason. Like I said, the Timberwolves weren't going in all probability and I didn't expect us to. I was frankly quite happy with the gains we'd made in our first season.

We got the 30th win in our first game of the month, a 20-point blowout of the Rockets. It was just a really nice-all around effort, with Glen leading the way with 25 points and Randy picking up a double-double. We had some excellent bench play in that game too, with Pooh, Avery, and Sam all breaking double digits in points scored.

That was the start of a beautiful three-game win streak as we took down the Grizzlies and the Hornets as well, Mitch getting 35 and 30 points respectively in the two games. We were in helped in Memphis by Vlade's being limited thanks to a calf strain, but I didn't care. It'd been a long time since we'd had that kind of win streak, so I wasn't too bothered when the Nuggets beat us handily in our next game after Mitch had an uncharacteristically cold 2 for 12 shooting night.

We bounced right back though, as Tony came into town with the Sonics and Mitch and Tyrone welcomed him home with 20+ points a piece in a win for us. Tony got a lot of razzing about getting beat when we all took him out to dinner, but to be fair he played pretty well against us, getting 17 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.

Thanks to our weak schedule that month, where we played our expansion brothers quite a few times, we had several nice wins. Probably the most memorable was against Memphis with a healthy Divac back in the lineup. Derrick McKey had been improving his play significantly the last several games, but that night, he just exploded. 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. I was glad for his late-season surge, because contract decisions were coming up soon and I was going to have to make some choices that might seem minor, but when your roster is just 12 active guys, 15 at most, no choice is ever truly insignificant. His enhanced play was going to make some options no-brainers if he kept it up.

Without a doubt, the best all-around performance for us in those last days of the 1990 regular season came from Mitch, who bombed Golden State for 35 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and an incredible 8 steals in the second to last game of the year.

All told, when the curtain set on the regulation games of 1990, we finished 37-45, damn close to a .500 record, something I thought was just incredible for a first-year team. Though I'd originally feared our blazing close would kill us in the lottery, we ended up with the 11th-worst record in the league, so we would have an acceptable selection to find what we needed, I hoped.

The best part of our fast and furious finish was that Mitch called me and told me that he was now happy to be a Timberwolf. Our torrid pace the last couple of months had him believing that we were on the fast track to winning and he wanted to stick around for the days to come.

I'm not too much of a religious man, but on that day, I gave thanks to God.

I suppose you want to hear about how the playoffs went, who won the awards that year, and what went down in the offseason. You'll find out soon enough, my friend. For now though, I'm hungry, so I'm going over to Larry's for some late-night pancakes and a cup of coffee. You can come with if you like.

Ah yes, I figured as much. Young Turks like you always need to cut a rug with the pretty girls at those dance clubs. That's the way it was in the discos of my day and that's the way it is now with your techno clubs. It's the way of youth, I suppose. Do have fun. Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you the rest of the story for that first year.

Oh, wait. Before you go, here's printouts I have of the final 1990 regular-season standings. Keep the copies. I've got more.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1990EastConf.jpg
Chicago and Boston ruled the East roost that year

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1990WestConf.jpg
The Suns looked to be the class of the West after those stupid trades by the Lakers

Izulde

06-27-2005, 08:10 PM

Welcome back. How did last night go for you? Ahh, it's a shame to hear that. Don't worry, though. The sea of life is filled with female fish and more than a few of them are as pretty as a sun-speckled rainbow trout. You just have to be patient and keep trying.

All right, let's finish up the 1990 season, shall we? The playoffs were set. Chicago versus Indiana, Cleveland versus New York, Atlanta versus Detroit, and Boston versus Philadelphia in the East in Round One.

I knew there was no way Chicago or Boston would lose, and I had a feeling Detroit wouldn't let their title defense go down in the first round. Cleveland against New York was a tough matchup to pick, but in the end I reasoned that the Cavaliers would trounce the Knicks. They had too good a squad to lose and I still had nightmares about Nance tearing us apart in that one game from earlier in the season.

In the West, it was Phoenix and Seattle, Denver and the Lakers, San Antonio and Houston, and Portland and Utah.

Phoenix and Portland looked to be easy wins. Houston I thought would take the Spurs down. The Lakers would probably beat the Nuggets as well, though it would take a full slate of games to do it by my reckoning.

My predictions were perfect in the East. Chicago swept the Pacers, Cleveland beat New York in six games, as did Boston in their series victory over the 76ers. Detroit won their round in five games.

I also did pretty well in the West. Phoenix swept Seattle, Portland squeaked by the Jazz in seven games. and I successfully picked Houston's upsetting San Antonio. Unfortunately, Denver beat the Purple and Gold in six, ruining my perfect record. Still, a 7-1 outcome was nothing to sneeze at.

For the round two matchups, it was Chicago and Cleveland on one side of the bracket in the East, Boston and Detroit in the other. I really didn't see any way that the Bulls and Celtics could lose, even given the Cavaliers' tough inside presence against Chicago and the Pistons's defensive prowess versus Boston.

That year's second-round West side story was a song of Phoenix versus Denver and Houston playing Portland. The Suns would take care of Denver, I felt and I had a hunch that Houston would continue their stellar play by knocking out the Trailblazers.

I was dead wrong on Portland. They swept the Rockets, much to everyone's shock. As for the rest of my picks, Chicago finished off the Cavaliers in six and the Suns did the same to Denver. I finished with an even record for the round when the Pistons beat out the Celtics, also in six. My record was now 9-3 for the playoffs.

So it was on to the conference final matchups then. Jordan's Bulls against the defending champion Bad Boys of Detroit in the East and the blazing Suns taking on second-seeded Portland in the West. My gut told me Chicago would solve the Piston menace and that Phoenix would reaffirm their dominance in the West by beating the Trailblazers.

The Suns proved me right by winning in five games. The Bulls won too, scraping out a series win over Detroit in a thrilling seven-game series. 11-3 for the playoffs I was.

So it was Chicago versus Phoenix for the crown. There was no way I was going to against Jordan and Pippen. The Bulls to win it all, I thought.

And... I thought wrong. The Suns blistered the Bulls in six games to take home the 1990 NBA Championship.

The awards were announced a few days after Phoenix took home the title. Here's a sheet that I printed out for you with the winners of that year.

MVP:
Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
38.5 ppg 3.9 apg 6.4 rpg 0.7 bpg 2.3 spg

Defensive Player of the Year
Patrick Ewing - New York Knicks
29.0 ppg 2.3 apg 12.6 rpg 3.0 bpg 1.3 spg

6th Man of the Year
Fat Lever - Denver Nuggets
14.2 ppg 3.5 apg 4.6 rpg 0.2 bpg 1.6 spg

Rookie of the Year
Tim Hardaway - Golden State Warriors
18.5 ppg 8.5 apg 3.9 rpg 0.0 bpg 1.4 spg

Coach of the Year
Dough Collins - Chicago Bulls

All-League First Team
PG Kevin Johnson - Phoenix Suns
SG Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
SF Charles Barkley - Philadelphia 76ers
PF Karl Malone - Utah Jazz
C Patrick Ewing - New York Knicks

All-League Second Team
PG Mark Price - Cleveland Cavaliers
SG Magic Johnson - L.A. Lakers
SF Dominique Wilkins - Atlanta Hawks
PF Larry Nance - Cleveland Cavaliers
C Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets

All-League Third Team
PG John Stockton - Utah Jazz
SG Clyde Drexler - Portland Trailblazers
SF Larry Bird - Boston Celtics
PF Tom Chambers - Phoenix Suns
C Brad Daugherty - Cleveland Cavaliers

All-Defense First Team
PG Mark Jackson - New York Knicks
SG Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
SF Charles Barkley - Philadelphia 76ers
PF Larry Nance - Cleveland Cavaliers
C Patrick Ewing - New York Knicks

All-Defense Second Team
PG John Stockton - Utah Jazz
SG Ron Harper - L.A. Clippers
SF Scottie Pippen - Chicago Bulls
PF Karl Malone - Utah Jazz
C Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets

All-Rookie First Team
PG Tim Hardaway - Golden State Warriors
SG Mookie Blaylock - Atlanta Hawks
SF Glen Rice - Minnesota Timberwolves
PF Pervis Ellison - Sacramento Kings
C Vlade Divac - Memphis Grizzlies

All-Rookie Second Team
PG Pooh Richardson - Minnesota Timberwolves
SG George McCloud - Indiana Pacers
SF Sean Elliott - San Antonio Spurs
PF Shawn Kemp - Seattle Supersonics
C Stacey King - Chicago Bulls

I was quite pleased with the recognition that Glen and Pooh received. It boded well for our future in Minnesota to have our young players viewed as some of the best players coming up in the NBA.

In other award news, we had our first Hall of Fame induction as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was elected after retiring that year.

After the celebrations were all over, I knew I had some very difficult choices ahead of me, decisions that would affect the Timberwolves both in the short-term and the long-term. One of the most critical things I had to figure out was whether or not I wanted to keep Hubie as the coach of the team beyond this year.

Since I knew he was good at assessing the ability and potential of young players though, I rather selfishly decided to hold off on deciding his fate until the draft was over. His input was too valuable to let him go before then.

Our chances of moving up from the 11th pick in the 1st round were slim at best and as it turns out, 11 was where we stayed at. I didn't mind. We had that pick and the fourth selection in Round 2 thanks to our trade with Miami earlier in the year. I thought we could get a couple of good players out of those two picks.

The lottery that year was insane. Orlando, with a 1.7% chance, wound up with the third pick, leaping from the spot ahead of us up to there. Charlotte made the jump from the seventh selection to the second. And number one that year was the Toronto Raptors, who moved up one spot from their former second selection.

Let me show you this paper that I wrote down the order of the lottery portion of the draft after the selections had been made. I also noted the jumps and slides each team made in terms of numbers of spots.

1. Toronto Raptors (+1)
2. Charlotte Bobcats (+5)
3. Orlando Magic (+7)
4. Memphis Grizzlies (-3)
5. New Orleans Hornets (-2)
6. Miami Heat (-2)
7. Sacramento Kings (-2)
8. Golden State Warriors (-2 and hopefully won't be much improved because of it)
9. New Jersey Nets (-1)
10. Los Angeles Clippers (-1)
11. Minnesota Timberwolves
12. Washington Wizards
13. Milwaukee Bucks
14. Dallas Mavericks

As it turned out, the NBA decided that year to institute a rule where all coaches had to be signed to their teams for the coming season before the draft started. This was to prevent people like me from using our coaches for their scouting talents and then letting them go after the draft was over.

So I was forced to make my decision sooner than I'd wanted. After much deliberation and thought, I called both Hubie and 3rd assistant Dave Cowen into my office and told them they were fired. Dave accepted the news calmly, but Hubie was furious. He called me a traitor who wasn't fit to run a team and he predicted that I would end up ruining the team.

After his outburst, I was glad that I'd let him go. Flip showed up the day after I fired Hubie of course, arguing that he should have the head job. I told him absolutely not and to get out of my office. He complied, though he wasn't happy about it.

I signed our new third assistant right away, a 46-year old guy by the name of Larry Riley. He was average all around, except for assessing the potential of the youngsters, which he was good at. For 3 years and $350,000 a season, I thought he was good enough.

As for our head coach, I signed him the very next day. Gregg Popovich had just about everything I wanted in a head man. He was an unparalleled genius at strategy, was a good scout, and was even better than Hubie at ascertaining the defensive abilities of players. The only thing I didn't care for was that his coaching philosophy preached a slow-paced offense and I wanted something fast and exciting to watch on the court. Still, he was the right man for us at the time and so I hired him.

Hubie got another head coaching job, with the New Orleans Hornets, one of our fellow expansion teams. I was happy for him though I have to be honest.. I also went out right after I heard about his hiring and circled the dates we'd be playing them next year. I desperately wanted to make sure we beat them.

Three other teams made head coaching changes and they were also expansion teams in 1990.

Toronto signed John Wetzel, a phenomenal Xs and Os guy good at scouting what talents players had at any given moment, but was only average outside of that. I wasn't too impressed with him.

Miami hired Phil Jackson, a move I considered extremely stupid by one of our trading partners from last season. Sure he was excellent at strategy like Gregg and John and he had a better eye for developed talent than both of them, but he was only average at guessing how good players could become. Even worse, he was terrible at developing youngsters, the kiss of death for a team like the Heat, who had a lot of good green players back then.

Memphis completed the head coach turnover when they hired Bill Musselman, a Hubie clone in every way, save for that he was three years older. I actually liked that move by the Grizzlies. Though they'd dropped to the fourth pick in the first round, Vlade would benefit immensely from having a guy like that coaching him.

The mock draft released that year had us picking Antonio Davis, a power forward out of UTEP. They certainly had our needs pegged down. The consensus number one player by everyone was power forward Derrick Coleman, who everyone had going to Toronto with the first pick.

I did some studying and analyzing, and after a while, I sent out the fifteen invitations that every team was allotted to give out to players. Though I concentrated heavily on players that might be around for our eleventh pick in the first round, I also invited a few guys that I thought would be there for our second selection, the fourth spot in round two.

I'll never forget that first draft night. There's no more exciting night to be a GM than that evening. I remember the cries of shock that went up throughout the room when Toronto drafted Gary Payton, a point guard. They desperately needed a frontcourt player and they drafted Payton. It's amazing to me even this day that they did that.

Charlotte, as you can imagine, wasted no time at all in gleefully selecting Coleman. The Bobcats certainly had a charmed existence when it came to the draft that year.

In a bitter bit of irony, Lionel Simmons, the power forward out of Lasalle that I really wanted and who I thought would fall to me, wound up being taken fifth by the Hornets. Hubie won that round and got a nice bit of revenge in the process. Even now, I think he did it deliberatly to rob me of the guy I most coveted.

By the time our pick rolled around at number eleven, things were looking grim. Tyrone Hill, who'd been my backup plan in case Lionel was snatched up, went two selections before to the Nets and in the pick just before ours, the Clippers had taken Scott Williams, my third choice.

Left down to the nitty gritty, I searched our remaining players, trying to decide which of them I could work up the most enthusiasm about. After a lot of soul-searching and internal debate, not to mention a few discussions with Gregg, we finally made our choice.

With the eleventh pick in the 1991 draft, we made the draftniks right and selected Antonio Davis. Despite that fact, the talking heads on ESPN ripped us for the pick, saying that we should have gone one of the pretty good shooting guards still available to back up Mitch. I never have liked the television media very much and still don't to this day.

I've still got a list where I wrote down the first rounders of that day. Here it is.

1. PG Gary Payton (Toronto)
2. PF Derrick Coleman (Charlotte)
3. C Walter Palmer (Orlando)
4. PF Loy Vaught (Memphis)
5. PF Lionel Simmons (New Orleans)
6. SF Cedric Cellabos (Miami)
7. C Elden Campbell (Sacramento)
8. C Patrick Eddie (Golden State)
9. PF Tyrone Hill (New Jersey)
10. PF Scott Williams (L.A. Clippers)
11. PF Antonio Davis (Minnesota)
12. PF Tony Massenberg (Washington)
13. SG Dave Jamerson (Milwaukee)
14. SF Toni Kukoc (Dallas)
15. SF Gerald Glass (Seattle)
16. C Barry Stevens (Utah)
17. PF Terry Mills (Philadelphia)
18. SG Willie Burton (Indiana)
19. C Kenny Williams (Houston)
20. SG Dee Brown (Memphis)
21. C Alaa Abdelnaby (Atlanta)
22. SF Marcus Liberty (San Antonio)
23. PG Rumeal Robinson (Miami)
24. SG A.J. English (Denver)
25. PG Tate George (New York)
26. SG Dennis Scott (Golden State)
27. PF Jayson Williams (Cleveland)
28. C Alec Kessler (Phoenix)
29. PG Wayne Turner (Chicago)
30. PG Bo Kimble (Boston)

I'd hoped that Kessler would fall to me in the second round, but the NBA Champion Suns picked him up late in the first. So I wound up taking a flyer on center Duane Causwell instead. Most of our staff didn't think he had much ability or much potential, but I loved the kid's intangibles. He was loyal, busted his butt in practice, had a fantastic attitude, and was loved by his teammates. Took good care of his body, too.

Interestingly enough, the talking heads liked my pickup of Duane. Some of them thought he even should have gone late in the first. I know I was satisfied with the selection. He could learn from Randy and Tod for a couple years about the game and maybe Manute too, if I re-signed him, I thought.

After the draft, there were contract choices to be made. More specifically, I had to decide whether I wanted to resign Louis and Manute.

Though Louis had provided us some solid play the season before, I just didn't think he was worth keeping, so I renounced the rights I had to him. Manute was a little harder choice after I signed Duane to a three-year rookie contract. In the end, I decided resigning Manute would cut too much into Duane's development time and so it was with great sadness that I renounced Manute's rights. He was one of my favourite players and I hoped he would be able to find another team.

In the summer league, Duane led in blocks, but Gregg told me that despite that, he'd picked up some bad mechanics that would hurt him against more established players. He and Glen looked to be a little worse after the summer session. Antonio was unchanged and Pooh's defense increased, something I was happy about, because he would need to get better on defense to be able to unseat Tyrone from the starter's slot.

And with that, I think I'll stop my story for tonight. I'll leave with this, though. We were in a good position going into free agency. Six million dollars under the cap and we already had twelve players under contract. No roster-fillers would need to be signed. We had the luxury of hunting for the best player available who could upgrade our team.

Izulde

06-28-2005, 02:56 AM

So, I imagine you're all set to hear tonight how the rest of my first offseason went. You'll hear it all right. Have a seat.

Now, before the actual free agency period began that year, I wanted to find a way to clear out more money that we could use to sign people with. To that end, I wanted to get rid of Sidney Lowe, who had a year left on his contract at $7.6 mill. I just had to find someone who was eager enough for the cap room to take him. I'd have given him away for a song at that point.

So I contacted teams around the league, hoping to find a squad that was under the salary cap enough and in desperate enough need of a point guard with superb ballhandling abilities to take him for a second round draft pick. Unfortunately, no one was willing. Nobody was dumb enough to sign him on and waste precious cap room before free agency.

Left with no choice, I shut up and took my 6 mill into free agency. Manute still had some interest in playing for us, so I offered him a minimum deal on the first day. We also tried to lure Bill Wennington from Dallas to our team. He was a good all-around player who had decent intangibles. Nice inside shot, good rebounding, good D. I thought he'd make a better starting center than Randy. My guess was we'd have a pretty good shot at landing him, because even though Dallas had his rights still, they still also had the rights to Roy Tarpley, who was a superior middle man to Wennington in every way.

Tarpley resigned with Dallas on the sixth day of free agency for 7 years and $107 million. When the news of that broke, I thought for sure we'd have our man. Manute was still kept in the back of my mind as a safety valve, but by this time, I really wanted Bill in Minnesota.

It was quiet for the next few days of free agency until day ten, when the news broke that Hubie had gotten a nice player in the form of Jeff Hornacek, a guard who jumped ship from the defending champion Phoenix Suns to play for New Orleans. Detroit resigned Billy Thompson and in other Phoenix news, the Suns resigned All-Star Tom Chambers.

The next day, we got our man. Bill Wennington came to Minnesota for 3 years and $20 mill. It was a pretty significant free agency signing from my viewpoint and it gave us a huge upgrade over Randy.

Other major signings that year included Dell Curry re-signing with Charlotte, Xavier McDaniel going to Indiana, and possibly the biggest jump of the year, Detlef Schrempf leaping to the Milwaukee Bucks. Just how the hell the Bucks were able to finagle a player of that quality since they were way over the cap, I still don't know, but they got him for 6 years. To my mind, they instantly became one of the contenders in the East.

Oh yeah, Maurice Martin resigned with the Lakers for a 1 year deal with $701k. I thought they were stupid for resigning him, but for some reason the Purple and Gold brass loved him.

The Pistons also improved on D by signing Ron Harper, who was on the NBA All-Defense squad the year before, away from the Clippers on a one year deal.

After training camp was over, Gregg released his opening day lineup to the press and I was steaming when I saw it. Here it is.

Projected Opening Day Lineup - Minnesota Timberwolves 1991 Season

PG Tyrone Corbin
SG Mitch Richmond
SF Glen Rice
PF Tod Murphy
C Randy Breuer
6th Man: Pooh Richardson

Not a single bloody thing had changed. It didn't give me much hope for the upcoming season.

(OOC Note: Now that I've gotten through a complete season, is there anything you guys would like to see me add, expand on, delete, etc. for the coming seasons? I've a few ideas in mind; I just wanted to see what you all thought. :) )

Izulde

06-28-2005, 07:00 PM

As the new season opened up, I had a sense of real optimism that we were going to improve on our record from last year and maybe even sneak into the playoffs as lower seed.

I have to tell you that about an hour before our first game, Gregg called me and told me that the lineup he'd submitted to the papers was just a joke to get me mad. I told him it'd worked and not to be such a smartass. He countered by telling me, "Gabriel, if you don't develop a sense of humour, you'll be dead by the time you're 40." That was something I took to heart and I've always remembered it ever since.

The new lineup card he showed me went like this:

PG Pooh Richardson
SG Mitch Richmond
SF Glen Rice
PF Bill Wennington
C Randy Breuer
6th Man: Sam Mitchell

We won the first game 110-105 against Patrick Ewing's Knicks that was a nailbiter back and forth affair after we blew a 12 point halftime lead. Antonio looked okay in his debut, getting 6 points on 3 for 6 shooting, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Derrick was starting to get more minutes now, but he wasn't doing much with them.

The win was costly, though. We lost Mitch for 14 days and Antonio for 3 days. The last one wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that we had the Jazz the very next day.

But the boys came through with a win. Sam, who was starting for Mitch, had a double-double as did Randy. Our bench played well and we crushed the Jazz 94-75. Karl Malone's 23 points, 19 rebounds, and 4 blocks just wasn't enough for Utah. We'd opened up the season with a winning streak.

A streak that ended the next game against the Grizzlies in an embarassing loss. Their two first-round selections in the draft, Loy Vaught and Dee Brown, were playing exceptionally well in the young season and I knew they'd end up in double win totals for the season. Memphis was clearly a team on the rapid rise, I thought to myself. They'd made all the right offseason moves that I'd told you about.

If I'd ever had any doubt as to Mitch's importance to us, they were dispelled by the three-game losing streak we suffered after he went out. We couldn't score worth anything and looked extremely lackluster in the games we played. Fortunately, we followed that with a two game win streak where we played tough defense and got some major contributions from our bench. Glen was also starting to step up a little bit, averaging 20 points in the two victories. I knew he was no Mitch, though. He was only a Scottie at best.

The game we got Mitch back was against the Grizzlies and we promptly repaid Memphis for the pounding they'd given us earlier in the month by bushwhacking them by 30. It was an all-around effort by us, with all five starters breaking the double-digit mark, Glen leading the way with 19 points.

Without a doubt, the biggest low point of the month came against the Hornets. Hubie's new squad beat us soundly and I became frustrated with our lack of consistency and scoring. This also dropped us to a .500 record and put us in danger of having a losing month. I found myself wondering if Gregg was really the right fit for us after all.

We followed the Hornets loss with an agonizing defeat against the defending champion Suns, who were struggling too. They missed Hornacek in a bad way.

The month ended ignobly with a defeat at home to the ends of the Warriors. Golden State was much-improved that early part of the season, much to my aggravation. Our first-rounder that had looked a sure high lottery pick in the initial phases looked to be a midrounder at best.

6-8 we finished the first 30 days at, a full game worse than our first year. I'm not a drinking man, but after that month, I sorely longed to get plastered. It was the single most frustrating, annoying thirty days I'd ever been through.

I was just thankful that Mitch understood that a large part of the problem we had was not having him for half the month, so he wasn't too bothered by our losing record.

As I looked over the team statistics that month, I couldn't help but notice that our leading score was Glen, with 17.3 points a game. I knew a large part of this was Gregg's slow offensive philosophy, but it still irked me. Worse yet, I knew going out and getting another scorer wouldn't be the answer. With Mitch and Glen, we had guys who could score. Pooh and Bill had shown flashes of scoring talent, too. Rebounding was a problem, as Randy's numbers were down, Bill was only grabbing 7 boards a game, and Antonio was our third-leading rebounder with a shade over 5 per. We missed Manute's shotblocking skills too, I think.

On the other hand, our turnovers were drastically down, so there was hope. I decided to go looking at the trading block around the league and see if there was anyone I was interested in picking up.

Imagine my surprise when I saw that Scottie Pippen of all people was on the block. I instantly called Chicago to find out if we could work a deal for him.

As it turned out, we could, but the cost would be exorbiant. Nonetheless, the chance to improve the team was too much for me to resist and so I pulled the trigger. Glen and Sidney went to Chicago for Scottie and Bill Cartwright. Not only was my team upgraded, but I also had two expiring contracts, whereas before I had only one.

Time would tell how it affected the team chemistry, but I thought to myself as I hung up the phone with the Bulls' GM that Mitch had talked so often about getting his own Scottie, that he would now be thrilled to have the genuine article at his side.

Izulde

06-30-2005, 04:06 AM

Month two of season two was one that I regarded with some trepidation. The trade I'd made for Scottie would either revitalize us or it would tear us apart, as Scottie was another win-hungry player.

One thing I liked about him already though was that as the press conference where the trade was announced, he told the reporters, "I understand that this is Mitch's teams and I'm the number two guy. I'm out there to give everything I've got and help Mitch to take the Timberwolves to the playoffs."

This was a marked contrast from the feud that had been developing over the last couple of weeks between Glen and Mitch. Glen thought he should get top billing on the team and not Mitch after he started outscoring him while our star shooting guard was down with an injury. That didn't make me happy and contributed greatly to my decision to trade him.

Oh, you want to know my analysis of the trade for the teams? I can do that, sure. Basically Scottie gave us somebody who I thought was the perfect second man to Mitch. He was the best defender on our team right away and gave us some muscle on D that we'd been sorely lacking. Bill Cartwright was just in there to make the numbers work. While he provided good depth at the center position, enough to where Gregg had him pretty high up on the bench, I didn't see myself signing him after the season was over.

For the Bulls, they desperately wanted another scorer to team up with Jordan so that Mike didn't have to shoulder the offensive burden by himself. Glen fit the bill perfectly. Not only that, he was two years younger and was locked up for two years at a cheap price. Sidney gave them an expiring contract they could renounce from their books and by trading Scottie, they avoided the problem of having to sign him when his contract ended after the season. He was sure to ask for more than the $7.3 mill he was making then.

To tell you the truth, I was worried back then about having to sign Scottie to an extension if he proved to be as good as advertised. It would destroy the cap room we'd been planning to have after the season, but I made up my mind to just put it out of thought and attend to it at the proper time.

The first portion of the month was an extremely frustrating one. We just couldn't put together a win streak worth anything, though we did have an impressive 129-68 win over the Pacers in which the only person who broke 20 for us was Tyrone, who had exactly that. It was an excellent team-played game and we were dominating on defense. The papers carried the headlines of the 61-point victory all across the country. I've got some of the clippings in my scrapbook if you want to take a look sometime.

By midmonth, it'd gotten so vexing that Gregg actually made the bold move of starting Antonio at power forward for a game against the Celtics. It worked, as we won. I myself was a little surprised by it, since I didn't think Antonio had been playing that well, and had in fact been seriously considering trading him.

That only lasted two games though, because after another heart-breaking loss, this time at the hands of the Clippers, Wennington got his job back, where we dropped yet another close one, a one-point defeat at the hands of the Cavaliers. Injuries to Pooh and Antonio didn't help matters any.

To his credit, Gregg was willing to result to some unorthodox tactics to get wins out of the hard-luck team we were in the early going that year, including lining Mitch up at small forward against the Bobcats, who were .500 at that time. Mitch went on to take Charlotte out of an even record, if only momentarily, and dropped 31 points on them.

In the end, despite all the injuries, the tough losses, and the general feeling of being so close, yet so disjointed, we actually finished the month at 13-14. We'd closed the gap to .500 by one game and with any luck, we'd be at or over the line by the end of the next thirty days.

Mitch was happy with the improvement we'd made and he and Scottie were both convinced we'd be able to put it together for the rest of the season as the team played together more often and developed better chemistry.

As I talked to the other GMs at the end of the month as you know by now was my habit, I found out some amazing things. Gary Payton, the first pick in the draft, wanted out of Toronto. He didn't like it in Canada and he didn't like losing. I'd thought all along the Raptors made a huge mistake in passing on Derrick Coleman and now it was being proven true.

Miami was a mess. Donald Royal, who went to the Heat in our first Rice swap, wasn't happy there, probably because Rony still wanted to get a ticket out of town, as did Sherman Douglas. Kevin Edwards was pretty upset about the situation too. Somehow I didn't see any titles coming to South Florida any time soon.

In Indiana, franchise face Reggie Miller was angry about the poor play of the Pacers and was asking to be dealt somewhere else. Dennis Rodman wanted to leave the underachieving Pistons and quite a few Bobcats players were on the block.

Before I tell you what I decided on doing though, let's head to the liquor store. I'm suddenly thirsty for a nice, bright blue bottle of Hpnotiq. After we get back here and have a drink, I'll tell you not only about what I did, but about the two trades besides ours that had gone down in the first two months. I didn't tell you about all of last year's trades, but starting with 1991 season, I started keeping track of every trade that happened and making notes on them.

You'll see when we get back. Now let's get that Hpnotiq.

Izulde

06-30-2005, 09:41 PM

Nothing like a glass of sweet cognac goodness to loosen up the limbs and make an evening a little more cheerful eh?

So, as I was saying before we left, two trades had gone down in the first couple months. My notes are here. Read over them, why don't you?

New Orleans Hornets receive:
SG Hershey Hawkins

Philadelphia 76ers receive:
PG Brian Shaw
SF Steve Stipanovich

Hershey gives Hubie a good 6th man who can score, play decent defense, and is smart and disciplined. This trade essentially boils down to Hawkins for Shaw, because Stipanovich got released right after the trade was made. Brian figures to be a good backup for 76ers starter Johnny Dawkins, with better rebounding, defense, and intelligence than their current options. All in all, a good trade for both teams that fills a need on each without giving up too much.
Winner: Draw

Memphis Grizzlies receive:
SF Anthony Mason
New Jersey Nets 2nd round pick (1992)

New Jersey Nets receive:
PG Vincent Askew

I really like what this does for Memphis. Mason is young and a defensive beast who really helps shore up the Grizzlies' greatest weakness. The extra second rounder for the next draft will help their youth movement too. Vincent becomes the primary backup to Mookie Blaylock at point guard for the Nets, but this was a case of New Jersey being extremely desperate for a backup PG and overpaying for one as a result.
Winner: Memphis by a considerable margin

Although we were doing the best of the second-year teams at that point with our 13-14 record and New Orleans wasn't all that far behind with a 14-17 showing, I still strongly believed that Memphis was the most improved of the teams. They'd made some excellent moves that had lain the foundation for future success, and they'd already surpassed last year's 5 win mark and nearly doubled it after just two months, as they sat with a 9-19 mark. I had no doubt that if they managed to keep their young core together and add a good point guard to the mix, they'd be a strong playoff team within a few seasons and possibly even a contender for the title.

Also, as I said before we went and got our booze, the situation around the league was ripe for movement and so, always on the lookout to improve the team, I did some hunting around with other teams.

I saw that the Nets had Tyrone Hill on the block and I decided to see if they would do Tyrone for Antonio straight up. Tyrone was the guy I'd wanted for our spot in the draft in case Lionel was taken as you'll recall, so I was hopeful that I might be able to get him on the Timberwolves. Even though our staff thought they were essentially equal players with only a few differences, I still wanted him. Sure Antonio was a little bit better scorer and shooter and a little bit better at handling the ball, but Tyrone was a little bit better rebounder and defender, and rebounding is something we really needed to improve on. Potentialwise, they were considered about the same as well.

And as it turns out, New Jersey took the deal. It wasn't so much that they thought Antonio was all that much better than Tyrone, because they thought the same thing we did about them. The Nets just needed to make a move to show the fans they were trying to get past the .500 quagmire they were stuck in and reach up for a playoff spot.

Our second game that next month, we lost Scottie and Randy for 11 days a piece. It seemed like just when we were about to actually start putting things together that season, something always happened to set us back. In our next game, a win against the Wizards, Avery went down for 10 days. Two starters and a key reserve, all out with injuries. It got to the point where I considered signing a couple semipro guys to 10-day contracts to help us get over the hump.

As a matter of fact, that's what I did. I brought Manute back on a 10-day contract to help stem the tide. He was really happy to be back in Minneapolis, if only for a short period.

As you no doubt can imagine, the next few days were filled with frustrating losses where we just couldn't put it together. Losing that many vital players wreaked too much havoc on both our chemistry and talent levels.

There was a silver lining to the cloud, though. During this period of about six or seven games where we were missing some important guys, I discovered that Bill Cartwright was absolutely atrocious and needed to be put on the trading block posthaste. I knew I wasn't going to be renewing his contract at the end of the season even if he didn't get sent out, that's how bad he was playing.

The hemmoraghing of losses finally ended with a 119-108 win against Orlando, when Mitch had 39 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal. I began to hope that there might be light at the end of the tunnel after all to the miserable, miserable month.

Once everyone came back, we suddenly started playing a lot better again, so good in fact, that by the end of the month we had once again improved our record and were at .500 this late in the season for the very first time. It was a monumental occasion for us and at the celebration dinner I had on the first of the next month for the team, I knew that regardless of what problems I might have with his style of offense, Gregg was our man at coach for the duration of his contract. The job he'd done in keeping the team together through these times of adversity we'd had in the early going had earned him that much at least.

The month was a pretty busy one for trades, with Miami making two of them as the Heat sought to shake up their roster and get rid of some of the malcontents on their squad. As always, my notes are at your disposal.

Miami Heat receive:
SG Vinny Del Negro

Sacramento Kings receive:
PG Sherman Douglas
Miami Heat 2nd round pick (1992)

Miami dumps one of the most vocally unhappy players they have and get a guy who has excellent ballhandling skills, is a good shooter, and is average on D. High motor and pretty smart, too. He wasn't give much of a chance in Sacramento this season, where his playing time went down, a fact I find rather strange, considering my staff's opinion of him. He'll start off buried on the Heat bench as well. My guess is he'll make his way into the lineup before season's end. Sherman is principally a good ballhandler and that's about it, though he can shoot okay. Like Vinny, he wasn't used much in his old team, but will start off higher on the bench than Del Negro in Miami. Both young players with potential, though Vinny is significantly better. One thing I find strange, both players have been vocal about wanting to go to a winner, yet get traded to losing teams. Still, Vinny looks happier in Miami than Sherman is in Sacramento right now, so the edge goes to Miami because of that and the fact that he's enough of a better player that his value exceeds the high second round pick Sacramento gets even when added to Sherman.
Winner: Miami

Miami Heat receive:
C Mike Brown

Utah Jazz receive:
SG Kevin Edwards

The Heat get rid of another unhappy player and in exchange get the perfect backup to Rony. A good rebounder and a slightly better defender than Rony, he also is better with the ball and, more importantly, isn't too concerned without being on a winning team. The Jazz get a fairly intelligent, decent scorer, whose primary talent is stealing the ball. He'll be a good bench player for Utah and is the second-best thief on the squad. Also still has considerable room to grow as a player. Another smart trade for both teams, but this one goes to Miami, but just barely, for the improvement in chemistry this will have on their squad.
Winner: Miami by a whisker

Dallas Mavericks receive
PF J.R. Reid

Charlotte Bobcats receive
PF Randy White

I'll resist the urge to make any who shot J.R. and Dallas jokes here. The Mavericks get a young player who could turn out to be a pretty good athlete when all is said and done. Already good at rebounding and slightly better than average on D, he needs work on ballhandling and shooting. The best part about this deal for Reid is that he gets out of Charlotte, where the Bobcats have fallen apart since losing to us in Month 2. Randy is a rebounding machine who can score some too. More importantly, he's more developed than J.R. despite having the same amount of NBA experience and figures to be about the same level of player as Reid when they're done developing. He'll be a great backup for draft steal Derrick Coleman. The better development, ridding of a team headache, and equal potential make this one clear. Bobcats win all the one here. Oh yes, Randy's also the type who isn't overly concerned with a winning team. That makes the pick all the easier. In fact, it turns it into a blowout.
Winner: Charlotte by a big margin

Charlotte, like Memphis, was making some nice moves to improve their team, though luck played a huge role in their landing Coleman. As I've said before, there's no way the Raptors should have let Derrick slip through their claws when they had the chance to get him.

The first thing I did after the month was up was put Cartwright on the trading block and hope some offers would come in for him.

Just before I was about to begin my monthly routine of calling the other GMs, Duane came into my office and announced that he was unhappy with the playing time he'd been getting. He felt like he deserved more.

"I agree, and that's why I put Cartwright on the block", I told him. He was satisfied with that and left the room. The short meeting made me more determined than ever to get rid of B.C.

After calling up my colleagues, I found out from Danny Brooklyn, the GM in Memphis, that Anthony Mason was already wanting to relocate from Tennessee. This surprised me, but when Danny asked me, I told him I didn't want a cancer on my team but that he'd been doing a fantastic job with the Grizzlies all in all and he deserved to be commended. That cheered him up considerably. It'd been a rough season and near-half for him, as you can imagine, even despite the improvement Memphis was showing.

I made some more calls around the league and became involved in some serious talks with the Bucks, who were sitting with a .500 record as well, despite the presence of Detlef Schrempf who I considered the key free-agent acquisition of the offseason.

Detlef was a player I'd been in love with ever since he tore us up when we played Indiana that first season and Milwaukee was willing to listen to trade offers for him, but they reminded me that it had better damn well be a good deal I was proposing.

And so I made the single most daring trade offer of my short tenure.

The deal I proposed was Bill Cartwright, Avery Johnson, and our own 1st round pick in the upcoming draft for Detlef Schrempf, center Brad Lohaus, Milwaukee's 1992 2nd rounder, and Milwaukee's 1994 2nd rounder.

They accepted the deal.

The biggest gamble of my entire career to that point had just been made. Even more than the Pippen trade, it would secure us the playoffs for the next few years to come, or it would blow up in my face and I would be forced to start over from scratch.

As I lowered the phone with my shaking hands after the deal was confirmed, I couldn't help but be thankful we still had Golden State's 1st rounder in the next draft. With Tim Hardaway demanding to be traded from the Warriors and other malcontents on the horizon, they looked to be a team destined to go downward.

Izulde

07-01-2005, 07:57 PM

Even now, my heart shivers at the ballsy nature of the trade I just told you about. The deal looked okay from the Bucks' end, too. Though they were giving up the guy that I thought would make them contenders, they were ony .500 with him thus far, so they dealt him and got payroll flexibility with two expiring contracts and an extra first rounder that could be anything at this point in the season.

From a here and now standpoint, Milwaukee got another young point guard to fight with Bimbo Coles over who would back up Jay Humphries and maybe succeed him at some point. At the moment, Avery held the edge and was part of the rotation. In Cartwright, the Bucks got a veteran backup center who complemented Sikma pretty well and was likely a better fit for them than Lohaus was, who wasn't all that happy in Milwaukee.

And as fate would have it, our first game that month, guess who we played? That's right, the Bucks.

It was right tight neck and neck until the second quarter, when our defense just shut Milwaukee down for a good stretch and broke the game open. We never looked back and wound up winning 125-86. There was no real single standout performance; we had balanced scoring, rebounding, and defensive stats all around. Scottie, Mitch, and Sam all broke 20, Randy grabbed 11 boards, and, in what was probably a sign of things to come, Pooh scored just 4 points, but had 8 assists. Our prized young point guard was the perfect fit for our new system.

The next game, Mitch got his third 40 point game of his career in a win against the Kings and Pooh and Randy both had double-doubles. Pooh's was the most exciting as it was his second double-double of his career and he set a personal best for assists in a game with 13. We were clicking like we hadn't in a very long time.

Our streak ended the next game against the Rockets as Olajuwon bullied his way through us for 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and 6 blocks. It was a reminder to me that if we ever wanted rings, we would have to get a truly good center, not just the serviceable ones we had patrolling the paint right now.

After that we started going downhill in our playing and tragedy once again struck after a gut-wrenching, bile-in-the-mouth, last-minute 107-105 loss to the Jazz. Mitch was once again hurt and was out for 12 days this time.

Detlef and Scottie answered the call though and elevated their games while Mitch was out. In the first two games when we played without our top scorer, Scottie dropped 25 and 28 points respectively, adding 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 5 blocks in the second one. Detlef was the big man in the first one with 34 points and 11 rebounds, adding in 25 in the second game to secure a key two-game win streak for us.

That was the last of Mitch being out as he insisted on coming back on as a sub after that, even though he was still hurt. We split the next two games, the win coming on an thrilling 100-96 win over the Cavaliers, who had the best record in the NBA. It was balanced effort time again, with Detlef and Randy nabbing double-doubles. Detlef with 22 points and 12 rebounds also teamed up with Pooh in scoring, who had 20 points and 9 assists. It was one of the sweetest victories thus far for the Timberwolves, particularly since Cleveland had been one of the biggest thorns in our sides.

Detlef was also out for 6 days after that game, but even in that, we got a lucky break finally, because it was the All-Star Break after that.

An epic back-and-forth battle was waged in the Rookie-Sophomore game that year, with the Rookies pulling away in the waning minutes of the game to win 104-99. Derrick Coleman was the rightful MVP as he tore through the Sophomores for 22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. I still think even to this day that Toronto made a huge mistake in passing him over, irregardless of what some experts have argued about the value of an exceptional floor general.

Our lone representative in the Rookie-Sophomore game was, to my utter lack of surprise, Pooh, who did well coming off the bench for the Sophomores. He finished with 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in 21 minutes of action. Unfortunately, he also banged up his hip in the game and was listed as day-to-day for 6 days. That one scared me. We had no truly viable point guard on the roster besides him.

The All-Star game was a roller coaster of a matchup, with the East sprinting out to a double digit lead in the first quarter, only to find themselves with a double digit deficit at the end of the first half as the West roared back. From then on it was much like the Rookie-Sophomore game where it was back and forth until the last few minutes of the game, where the East reasserted their dominance and won for the second year in a row, 140-134.

Once again we were without representation in the Midwinter Classic and Michael Jordan was named the MVP of the game after scoring 24 points and getting 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 steals.

By the eve of the trading deadline, no less than 5 deals had gone down, two of which involved Dallas, who was quite busy with rearranging their team that season, and two that involved Denver, a team that was imploding badly after having made the second round last year. Not to be outdone, Utah made two trades as well, as they sought to find the last couple pieces for a possible championship run puzzle solution. Toronto was another team that was involved in two trades, though they didn't deal who I and probably you're thinking that they would. As always, I'll give you my notes to look over.

Dallas Mavericks receive:
SG Bill Hanzlik

Denver Nuggets receive:
C James Donaldson

Dallas gets a good ballhandler whose mediocre in everything else and is an average benchplayer, but one of the top guys with hanging on to and distributing the rock, something that's going to be critical if the Mavericks want to do well in the playoffs. Denver gets a veteran big man to back up two serviceable guys in Blair Rasmussen and Danny Schayes. Not a trade that makes a whole lot of sense from the perspective of the Nuggets, as James also has a larger contract. The Mavericks win this swap of benchmen.
Winner: Dallas

Dallas Mavericks receive:
SG Quintin Dailey

Toronto Raptors receive:
PG Steve Alford
SF Bob McCann

This trade is basically Alford for Dailey, as Toronto released McCann immediately after the deal was done. The Mavericks get a guy who has a real scorer's mentality and has been averaging about 10 points a game in a bench role for Toronto. He'll do the same thing here, serving as the seventh man. I'm not sure how much Dallas needed a guy with scoring instincts, but he's the most natural at it on their squad now. Steve can... shoot free throws. That's the only thing he does with any real talent, and he certainly is a charity stripe god. About the only other benefit he brings to the Raptors is that he doesn't care one whit about the team's record. While that's a huge plus for the struggling Raptors and their sulking number one pick, Gary Payton, it's not enough to offset the Mavericks advantage. Dallas makes a nice couple pickups to make amends for the Reid-White mistake earlier in the year.
Winner: Dallas

Denver Nuggets receive:
SG Eric Johnson
PG Delaney Rudd

Utah Jazz receive:
PF Ken Bannister
Denver Nuggets 2nd round pick (1992)

Since Rudd was released, this boils down to Johnson for Bannister and the 2nd rounder. Eric is in tune with the rock, as he's a great passer, handler, and thief. The problem is, he sucks in everything else. While he may pan out to a decent player, this is a bad move by the Nuggets, especially as he's put on their IR and giving up a 2nd round pick besides is just foolhardy. In contrast, the Jazz get a veteran player with good rebounding ability who shows some ability to score points, a good fit for their bench as they gear up for the playoffs. Throw in the fact that they get a free pick besides, and this becomes one of the most lopsided trades I've seen so far in my time here. Oh how low Denver has fallen from just last season.
Winner: Utah by a hundred thousand times

Utah Jazz receive:
SG John Lucas
Memphis Grizzlies 2nd round pick (1992)

Memphis Grizzlies receive:
PG Blue Edwards

A very smart move for both teams. Utah gets a 37 year-old veteran SG who is really a PG in disguise as he's one of those rock gods with excellent handling, passing, and stealing ability. Throw in that he's disciplined and savvy on the court, with average scoring and defense, and you have the perfect 6th man. I really like the moves the Jazz have made in the last few days. It's clear they're trying to gun for the NBA crown. My best friend Danny Brooklyn over in Memphis adds another one to his youth movement. Blue is primarily a scorer, but still has the potential to develop into something pretty good. He's the heir apparent to the 6th man role that 34-year old Frank Johnson currently holds.
Winner: Draw

San Antonio Spurs receive:
SF Ed Pickney
Toronto Raptors 2nd round pick (1992)

Toronto Raptors receive:
PF Zarko Paspalj
SG Jeff Lebo

Another Toronto trade, another released player by the Raptors. This turns into Pickney and the 2nd rounder for Paspalj. San Antonio gets a very good all around player in Pickney, who has no real weaknesses in his game and becomes a superb sixth man for the Spurs. Zarko is young and raw, and doesn't seem to have much potential to turn into anything better. His only plus is that he doesn't give a hang about the team's record. Are you seeing a common theme here? I am. It appears Toronto's philosophy has turned into 'Let's get all the crappy guys we can who don't care about losing so that we can tank again this year and get another #1 pick to find somebody for Gary to play with that won't have him wanting to kill everybody in Canada.' While that strategy has its merits I suppose, they're losing fan support like crazy, pissing Payton off, and getting reamed in trades like this one.
Winner: San Antonio by a landslide

As I looked over the team's situation, some things became pretty obvious to me. First, Duane was growing more and more unhappy with his relatively few minutes. Secondly, it didn't look as though Derrick McKey was ever going to turn out to be the player I'd hoped he would be when I traded for him. With that in mind, I went shopping in the point guard market, looking for somebody I could bring in as a backup for Pooh.

Intense negotiations ensued with Charlotte over supermidget star point guard Mugsy Bogues, who was demanding out of Carolina, but we just couldn't find a way to make the salaries work unless I traded Tyrone, and despite my squabbles with Tyrone playing at the point, he was one of my best defenders and I wasn't going to part with him for a mediocre defender like Mugsy.

For a while, Toronto and I batted offers back and forth for deals involving a swap that would have meant trading our respective stellar young point guards, but a straight exchange would have meant our giving up all of our second round picks for the next few years. I didn't want to do that. As it was, I was leery of trading Pooh, but Gary was just that much better a player and actually was a big team guy as long as the club was winning. Some more discussions took place, but we just couldn't get a deal done. I almost pulled the trigger on a Pooh and McKey for Payton and Mark West trade, but that just would have added to our already too-large glut of centers.

Bimbo Coles out of Milwaukee was another guy we went heavy in discussions over. Finally, we made another deal with the Bucks. Duane went to Milwaukee along with our own 1994 2nd round pick while Bimbo came to Minneapolis.

Or at least, I thought we had a deal. Then the Bucks GM refused it at the last minute and demanded a lot more. By that point, I was disgusted and said to hell with it, I'm not dealing with Brew City for a long time after this. We got what we needed out of them with Detlef.

Another round of discussions went on with the Raptors over the particulars of a Pooh for Payton deal, but in the end, it all came to naught as we just simply couldn't agree on a trade that satisfied us both. I would play the rest of the season with the hand I'd dealt myself.

As it turned out, staying pat seems to have been the smart thing to do in the short term, as we won two straight despite missing Pooh, including a crucial win over Seattle, whom we were battling with for a playoff spot.

The streak stretched to three with an upset of the Trailblazers, but we lost Scottie for 9 days with an injury. This didn't bode well for us continuing our streak, but Gregg had done an exceptional job of preaching a team-first philosophy that had gotten us through rough times before. The key telling point of the guys buying into it? Mitch was under 20 points per game average and still our leading scorer.

When the month came to a close, we were an amazing 31-26. Unfortunately, the Northwest was also one of the toughest divisions in the league, so we were still only 4th in the division. The biggest news though, was that we held the 8th and final seed in the playoffs by half a game over, much to my disappointment, Golden State, and we were tied with Seattle, who had the tiebreaker edge over us for 3rd in the division and 7th seed in the playoffs at that point.

I hoped that we and Seattle could combine forces to make sure the Warriors stayed out of the playoffs so that we could have a lottery pick at the end of the year, even it was only the lowest one.

Duane was still unhappy about his playing time, but there wasn't really anything I could do about that. The other centers on the roster were simply playing too much better than he was at that point. About the only thing I could do was let Brad Lohaus's contract expire at the end of the season, and I wasn't so sure I wanted to do that.

Still, even in spite of my Warriors' worries and the pressure for playoffs, I felt better about our situation in Minnesota than I had in a long, long time. Hiring Gregg as the coach and the trade for Detlef had been the two big moves of that year that propelled us into the fight for the postseason and I felt pride in having been the one to engineer both of them.

Izulde

07-05-2005, 05:59 AM

Oh yes, there was that third move for Pippen. You're right. Sometimes when I talk about the past, the seasons run together.

So as I was saying, there we were, clinging to that last playoff spot. As fate and irony would have it, our first game that month was against Golden State, the team we wanted to keep out of the playoffs and as far down the lottery pike as we could get them.

We came away with a 118-115 gasp of a win after blowing a double-digit lead that we held at halftime. Mitch played like he was possessed, getting 45 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals. Detlef added 26 points and 7 rebounds to the cause. It was a big win for us as you no doubt can surmise, though thinking about those last few minutes still raises my blood pressure.

Interestingly enough, the next game was against the Bucks, who had fallen apart since trading Detlef and now stood at 25-30. We cheerfully thanked them for giving him to us earlier in the season by ending their 5-game losing streak and playing terrible in a 31 point loss. Mitch had another 40 point game, but it wasn't nearly enough to save us. Pippen being hurt was costing us a lot, and he'd reaggravated his injury when he put in 8 minutes against Golden State the game before.

And as luck would have it, Sam got hurt in that game too, so we were down to Tyrone as the starter at small forward. Fortunately our next match was against the Raptors, who were missing an injured Gary Payton, so we were able to cruise to a 30 point blowout behind 20+ point efforts from Pooh, Mitch, and Detlef, with Derrick McKey providing a nice 16 points from the bench.

But the injuries continued to mount, as Pooh got hurt. It was getting so bad I thought I was going to have to dip into the semipro pool again.

Once we got everyone back we started playing quite a bit better, including what was probably the most fun game of the month, when Hubie and the Hornets came to town. Though Hubie was still a little miffed about being fired by me, he was really happy in New Orleans. They loved him in the Big Easy and he had the team fighting for a playoff spot out in the East Conference. We didn't help their cause any that day though, as we beat them in a solid game, highlighted by Detlef's 28 points.

Mitch actually got hurt again along the way and had to miss a couple of games, including the Hornets game, but Detlef took charge much like he did the last time Mitch got hurt, as we went on a two-game win streak by beating the Rockets in Houston next outing, where Detlef had a double-double of 25 points and 13 rebounds. He had another double-double the next game against the Grizzlies with 29 points and 11 rebounds to lead us in a not as close as it looked 103-98 game.

By the end of the month, my decision to stay put at the trading deadline looked like the epitome of genius. The team had gelled together and we seemed almost unbeatable out there on the court. In fact, this is how well we played in those these days...

We were 42-30. We were guaranteed of a winning record in just our second season. The papers in Minneapolis sang hosannas of my GM abilities and we had polevaulted into second place in the division. No longer were we barely hanging on to the number 8 seed in the playoffs. We were now slotted in at the number 4 seed.

Even better, Golden State was still out of the playoffs and were a full game out of the eighth seed.

But it wasn't going to be easy. Most teams still had 10 games left and the difference between us at the fourth seed and being out of the playoffs was just three and a half games.

We couldn't afford a collapse or to get lazy in the last weeks of the season.

My feverent prayer every night was that we would stay strong and stay hot.

JeeberD

07-05-2005, 09:44 AM

Izulde

07-05-2005, 04:43 PM

I'm loving this dynasty, though I'm pissed at you for two reasons. First of all, you broke up Run TMC again by trading for Mitch. At least Timmy was able to win ROY in this reality.

Second, you traded my boy Antonio Davis away. You're making it very difficult for me to root for your T-Wolves.

Go Rockets! Go Warriors! :D

Glad to hear you're enjoying the dynasty. :)

As for breaking up Run TMC, I'm not apologizing. Mitch has been too big a part of my team's success. :D

Though I will say, I regret trading away Antonio. So I'll give you that one. ;)

Izulde

07-05-2005, 04:43 PM

We continued our sizzling play when the last slate of ten started with a three-game winning streak, including a win over the defending champion Phoenix Suns. Mitch was at the forefront for those games, scoring 20+ in two of three, and getting 18 in the other. Bill Wennington was invaluable off the bench, nabbing double digit points in all three games and winning Player of the Game honours against Phoenix with his 25 point, 13 rebound double-double.

Though we lost against the division leading Jazz in the fourth game, I felt really good. We had established as ourselves as being one of the top teams in the league, despite only being a second-year franchise and looked to be secure in our playoff spot.

Then I received the medical report after the Utah game. Wennington broke his hand and was out for 47 days. My prize free-agent pickup, once a starter, now our 6th man, was definitely out for the rest of the season and the early going in the playoffs. Though I was tempted to put him on injured reserve and have Tod take his spot for the rest of the season, the opportunity to give Duane and Tyrone more minutes was not to be missed, even though they'd been disappointing thus far in their rookie campaigns.

The next game, a win against the Hawks, we lost Randy for two weeks to injury. Things were getting ugly for us in the front court, but Brad Lohaus had played well in extensive bench time versus Atlanta and so he now slid into the starting spot.

And our next contest was against Golden State, who was down to a .500 record. I wanted very badly to knock them out and put them under the even mark.

We managed it in a back and forth barnburner of a game that saw us winning by a single point, 116-115. Ironically enough, it was Brad who was the star for us, scoring 21 points and grabbing 8 rebounds while stealing it once and blocking them three times. Though I'd originally intended to let him walk during free agency, his performance in crunch time was making that choice one I was having to revisit.

Unfortunately, the injury bug bled us again. Worst of all was that it was Brad. We were now down to no true centers, except for Tod, who was on the IR, and Duane, who was ice cold and miserable with his lack of playing time. At 47-31, we had four games left and led the Spurs in the race for the fourth seed by a game and a half.

In the end, I decided to keep Tod on the IR and just ride the storm out. We were guaranteed a playoff spot no matter what happened, since Seattle was the first team out and they were six games behind us.

Despite our depleted bench and the fact that Derrick McKey was now our starting center, we managed to grind out a 114-105 win against the Nuggets in our next game, Mitch serving as our defender of the faith with his 33 point, 7 rebound, 2 assists and 1 steal player of the game performance.

Shock flooded through me when I once again saw the trainer walking up to me after the game.

"Mr. Arcadia? Bad news. McKey wrenched his back during the game. He's out for nine days."

"What?! Every starting center we've had the last few games has been hurt!", I exclaimed, "Do you really know what you're doing or do I need to find someone who is more competent in protecting the health of my players?"

He shrugged and looked at me with a helpless expression, "I'm as confounded as you are, Mr. Arcadia. I've never seen anything like this."

And so it was that Duane finally got his first start for us when we played the Sonics the next game. We lost by a huge margin as Tony dropped 21 on us. When we took him out to dinner, Tony couldn't believe the rash of injuries we'd had either. He said it was the craziest thing he'd ever heard of, but he wished us luck in the playoffs.

Duane was horrible in his starting debut and Tyrone continued to disappoint in his extended minutes. I found myself wishing that I hadn't traded Antonio away after all.

I also found myself wishing that I'd hired a new trainer after the last injury, because the news after the Seattle game was not pleasant. Pooh went down and we were forced to start Tyrone at the point for our last two games.

The schedulemakers proved kind to us as the first of the two games was against the Grizzlies. Detlef, as he usually did when we were bleeding with serious injuries, went bananas on the court, blitzing the Grizzlies for 33 points, 19 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal.

Our exhausted bench collapsed and we squandered a significant lead against San Antonio, losing soundly in the fourth quarter.

The regular season was now over and we stood at 49-33. We were the fourth seed in the playoffs and were going up against the Rockets in the first round, something that scared me with our injuries at center and the presence of Olajuwon in the middle for Houston.

On the eve of our first game, the Timberwolves injury list looked like this. Yes, I wrote it all down. It was too unbelievable not to.

PG Pooh Richardson: 3 days
PF Derrick McKey: 3 days
C Randy Breuer: 2 days
C Bill Wennington: 35 days
C Brad Lohaus: 3 days

Maybe it doesn't look so bad when you consider it from this vantage point, but it guaranteed that we would lose at least the first game in my mind, possibly two as the rust would still be evident in the second game.

And those first two games were at home, where we'd posted a 30-11 record. We were just 19-22 on the road. Lose those first two games at home, and we were more or less guaranteed of bowing out in the first round.

On another note, Hubie got the Hornets into the playoffs after all. They got the number six seed and were playing the Lakers in the first round.

But I'll tell you the story of the 1991 playoffs tomorrow. I'm tired of talking now and I want to go to bed.

Thanks. You sleep well too, when you get there.

JeeberD

07-06-2005, 12:15 AM

Oh yes, Hakeem and the Rockets will destroy your front line-less Wolves... :D

Izulde

07-06-2005, 03:30 AM

Oh yes, Hakeem and the Rockets will destroy your front line-less Wolves... :D

So it would seem at first glance.... :D

Izulde

07-06-2005, 03:31 AM

Good afternoon. I'm good. Just take your usual spot on the couch while I go get us something cold and wet to drink. Pepsi okay? Good.

Here you are.

Now, the most interesting thing about the playoffs in 1991 was that the defending champions weren't in them. Phoenix had been devastated by the loss of Jeff Hornacek to New Orleans in free agency and the fact that the Suns were out and the Hornets were in made me think that Hornacek was a real player, even more than I'd thought in my days with Lacrosse, when I was just a fan of the NBA game and not an active participant in its mechanisms.

The East held a lot of last season's suspects, with Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and New York all returning. New to the fold were New Jersey and Washington, who'd replaced Indiana and Atlanta.

In the West, the same held true. Returning were six teams; San Antonio, Utah, the L.A. Lakers, Seattle, Houston, and Portland. We were the newcomers along with New Orleans and both of us were the first expansion teams to make the playoffs, both in our second year of existence. That the Hornets had gotten in with our former coach made for some nice grist for the media wanting storylines to latch on to.

Here's a paper with the first-round matchups from that year on it.

East Conference First Round 1991
(1) Cleveland vs (8) Detroit
(4) Chicago vs (5) New Jersey
(3) Washington vs (6) Boston
(2) New York vs (7) Philadelphia

West Conference First Round 1991
(1) Utah vs (8) Seattle
(4) Minnesota vs (5) Houston
(3) L.A. Lakers vs (6) New Orleans
(2) San Antonio vs (7) Portland

I figured the East that year would go down like this in the first round: Cleveland and Detroit would be a dogfight, because the Pistons relished the underdog role, but Cleveland would eventually come out on top. Chicago would decimate New Jersey, who had gotten stupid in their trades ever since the one coup they made in 1990 to get Drazen. Boston had just enough left in their aging lineup to get past Washington in my opinion and Ewing would beat Barkley in the matchup of single-star teams based in coastal states.

Our side of the bracket looked like Utah would dismantle Seattle and Houston would take care of us for the reasons I told you about last night. The Lakers, despite making stupid moves, would likely have enough in the tank to beat Hubie's up-and-coming Hornets, and San Antonio I thought would take down Portland.

We lost 90-84 in Game 1 against the Rockets and to make matters worse, we lost even though Olajuwon didn't play. He'd torn his MCL in practice the day before and was gone for well over a year. What killed was a stretch in the 3rd quarter of over five minutes where we didn't score a single point. We just didn't have enough time to rally in the fourth then. Most painful was Detlef's uncharacteristic, unclutch 1 for 8 shooting night.

Gregg took Detlef aside after that night and ripped into him, I found out later. He told him that he was the one that needed to step through in the crunch time because he'd shown the capacity to do it when we needed him to during the regular season, and the team was looking to him to resume his leadership role during the current crisis.

His tactic worked as Detlef was an absolute animal in game two, reaming the Rockets for 41 points, 12 rebounds, an assist, and 3 steals. We evened the series up and suddenly hope was on the horizon that we might make it to the second round after all.

Game 3 in Houston was a vicious contest, with no lead ever reaching double digits. In fact, at our highest point, we were ahead by 7, the Rockets' largest lead being 5. We escaped with a one-point win, 99-98, on the strength of Mitch's 28 points, Pooh's 24 points in his first game back from injury, and Detlef's double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.

We suffered our first injury in the playoffs that game as Duane went down for seven days with a finger sprain, but I didn't care. He was a disappointment and he was going to be dealt soon anyway, particularly since he had grown even more unhappy and was starting to make noises about wanting a trade.

The fourth game of the series was another war in the trenches with neither team getting ahead by more than 8 points at any one given moment. We pulled away in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter though, and got the 100-95 win. Scottie put up 27 points and a pair of key blocks and Detlef came through with another double-double, this one of 23 points and 10 rebounds. Pooh's 12 assists were greatly welcomed as well.

We were now up 3-1 and were in the driver's seat for the series.

Losing two straight games at home proved too much for Houston as they went down without a whimper in Game 5 in Minneapolis. The knockout punch was swift and brutal to the tune of 107-73.

The Timberwolves had won their first playoff series ever, in just their second season. Although I was happy about the win, I couldn't help but feel that it was only through luck that we'd won. If Olajuwon wouldn't have gotten injured before the series started, we would have been swept. Of that, I have no doubt.

We were joined in the second round by Utah and San Antonio, who had beaten their opponents in six games. And also, in the biggest upset of the opening round, New Orleans joined the second round party, as they dispatched the Lakers in six as well. Hubie really had the Hornets humming. Hornacek was the cog that got everything going and Lionel Simmons, who I'd coveted above all other players in the draft, looked to be a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year. The Lakers' miscues I've already mentioned.

In the East, Cleveland took down Detroit in six. Washington and New York won their respective matchups against Boston and Philadelphia in five and in a show of my handicapping greatness, Chicago swept New Jersey.

So the second round looked like this:

East Conference Second Round 1991
(1) Cleveland vs (4) Chicago
(3) Washington vs (2) New York

West Conference Second Round 1991
(1) Utah vs (4) Minnesota
(6) New Orleans vs (2) San Antonio

The papers went bananas over the news of two second-year franchises making it in to the second round. Nobody gave us a chance against Utah, including myself really. I've already told you about some of the excellent deals the Jazz had made earlier in the season to solidify themselves as a bona fide contender and we hadn't been able to beat them during the regular season.

Hubie's squad was going to go down too, in my opinion. San Antonio was just too talented and too deep for the Hornets to have any real hope of success, no matter how good their core group was.

Chicago and Cleveland were repeating last year's second-round dance in the East and I figured the waltz would play out the same: With a Bulls victory and second consecutive trip to the conference finals.

New York I thought was going to absolutely pancake Washington. To me, the Wizards had no business in the second round, just as the Nets had no business even being in the playoffs in the first place.

I think I'm going to stop there and leave you hanging, just for the fun of it. Besides, you've got that girl to call, don't you? You can use my phone. No sense in wasting your cell's minutes if you can help it.

After you're done talking to her, come back and I'll tell you about at least the second round and maybe more.

JeeberD

07-06-2005, 08:32 AM

...Olajuwon didn't play. He'd torn his MCL in practice the day before and was gone for well over a year.

:eek:

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Izulde

07-06-2005, 01:25 PM

:eek:

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah I was a little sick when I read that myself. I mean, sure I knew we had a good shot at advancing to the second round then, but I feel like it's a hollow win because they didn't have Olajuwon.

That'd be like us playing the Grizzlies without Mitch, in my opinion.

Izulde

07-07-2005, 03:15 AM

No answer, eh? Too bad. Hopefully she'll call you back. You left a message right? Good.

Okay, so it was the second round and I thought we would get pulverized by the Jazz. We hadn't been able to handle them in the regular season with any degree of success. Stockton-to-Malone was still too good a bread and butter combination for us to solve. The good thing was, excepting for Bill being out, we were at full strenght. The bad thing was, Utah all fit, too.

Detlef once again picked a terrible time to have a bad game, sitting fairly early with quick fouls, a problem that would plague him all night. Worse yet, we had a double-digit lead in the second quarter, but like I suspected, the Jazz were just too much for us in the second half. They came back to win going away in the fourth 101-95. Malone paced them with 26 points and 7 rebounds. Stockton chipped in 13 points and 12 assists and shooting guard Darrell Griffith had a surprising 28 point game to lead all scorers.

Before the start of Game 2, Gregg lectured the team on how they'd gotten too soft after getting that ten point lead in the opening game, and how they needed to stay strong and stay focused for the entire length of the game, right down to the very last second.

His message got through as we won by eleven points, 118-107. It was an amazing display of team balance as four of the five starters broke 20 points. Detlef, as you've probably already guessed, led with 27 points, followed by Mitch with 26, Scottie with 21, and Pooh with 20. Brad continued to try and make my pending free agent decision concerning him difficult, as he contributed 10 points , 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal from the bench.

With the split in hand, we headed back to Minneapolis, albeit with bad news. Pooh had banged his knee up in the win and was out for about a week and a half. The scoring deficit we could recover from. It was his 12 and 8 assists respectively in the first two games that we would miss the most. Of course, the injury only served to reaffirm my determination to pick up a ballhandling maestro backup PG to Pooh, either in the draft or through free agency.

Losing Pooh killed us in Game 3. We fell behind early and never caught up in the 105-94 loss.. Every time we got close, Utah would put together another run to break our spirits. Tyrone's six turnovers reminded me once again why I was so happy to see him relegated to the bench.

The tonguelashing Gregg gave Tyrone in the locker room after the third game paid off handsomely in Game 4 as he had 7 assists and just 2 turnovers en route to a crucial 103-78 win for us. Mitch blazed the trail with 23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Scottie got the Player of the Game nod after picking up 19 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and a block.

One thing I'd noticed throughout the season was that Gregg would alter the starting lineup a bit every now and then, by having Mitch play small forward and putting Scottie at shooting guard. Whenever he did that, we usually got a win, as was the case that night.

Our split salvaged, it was back to Salt Lake City we went. Unfortunately, Game 5 was essentially a repeat of Game 3. Utah gets early lead, and we spend the rest of the night trying to get close, only to have the Jazz pull away again every time we did. In the 99-80 loss, Karl Malone squashed us for 33 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a block.

It looked as though Utah was going to head on to the conference finals, for they were in the seat, much as we had been in the series before against the Rockets. I confessed to myself as I watched that fifth game that the Jazz deserved it. As I said before, I didn't think we had even a prayer against them, so if we did bow out in Game 6, we'd given it one hell of a go and with losing our premiere point guard early in the series on top of it.

And win in Game 6 they did, though not before we threw a scare into them, coming back from a double digit deficit to take the lead in the 4th quarter. They charged right back and we fell 99-95. Game, series, Jazz. Even Mitch's 28 points and Brad's double-double of 10 and 10 from the bench wasn't enough to get us the victory we needed to force Game 7.

In other second round action in the West, San Antonio swept Hubie's Hornets, setting up a Spurs-Jazz matchup for the West crown.

The East featured Cleveland getting revenge on Chicago for last season by downing the Bulls in 6 games and New York proving me right in my assessment of Washington by punching out the Wizards, also in six.

Another round, another paper. By the way, I did the same for all subsequent seasons, so I'll just give you the papers then as I talk about them.

Eastern Conference Final - 1991
(1) Cleveland vs (2) New York

Western Conference Final - 1991
(1) Utah vs (2) San Antonio

The Cavaliers-Knicks matchup looked to be a great game. Larry Nance, one of our archnemeses, versus Patrick Ewing, one of the best centers in the league at the time. I had a feeling it was going to be the Knicks' turn to represent the East, so I picked them to win.

In the West, David Robinson was an impressive and dominant player to be sure, but we'd beaten the Spurs pretty squarely in the regular season, so I was giving this one to the Jazz.

As it turned out, I was wrong on both counts. San Antonio swept Utah behind a phenomenal display of rebounding and second chance points throughout the series and Cleveland dispatched the Knicks in five.

1991 NBA Finals
(1) Cleveland vs (2) San Antonio

There was no way I was going to go against the Cavaliers again. I pegged them to be the year's NBA champions.

It took the full slate, but in Game 7, Larry Nance showed why he was one of the top players in the league, period by scoring 28 points, and getting 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 5 blocks in a dominating all-around performance that got him the Finals MVP award and a championship ring, as the Cavaliers beat the Spurs 100-89 to win the 1991 title.

Oh yes, it's rather anticlimatic now I suppose, but here are the regular season standings from that year. I forgot to give them to you the other night, and for that I apologize.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1991EastConf.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1991WestConf.jpg

The award winners were announced a few days after the last game of the Finals. As always, the list.

MVP:
Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
34.1 ppg 3.3 apg 6.8 rpg 0.7 bpg 1.6 spg

Defensive Player of the Year
David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs
19.0 ppg 2.1 apg 10.2 rpg 2.8 bpg 1.2 spg

6th Man of the Year
Joe Barry Carroll - New Jersey Nets
8.9 ppg 1.6 apg 6.7 rpg 2.1 bpg 0.8 spg

Rookie of the Year
Lionel Simmons - New Orleans Hornets
13.6 ppg 3.0 apg 8.1 rpg 0.7 bpg 1.4 spg

Coach of the Year
Lenny Wilkens - Cleveland Cavaliers

All-League First Team
PG Mark Price - Cleveland Cavaliers
SG Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
SF Larry Bird - Boston Celtics
PF Karl Malone - Utah Jazz
C Patrick Ewing - New York Knicks

All-League Second Team
PG Kevin Johnson - Phoenix Suns
SG Jeff Malone - Washington Wizards
SF Dominique Wilkins - Atlanta Hawks
PF Larry Nance - Cleveland Cavaliers
C Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets

All-League Third Team
PG John Stockton - Utah Jazz
SG Jeff Hornacek - New Orleans Hornets
SF Chris Mullin - Golden State Warriors
PF Kevin McHale - Boston Celtics
C David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs

All-Defense First Team
PG Nate McMillan - Seattle Sonics
SG Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
SF Chris Mullin - Golden State Warriors
PF Larry Nance - Cleveland Cavaliers
C David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs

All-Defense Second Team
PG John Stockton - Utah Jazz
SG Doc Rivers - Atlanta Hawks
SF Larry Bird - Boston Celtics
PF Karl Malone - Utah Jazz
C Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets

All-Rookie First Team
PG Gary Payton - Toronto Raptors
SG A.J. English - Denver Nuggets
SF Gerald Glass - Seattle Sonics
PF Lionel Simmons - New Orleans Hornets
C Patrick Eddie - Golden State Warriors

All-Rookie Second Team
PG Wayne Turner - Chicago Bulls
SG Dee Brown - Memphis Grizzlies
SF Toni Kukoc - Dallas Mavericks
PF Derrick Coleman - Charlotte Bobcats
C Alec Kessler - Phoenix Suns

I have to confess, I was surprised that Lionel was picked over Coleman for Rookie of the Year. I thought sure Derrick would have it, but that wasn't to say I wasn't pleased with the selection. It affirmed my and my staff's intuition that Lionel had been one of the best power forwards in the draft that year.

A lot of the usual suspects in the teams mentioned. I was disappointed that Scottie didn't make All-Defense again, but c'est la vie. Our team was still good enough to make the playoffs, and that's something quite a few award winners couldn't say about their squad, like Mullin on the Warriors.

Speaking of the Warriors, their freefall had us guaranteed at picking #12 in the first round, a slot below where we ourselves had made our selection last year. Here are the lottery results for that year and the shifts in position teams made.

1991 NBA Lottery First Round Order
1. Orlando Magic (+7)
2. Sacramento Kings (+4)
3. Miami Heat
4. Memphis Grizzlies (-3)
5. Toronto Raptors (-3)
6. L.A. Clippers (-2)
7. Denver Nuggets (-2)
8. Indiana Pacers (-1)
9. Milwaukee Bucks
10. Atlanta Hawks
11. Charlotte Bobcats
12. Minnesota Timberwolves
13. Phoenix Suns
14. Dallas Mavericks

For the second year in a row, Memphis had gotten robbed of the first pick in the draft by the ping-pong balls and for the second year in a row, Orlando made a huge jump from a mid-lottery selection to one of the top three picks, this time securing the first overall selection.

When I called Danny in Memphis, the Grizzlies GM told me he was frustrated by the hard luck they kept having in the lottery, but I reminded him of what a fantastic job he'd done in the last offseason and that I thought he could have another successful one this year. He thanked me for the support and congratulated me on our playoff run.

So with our draft position set and another season completed, I was ready to roar into my second offseason.

The last one had produced mixed results. Our draft picks turned out to be disappointments, as Antonio wasn't doing well in New Jersey either, and Bill, while an extremely valuable reserve after we dealt for Detlef and a serviceable starter until Schrempf's arrival, was a little overpriced.

I only hoped I would be able to do better this go-round, but a lot of tough choices awaited on the horizon.

Scottie and Brad with their expiring contracts, another mid-round first-round selection... they involved decisions that weren't going to be easy, but I was prepared to work hard to make the most informed choices I could.

Bee

07-07-2005, 06:52 AM

(OOC Note: Now that I've gotten through a complete season, is there anything you guys would like to see me add, expand on, delete, etc. for the coming seasons? I've a few ideas in mind; I just wanted to see what you all thought. )

I'd love to see your player's stats at the end of every season. I'm curious to see what kinds of numbers some of your guys are putting up.

SelzShoes

07-07-2005, 09:23 AM

I think you are doing your usual superlative job Izlude.

Izulde

07-07-2005, 10:55 AM

Bee: Sure thing. I'll see if I can post the 1991 numbers in the next update after I get home from work. If not, then I'll just start doing the stats with the 1992 season. :)

Selzshoes: Thanks Selz. :) I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Izulde

07-09-2005, 11:24 PM

Oh yes, that reminds me. You wanted the statistics of how the players did that year, so I had that computer whiz prepare a sheet for me out of my notes. He's going to do the rest of the seasons too, so you'll be able to look at those as well.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1991stats.jpg

Now, as I said, there were a lot of important decisions to be made that offseason, decisions that would significantly affect the future and direction of the franchise.

While we wouldn't be changing head coaches, as Gregg was our man after the playoff run, we needed to find a new first assistant. Flip didn't deserve a $4.3 mill. salary and I didn't like the attitude he'd given me after he got passed over for the head job when we let Hubie go.

Flip took a huge paycut and went to Sacramento for about $577,000 a year for five years as their first assistant. It was a good place for him to go, as the Kings were terrible the year before and if they continued their losing, he'd have a shot at the head coach job there. If they improved, he'd become a hot commodity.

I found the guy I wanted right away. Dan Issel was an excellent strategist, a very good scout on all levels, and could really develop the young guys. Unfortunately, he refused my offer of more money and instead went to Denver to become the head coach.

Second on my list was Ron Rothstein, who'd coached Miami in their first year of play, leading them to a 17-65 record. While not quite as good a scout as Dan and a little more greedy than Issel was, he was still a damn fine coach and an ideal candidate for the first assistant. Unfortunately, he too, deserted me, taking the head coach gig at Golden State for half of what I was offering him.

So it dropped down to my third choice then, Bill Fitch. Another ex-head coach, he'd coached Toront during the expansion year and was very good at tactics and a good scout in all areas, but very greedy. I still thought him pretty good 1st assistant material, but the barrel was looking pretty nasty after him. Fortunately he agreed to the deal and our coaching staff was complete with his hiring.

There were a lot of head coaching changes that offseason. No less than 10 teams changed their top man, meaning a full third of the league would start the new season with new captains. I've got a list I wrote down real quick here of all the changes that year.

Don Nelson - Charlotte Bobcats
Gene Shue - Toronto Raptors
John Wetzel - Sacramento Kings
Dick Harter - Miami Heat
Dan Issel - Denver Nuggets
Douglas Moe - Milwaukee Bucks
Jerry Reynolds - L.A. Clippers
Del Harris - Orlando Magic
Matt Guokas - Memphis Grizzlies
Ron Rothstein - Golden State Warriors

Don had a 70-94 record and really wasn't that exceptional a coach in my opinion. He reminded me too much of a poor man's John Wetzel.

Speaking of Wetzel, his former employer, the Raptors, hired Gene, who sported a 60-104 record after two seasons. A coaching genius who was very good at scouting veteran players, he was only average around the youngsters, both from a scouting and a developmental standpoint. I still considered him an upgrade over Wetzel and with his talents in tactics, the Raptors would hopefully for their sake get enough more wins to mollify Gary Payton at least somewhat.

As you can probably guess, I still hated Wetzel. I'd take Flip over him, that's how much I disliked him. Why Sacramento was so boneheaded as to hire him in the head spot over Flip, stuck in the first assistant's slot, I still don't know.

Miami figured out after one season what I knew when they hired him, that Phil Jackson was a bad fit for their young team. Unfortunately, Dick Harter was only a little better with a young squad, couldn't scout offense worth a damn, and was a piss-poor strategist compared to Jackson. Overall, I considered it a step in the wrong direction.

Dan I've already mentioned, so I'll move on to Milwaukee's choice. The Bucks imploded after the Detlef trade, so they decided to change coaches to mollify the fans. In doing so, they picked one of the worst guys on the market. In a league that was full of brilliant coaching minds, you don't hire a guy with only average ability at strategy to lead up your team, and yet that's exactly what Milwaukee did. I would have tabbed George Karl, who was inexplicably the second assistant for the Bucks, instead.

The Clippers did one thing right that Bucks didn't do. They hired their mediocre tactician for the miserly salary of $766,000 a year. Otherwise, it was just like Doug Moe in Milwaukee, only in the inferior L.A. squad's case, they had no obviously better assistants.

Del Harris was another merely average strategist who had the top job for the two years the league had been in existence and garnered a below .500 record. Unlike the Clippers and the Bucks though, the move actually made some sense for the Magic. While only average at developing players, he was good at assessing their potential, something that would be key for Orlando as they held the first pick in the upcoming draft. Too, they had Phil Jackson as Del's first assistant to draw up the gameplans and advise on the ways to win. So all in all, it was a pretty decent set of coaching changes on Orlando's part.

When I saw who Danny had hired to coach the Grizzlies, I immediately called him and asked him what in the blazes he was thinking. Matt was another one in that long line of mediocre coaches with the subpar showing after two years. About his only talent was in scouting the current capabilities of players, which he was only good at. Danny told me that the owner, Michael Heisley, had been impatient with the team when they didn't break 20 wins last season, so he demanded that there be a change in coaches.

And to make matters worse, there wasn't much money in the budget, as the fans stayed away in droves despite the doubling of wins, so Danny had no choice but to go and get the best deal he could for the limited funds he had. When I heard that, I knew he'd done the best he could with the meagre resources he had available to him. I still felt bad for him, though. Memphis had been one of the teams I was privately starting to root for, and then that had to go and happen.

Ron I've already mentioned as well. We were fortunate that he hadn't been hired by the Warriors the season before, or we wouldn't have a lottery pick to be able to draft from.

The draft that year wasn't a very strong one. According to the mock draft projections, power forward Chris "Gunner" Gatling out of Old Dominion would go first to Orlando, but I thought that would be a mistake on Orlando's part. True, his game was pretty polished, but in my mind, he wasn't even the best power forward in the draft, let alone the best player.

The one I thought should go first and who the draft experts had going second to Sacramento, was center Dikembe Mutombo from Georgetown, a 7-2 kid already well polished and with the potential to become a franchise player by the time he got done.

According to the mock draft, we would be selecting Isaac Austin, a center out of Arizona State. While the Sun Devil was a pretty good all-around player, it'd seemed like he reached his peak and didn't have much of a ceiling. Besides, I was satisfied with our situation at center unless we could get a breakout impact player like Mutumbo and that certainly wasn't going to be happening.

No, what I really wanted was to find a good ballhandling point guard to back up Pooh and preferably one who could play all three positions of point guard, shooting guard, and small forward. While another center would be nice, most of the guys I saw I wasn't that impressed with and besides, there was still Duane that needed minutes and developing.

The truth was, outside of a need for a backup point guard, with our position in the draft, there were no really urgent needs that we could address. Shooting guard was set for at least a few more years with Mitch and Tyrone. Small forward could be a concern if we decided not to resign Scottie or if he decided to sign elsewhere. At power forward there was Detlef and Derrick, though McKey's contract was up and I wasn't sure if I would be resigning him. He'd been a real disappointment in his time with us. Bill could also fill in at power forward, as he'd proven early last season.

So after I thought about it some more, I decided that my first choice would be to go for a point guard. Barring that, we would look for depth at small forward, then power forward, and finally center. I made my fifteen selections and a few weeks later, we were set to go. Draft night was here.

As was the case with the year before, the first selection was a shock. Orlando did draft a center, but it wasn't Mutombo. It was Dale Davis. I remember thinking as I sat watching the draft in our war room and listening to the boos that whatever good will Orlando had generated from me with their coaching arrangement had just been slaughtered. Payton the year before I could understand, as you don't often get a chance to get a franchise type point guard. This sin was not forgiveable in the least.

The mock drafters got something right for once when Mutombo went to Sacramento with the next pick.

Terrell Brandon out of Oregon was the player I really wanted. He was the perfect fit for what I was looking for as a backup point man, and I prayed that he would drop down to us. The experts had him going to the Bucks at number 9.

The Bucks' selection came up and I started breaking out into a cold sweat. Though I was tempted to call them up and make a deal, I saw that they had no centers on their roster and decided to hold off, figuring they would take a big man. They did, taking center Victor Alexander.

Now Atlanta was up and everything about the Hawks screamed point guard. Fearing they would snatch Brandon away from me, I called them up and inquired about the possibility of making a deal.

After some very intense back-and-forth negotiations, we finally reached a deal that was actually tipping in their favour. I sent the #12 pick, Tyrone Hill, and Duane Causwell to the Hawks for the #10 pick, power forward Alexander Volkov, and Atlanta's 2nd round picks in that draft and the next two drafts to come.

After the trade and selection were announced, a roar of approval ripped through the auditorium. Sweat-soaked, I hung up the phone and cheered. In one fell swoop, I'd gotten rid of two players who likely wouldn't have turned out to their full potential and grabbed a player that would solidify our backcourt rotation until Corbin left the team. I would now be free to concentrate solely our front court in the next few drafts and free agencies.

The Hawks did select a point guard as I'd surmised they would. They took Kenny Anderson, my second choice. Kenny was a great all-around player, but his attitude and work ethic were both horrible. I didn't like those type of players then and I still don't. Alexander, the guy we'd just traded for, was a problem child, but I could put up with him for the last two years of his contract.

It turns out after the wheeling and dealing that we had back-to-back picks in the second round at nine and ten. Most of the guys we'd scouted were gone by that point. Luckily, there was still one player available that I'd liked enough to think about drafting in the second round and so with the ninth pick we took him, and small forward Stacey Augmon from UNLV became a Timberwolf.

His selection got the thumbs down from the talking heads but I didn't care. For the second half of our back-to-back, there weren't any players I scouted that were left who I liked, so I took a flyer on center Anthony Avent, who'd finished his career at Seton Hall with a double-double average and was 7 feet tall to boot.

Contract decisions were up next and after reviewing Anthony's scouting report, I decided not to offer him a contract. While he had potential to develop into a decent player, his intangibles were terrible and he was so raw, he had no place on a playoff team such as ours.

Stacy had good enough tangibles, development, and promise to get a contract and so we signed him. While he likely would never develop into a star player, or even a starter, he was at least probable for becoming a pretty good rotation guy.

Volkov's presence meant that McKey was expendable and so I renounced our rights to him. Joining him was Tod Murphy, who'd been a nice guy for us, but who simply wasn't cut out for joining our team.

After long hours of hard thought, I decided to renounce Brad's contract as well. Though he'd been good for us down the stretch, he simply wasn't good enough to justify the contract he was going to demand on the market.

So in the end, the only rights we kept were Scottie's.

In the summer league, Tyrone Hill led in rebounds, ironically enough. He also showed some improvement. I wasn't really mad about it, though. Not when Terrell averaged 20 points and 8 assists and showed improvement in passing and rebounding.

Anthony, who was still under us even though he hadn't been signed, did his best to try and show he deserved a contract with 8 points and 7 rebounds on average, showing better ballhandling in the process, but it wasn't going to be enough.

Stacey popped off almost 15 points on average, so he looked to be a pretty good scoring option off the bench.

Free agency started and we were $3.6 mill over the cap. I knew there was no way we were going to get anybody all that good, so I was going in there with the intention of resigning Scottie and getting someone for the midlevel who was good enough to be of bench value to us.

Scottie wanted 11 million for 6. I started off by offering him 8.5 for 6 and offering center Chris Dudley the low exemption of 1.6 mill for a year, about a $200k raise from his previous salary. The 6 million per year multiyear deal he was wanting was a joke.

In big signings, Phoenix learned their mistake about letting quality guards go and re-signed Kevin Johnson for 7 years, $110 mill.

Partway through the period, I realized that Scottie would only be 32 at the end of a 6 year deal and thus likely to still have some playing talents, so I upped the offer to 8.5 for 7. I really wanted him to retire a Timberwolf and at 33 at the end of a 7 year, he'd be old enough to where his skills would have started declining enough to want a lower deal, but still young enough to be a contributor.

Just before the halfway mark of the free agency period, Scottie signed the deal, the same day that Wayman Tisdale made the jump from the Wizards to Golden State for 6 years and $67 mill.

I also noticed at that point that Avery Johnson was on the market and Milwaukee hadn't made an offer yet that met his satisfaction. I decided to keep tabs on him while I kept pursuit of Dudley up.

In ex-Timberwolf news, Scott Roth re-signed with Golden State for 4 years and 19 mill. Avery Johnson re-signed with the Bucks a few days later for 4 years and 15.9 mill. I personally thought he could have gotten a little more than that, but it did solve the dilemma I would have had over whether or not to go after him.

As of day 14, Derrick McKey was still unsigned and I began to think about seeing if he wanted to hitch up with us again.

On day 15, Chris Dudley finally signed with us for the low exemption, so that gave us the minimum roster of 12 players. I wanted to add somebody for a minimum salary though, so we would have some insurance in case of injury.

I almost made Derrick the offer, but then I saw power forward Sam Perkins sitting there without any interest from teams that he was considering. A good, solid all-around player, I threw a minimum contract at him.

Our offer was immediately thrown back at us and the next day, my eyes were opened. Still on the market was shooting guard Ron Harper, who'd been All-Defense Second Team our first season of play and he still looked good. My thought was that if I grabbed him, I could trade Tyrone. Not only was he a better defender than Tyrone, but he had better intangibles too.

In a move that infuriated me, the day we made the offer to Ron, the Lakers resigned Maurice Martin for 6 year and $7 mill. I hated Martin and didn't know why the Purple and Gold had such a fixation with him.

The next day, Ron signed for our mid exemption. Our team for the 1992 season was now complete.

Izulde

07-12-2005, 02:32 PM

Oh yes, I see that I forgot to give you the first round selections of the draft that year. I'm sorry. Here's the list now.

1. C Dale Davis (Orlando Magic)
2. C Dikembe Mutombo (Sacramento Kings)
3. SG Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (Miami Heat)
4. C Rich King (Memphis Grizzlies)
5. PF Chris Gatling (Toronto Raptors)
6. SF Richard Dumas (L.A. Clippers)
7. PG Eric Murdock (Denver Nuggets)
8. PF Larry Johnson (Indiana Pacers)
9. C Victor Alexander (Milwaukee Bucks)
10. PG Terrell Brandon (Minnesota Timberwolves)
11. C Jim Grandholm (Charlotte Bobcats)
12. PG Kenny Anderson (Atlanta Hawks)
13. C Isaac Austin (Phoenix Suns)
14. C Irving Thomas (Dallas Mavericks)
15. PG Greg Anthony (Detroit Pistons)
16. SG Rodney Monroe (Philadelphia 76ers)
17. C Luc Longley (Boston Celtics)
18. C Stanley Roberts (L.A. Lakers)
19. SG Mario Elie (Seattle Supersonics)
20. C John Turner (Portland Trailblazers)
21. SF Henry James (New Orleans Hornets)
22. SG Steve Smith (Houston Rockets)
23. C Daniel Hodge (Washington Wizards)
24. PG Chris Corchiani (New Jersey Nets)
25. C Howard Wright (Milwaukee Bucks)
26. PF Doug Smith (San Antonio Spurs)
27. PG Mark Macon (New York Knicks)
28. SF Rick Fox (Utah Jazz)
29. PF Leron Ellis (Chicago Bulls)
30. SF Billy Owens (Cleveland Cavaliers)

After training camp, the new season was set to get underway. Gregg released Opening Day starters to the press just before tipoff of the first game.

1992 Minnesota Timberwolves Projected Opening Day Starters
PG Ron Harper
SG Mitch Richmond
SF Scottie Pippen
PF Detlef Schrempf
C Alexander Volkov
6th Pooh Richardson

Ron being started over Pooh surprised me a little, but the real shocker was Volkov at center. To my mind, he was too short to be the starter at that slot, but Gregg reassured me that Volkov would be better than Wennington or Randy in there and that Alexander had busted his ass off in training camp and in practice.

One thing became quite clear over the first two games of the season, which we split with a loss against the Knicks and a win against the Nuggets. We really could use someone who could score and score consistently. Mitch was starting off slow and Detlef was being as erratic as usual. I thought we needed someone who could night in and night out put up 20 or more points on the board to go along with Mitch and to cover for Detlef when he was having off days.

I decided not to make any moves that early in the season, but to keep tabs on the situation the month and the season progressed.

In our next game, a win against Hubie's Hornets, we were blasted by injuries. Mitch, Sam, and Tyrone all were injured. Suddenly shooting guard, the strongest position on our squard, didn't look very good. Mitch was down for 19 days, Sam had a minor injury that would keep him out for 4 days, and Tyrone was gone for a week.

Mitch got put on IR and Stacey was pulled from the list so he could get some playing time. I was curious to see what he could do.

Ron turned into Mitch the next game as we thrashed Indiana 112-83. He had 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks to carry us. Detlef performed his usual injury heroics with a double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds. Other pleasing notes in that game were Brandon's 16 points off the bench in his first flash of brilliance since the season had started and Stacey's 2 steals in limited minutes. The last one gave me hopes that Augmon could turn out to be a second-round steal and a good defensive bench player for us in the end.

As it turns out, we were completely fine without Mitch. So fine, in fact, that while he was out, we went on a five-game winning streak to add to the one we had against New Orleans, giving us six in a row. A tight 83-76 win against Dallas was my favourite, I think. Volkov had 20 points, 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Not bad for a guy I'd only asked for to make salaries work. He reminded me a lot of Detlef with his streaky play, and like Randy, he was capable of putting up 20 points now and then, at a fraction of the cost besides.

Our next contest was against Seattle. Tony Campbell was still playing exceptionally well for the Sonics, who were also doing quite well on the court with an 8-3 record going in. They left 8-4 after a 112-87 loss at our hands. Tony dropped 22 on us, but as he said at dinner afterwards, "Man, I wish I was playing for you guys still. Your best scorer gets hurt and what do you guys do? You go apeshit on the rest of the league. You guys are gonna be scary to play in the postseason."

Our last game without Mitch was another win against the Pacers. Once more, Detlef was the one to go bananas, getting 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists. There wasn't a day that went by where I didn't give thanks that the Bucks had been foolish enough to give him up. We had no more vital cog than him, I think.

The streak continued when Mitch returned with a difficult win against the Grizzlies and an aggravating 95-92 loss against the Kings. Wennington got hurt for a week and a half after the Sacramento game, so Stacey got put back on the active roster.

When I compared our struggles against the lower teams when Mitch came back to our hot streak before that, I found myself wondering if I wouldn't be better off parting with the player who had been the foundation for our success.

Yes, Mitch was our leading scorer, but he also led us in turnovers and was in the last year of his rookie deal. No doubt he would demand and deserve a much higher salary than he was making now. If there was ever a time to deal him, it was in that season, while I could still get a lot of value for him.

We closed out the month with a win against personal rival Golden State. Though the final was 126-118 and though Mitch scored 29 points against his old team, the game was much closer than the score indicated.

A third straight game of struggle against a subpar squad sealed Mitch's fate in my mind.

It was time for me to be a bastard and deal the player I originally thought was my foundation.

But I'll tell you just how I did it later. It hurts to talk about it even now, so let me save it for tomorrow night.

Oh, before you go, I have to tell you this. At 12-2, we weren't the team with the best record in the league. We were tied for second best with Portland, who was also 12-2.

The team ahead of us?

The defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, sporting a flawless 15-0 mark.

damnMikeBrown

07-12-2005, 06:53 PM

Guh...dealing off your star SG when you're 12-2. I think you may not survive the assassin's bullet...

Izulde

07-12-2005, 07:03 PM

Guh...dealing off your star SG when you're 12-2. I think you may not survive the assassin's bullet...

Yeah, the locals aren't going to be too happy about that one, to say the least. ;)

JeeberD

07-12-2005, 08:15 PM

Trade for Timmy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Izulde

07-15-2005, 01:33 PM

Trade for Timmy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice idea, but it wouldn't make sense. Not when we already have Pooh and Brandon on the roster. :)

Izulde

07-15-2005, 01:34 PM

Hello there. Just have your usual seat while I get us a couple glasses of iced tea.

Here you are.

So, I know you've been waiting to hear what happened with Mitch.

Shortly before the month ended, I made some calls to teams around the league that I was interested in negotiating a deal with. A few offers were seriously considered; most went nowhere. In the end, though, I finally had the trade that I felt would most benefit us as a team, so I called Mitch into my office the next day.

"Mitch", I said, "I just want to know that you've been really great for this team and you were an integral part of our early success."

He stared at me with a tight face. I could see the trepedition in his eyes, so I plunged ahead before he could answer.

"But times change and while you were out with an injury, this team played the best ball it ever has. I know you've been happy here and we've been happy with you, but the fact of the matter is, we've struggled since you've come back against teams we shouldn't. In addition, your contract is up this year and you're likely to command a very deserved large salary increase. As much as I like you, Mitch, I don't want to detonate our cap situation, not when the situation is as I've just told you. In other words, Mitch, you've been traded."

"What the hell?! How could you do this to me, Mr. Arcadia?! I'm the team's one true star! My jersey sells more than anybody else's and the fans love me! You can't do this to me!" Mitch's reaction was one of righteous fury as he slammed his fist down on my desk.

I just looked at him calmly and said, "I'm sorry, Mitch, but it is what it is and the deal is already done. You'll be happy to know that I've traded you to the Rockets. They're not doing very well this year, but that's because Olajuwon is out for another four and a half months. Once he's back, you'll be back on a winning team, so long as you stay in Houston."

Mitch glowered at me before sliding his hands off the desk, "You better be right, Mr. Arcadia. I still can't believe you did this to me. The fans will hate you for this and you damn well know it."

He lifted his head and held it high as he turned around and walked out of my office. I felt sad as I watched him go. Originally I'd planned to build the team around him and now he was the odd man out and no longer a Timberwolf.

The exact particulars of the deal were Mitch and our own 1993 2nd round pick to the Rockets for unhappy small forward Anthony Bowie, Houston's 1993 first rounder and their 1995 first rounder.

I knew with Hakeem still out for another four and a half months that the Rockets were likely doomed to a lottery selection, even with the addition of Mitch and the possible return of their star center towards the tail end of the season. That we were going to get another first rounder, even a likely late one, in addition to the probable lottery pick, I considered gravy.

Mitch was right about one thing, though. The fans were outraged, to the point where more than a few effigies of me burned in yards across the Twin Cities. The press wasn't any less forgiving as they ripped me apart, calling my move "premature" and "a death knell to the Wolves' title hopes".

It seemed to me a little ludicrious that a third year franchise would be considered a championship contender, even with our sterling record, so I just let the criticism wash off my back. Though the trade wasn't popular, the extra first-round picks would do much to ensure our continued long-term success, provided I drafted well. Furthermore, we *had* been playing fantastically without Mitch and we also still had a second rounder in the next draft, that being Atlanta's pick.

One another trade went down in that first month.

Dallas Mavericks receive:
PG Michael Adams
Denver Nuggets 2nd round pick (1993)

Denver Nuggets receive:
PF J.R. Reid
PF Fred Vinson
SG Bill Hanzlik

Dallas ships out a couple of players they got in trades over the past couple years and a promising second round selection who looked pretty good in his rookie year in Vinson. Hanzlik's age has definitely been catching up to him so far this season, as his skills seem to have eroded and I never have been impressed with Reid. Nothing has happened since then to change my mind. By contrast, the Mavericks get a gifted shooter, scorer, and ballhandler in Adams who is both extremely disciplined and highly intelligent. Needless to say, Michael instantly steps into the starting lineup for the .500 Mavericks. Even with just Adams, I'd consider this a huge score for Dallas. The extra second round pick just reinforces it.
Winner: Dallas in a rout. Denver continues to make stupid moves that are dooming the franchise

We opened the month in impressive fashion, demolishing the Suns 118-83. Our team chemistry was back in full force now that Mitch was gone, it seemed.

That was the start of a three game win streak that included the Suns, the surprising 10-6 at the time Clippers, and the retooled Mavericks as our victims. An early first quarter shooting outage doomed us against Philadelphia to end the streak, but I was still very pleased with how we were shaping up.

After Bill got back from his injury, I decided to put Bowie on the IR. I knew that would make Anthony angry, as he valued his playing time, and though he was a better player than Stacey at that point, I really liked Stacey and how he'd been playing, and considered him one of my own since I drafted him. We always favour the children we bear over the children we bring in, I think. It's only human nature from a genetic standpoint.

Bill got hurt again after our next game though, a heartwrenching 2-point loss to the Kings. Once more out for two weeks, Anthony got called back on to the active roster.

What followed was a series of frustrating games, in which we would go through frequent icy periods and be unable to shoot the ball. During those times, I would wonder if I made the right choice in trading Mitch. Then came our best game of the season, when we obliterated the Raptors 120-69. Volkov had 27 points, Detlef had 25, and Ron had 20. I began to realize that having two streaky shooters like Alexander and Detlef was hurting us during our colder moments, and I silently pondered searching for a scorer who could replace Mitch. For the time being though, I stayed my hand and decided to wait the month out.

I was rewarded for my patience with another set of wins, including my favourite, a 104-101 upset of the then 23-1 Cavaliers. The defending champions were not happy about their second loss, but we were thrilled. Detlef had one of his good games with 24 points and Ron chipped in 23 to pave the way for us.

This time, when Bill was ready to come back, it was low-exemption free agent signing Chris Dudley that I put on IR. It made our newest center furious, as he was as greedy as Bowie about playing time, but I didn't care. He wasn't going to be resigned at the end of the season anyway.

At the end of the month, we were 21-6. Though we'd cooled off and gone 9-4 as opposed to 12-2 in the first month, it was still a good record to have in my opinion. It showed that we could still play well even without Mitch and had to be considered a threat to go deep in the playoffs, even with our streaky play.

Sadly, we were also once more stuck in the fourth seed in the playoffs, as Seattle was half a game up on us. It was still early in the season though. It was going to be an interesting race if it kept up, particularly since former Wolf Tony was far and away the leading scorer for the Sonics, averaging 22 points a game.

There was one trade that month, but I'll tell you about it tomorrow. I'll leave you with this note: Chris Dudley was the only unhappy player on our team. Even Anthony Bowie was satisfied with his minutes.

In short, all in all, we were looking pretty good as a team and our prospects for the rest of the season and the playoffs looked pretty nice, particularly if we could dethrone Tony and the Sonics.

SelzShoes

07-18-2005, 02:44 PM

Where did you get the roster for this--is there a 'lahman DB' for basketball? I'm actually toying with growing beyond just baseball.

Izulde

07-18-2005, 03:40 PM

Where did you get the roster for this--is there a 'lahman DB' for basketball? I'm actually toying with growing beyond just baseball.

Nope, no Lahman style database. A guy named La Tulipe who posts over at the Greydog Forums made a database for the 1990 season onward though and includes the draft files for each year.

Really brilliant work, though I did some editing of the team records and championships to reflect the 10 years of history in the database. Oh and I erased all the retired jerseys too, most of which were anachronistic.

Izulde

07-18-2005, 11:15 PM

Before I tell you about the lone trade in month two, I have to mention that Derrick McKey was signed out of the semi-pro leagues. The Nets liked what they saw of him enough that they give him $688k deal for the rest of the year, then promptly stuck him on the IR list for emergency backup. Another ex-Timberwolf, Antonio Davis, was injured for a week at the time and had been getting even less minutes than in his rookie season even before he was hurt.

So the trade then.

Memphis Grizzlies receive:
SF Nick Anderson

Orlando Magic receive:
SF Walter Berry
Memphis Grizzlies 2nd round pick (1993)

Danny Brooklyn is really feeling the heat in Memphis. The owner demanded at least 20 wins this season or he'd be fired. So far the Grizzlies only have 5, the lowest number in the league. Nick provides them with a young guy who packs defensive punch they need and is a pretty decent scorer with good intangibles and still some upside. He should be starting, but the Grizzlies coach stupidly has him on the bench. Even despite that, Anderson will be an excellent changeup from the all offense-no defensive of aging, bad-contract veteran Purvis Short and is the heir apparent at the SF position. What Orlando gets out of the deal besides the probable high second-round pick is largely addition by subtraction, as Nick was extremely unhappy about the miniscule minutes he was getting with the Magic. Berry is worthless and not even worthy of mention, as his IR status in Orlando shows. I call this a pretty important win for Memphis.
Winner: Memphis, though Orlando benefitted fairly nicely as well

Ironically, Memphis was who we played in the opening game of the month. It was a laugher as we dominated 108-63. I felt bad for Danny, but he put a brave face on it when I met him for a late supper afterwards. He told me I'd put together a superior team and that I should be proud of what I'd accomplished in just a few seasons. In turn, I told him to keep his chin up. I certainly hoped he wouldn't be fired, as I liked him immensely.

That win was the start of an amazing streak during which nothing could stop us, not even a pair of simultaneous minor injuries to Detlef and Bill. During most of the streak, it was Detlef's frequent double-doubles, Pooh's exceptional ballhandling, and occasional explosions of points from Pooh or Volkov that powered us. Also key was Bill's contributions from the bench, ones that were so good, I began to think he was worthy of 6th Man of the Year nomination.

Our first game when we had both Bill and Detlef sitting because of injuries was against Denver and Randy went off for 33 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 4 blocks. He'd seen his time go down drastically since Alexander and Bill had turned out to be so good, and he was determined to take advantage of whatever opportunity he got to prove he should be playing more often.

The orgy of victories finally ended with a with 92-82 loss against the Raptors, our first loss of the month. Chris "Gunner" Gatling had 23 points and Gary Payton added 28 in an amazing display of their first round picks from that year and the year before. Though Toronto had been villified for passing up Coleman and even though Payton was still unhappy in Canada, as that night showed, if all parties kept patient, this was going to be a very scary team in a few years.

Another series of wins followed the loss, but it wasn't the carefree march of blowouts we'd enjoyed earlier in the month. Now each game was a bitter war waged on the court, with most of the wins coming under double digits. Most disturbing was when we blew a 20-point 3rd quarter lead against the Sonics before bouncing back to win. Tony had a lot of fun with us over our nearly losing at our usual post-game Seattle supper that night. He himself didn't do very well that game, getting only 8 points on a terrible shooting performance, as Gregg sought to shut him down, as he was still Seattle's top offensive option.

The third quarter was quickly proving to be a problematic one as a letdown in that section of play doomed us against Atlanta in a 109-91 loss near the end of the month. Volkov struggled against his former teammates, netting just 8 points and 3 rebounds in what was easily his worst performance of the season.

Our second-half troubles continued the next game with a fourth quarter lying down as we blew the lead against the Jazz and lost by 15. That loss still pisses me off even after all these years. Malone out with an injury and we still lose. Pooh picked the most god-awful evening to go 1 for 13 from the floor.

Gregg ripped a new hole into the team after that two-game losing streak and made them run a ton of suicide sprints in particularly vicious practices over the next few days. He told them that if they weren't fit enough to finish the game, then he'd run their asses until they were.

The strategy worked as we closed out the month with our usual balanced game plan getting us a much-needed 105-92 win against the Kings.

We now had the best record in the West and the number one seed in the playoffs. Seattle was 4 games behind us in the division and we were still the number two team in the league according to record, with a 35-9 mark.

Ahead of us, as you can probably guess, was once more the champion Cavaliers, with a sparkling 39-4 record.

It became my private wish that we would meet them in the Finals and beat them for the NBA crown.

Izulde

07-20-2005, 01:27 AM

Another trade went down in that third month, but only one. It was still of interest to me, though, as it involved a player I'd had my eye on for some time.

Charlotte Bobcats receive:
C Rony Seikaly
Miami Heat 2nd round pick (1993)

Miami Heat receive:
SG Rex Chapman

Rony's improved his ballhandling abilities significantly since I last looked at him and he steps in as the immediate starter at center for the Bobcats. He's a huge upgrade in the paint for Charlotte and between him and Derrick Coleman, they've got themselves a very solid frontcourt. Rex is a good outside shooter, but becomes a bench player for the woeful Heat. That's not good and it shows just how much Miami was desperate to get rid of Rony, who'd wanted out for the past two years. Desperate times often make for stupid moves. The team chemistry problem here isn't enough to say Miami truly benefited, unlike the Orlando scenario, not when they're giving up a second round pick as well.
Winner: Charlotte by several laps

One of the greatest efforts ever turned in against us occurred during our first game that month, when we squeaked by the Bucks 115-108 in a game that was even closer than the score indicates. Ricky Pierce lit us up for 43 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. Milwaukee was still reeling after the Detlef trade from last season and was, much like when we traded for him, barely treading water at .500. Not a good thing when you're a team with as many cap issues as the Bucks were at the time.

A few games later, we played Houston for the first time since we'd traded Mitch to them. The Rockets had broken the double-digit win barrier and stood at 13-34. Leading up to the game, Mitch told the press that he was bound and determined to beat us as revenge for getting rid of him.

It didn't work. We demolished his new team 107-78 behind our usual balanced scoring attack, Volkov leading the way with 18 points, 9 rebounds, an assist, 2 steals, and a block. Mitch himself only scored 12 points as our top of the line defenders hounded him all night long.

The win came at a price though, as Brandon went down for a week and a half with a sprained wrist. Dudley was clamouring for minutes and growing increasingly unhappy with the team, as was Bowie, but I still wasn't going to take Chris off the IR. Signing him had been a mistake on my part, and he wasn't going to get off that list unless we really got hit hard by injuries.

What followed was another amazing streak of wins so bright and so beautiful that I could scarcely believe it. We were once more unstoppable. Teams started concentrating on Detlef and Volkov, figuring if our frontcourt was shut down, then we'd be an easier opponent. That only opened up things for our backcourt tandem, however, and on most nights Pooh and Ron would both have 20+ points. When you add in that Corbin was all of a sudden sizzling off the bench, you more or less had an unstoppable combination.

So there we were 44-9. Terrell was still hurt, and Tyrone had gotten injured a few days before, but Bowie was playing well with the minutes he'd been given. Our streak and our next opponent was none other than the 46-4 defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, our nemesis in the quest for NBA supremacy. I couldn't help but wonder if maybe this matchup wasn't a preview to the Finals.

It was the potency of their offense, their lineup studded with 3 guys averaging over 20 points a game and 2 guys who weren't far off the mark, versus our deadly defense, evidenced by our top scorer averaging a shade under 16 points.

The game was fiercely fought, lead changes thrashing to and fro constantly, but in the end, their firepower proved to be too much and we fell 112-108 on the road.

I wasn't upset about the loss, though. We'd played damned hard against the team that was clearly the class of the league and the Cavaliers knew as they filed back into their locker room that they'd met a squad in us that could not only hang with them, but beat them.

The Rookie-Sophomore game was won by the rookies 108-100. Terrell was named to the Rookie squad as a reserve, something I was quited pleased with. Even more pleasant was his 13 points that was second in scoring for his side.

In the All-Star Game itself, the West never had a chance against the East as our conference's star players were demolished 140-128 in a game that was a bigger blowout than the score says. Perhaps as a pity treat, Karl Malone for the West was named MVP with his 25 points and 10 rebounds.

When the trade deadline came up, I looked over the team and pondered whether I should make any moves. It seemed foolish to do anything to a team that was dominating so consistently, but Dudley was vocal in his anger with his role on the team and Bowie still wasn't happy either.

As I made some calls around the league, I found myself quite intrigued when I discovered that Rick Fox, a rookie for the Jazz was on the block. Rick was a player I'd privately coveted and hoped to get with my early second round pick in the draft, but Utah had snatched him up with the 28th pick in the first round.

After some negotiations, a deal was struck. Going to Utah was my original pet project, Stacey, who'd struggled in the minutes he'd been given, Dudley, and the 1994 2nd round picks of us and the Atlanta Hawks, leaving us with Milwaukee's second rounder for that year.

Coming to us was Rick and power forward Ken Bannister, a guy who wasn't worth anything to me because of his poor ballhandling, but who had a cheap contract for the next couple years, could score, and could rebound. More importantly, he didn't give a damn about playing time, so we could just stash him away on the IR list until we needed him.

Did I overpay for Fox? Probably, but I really liked the kid and thought he could turn into something pretty nice for us.

There were two other trades near the deadline besides ours, one involving Charlotte, who was still retooling their team, and one involving none other than Cleveland.

Charlotte Bobcats receive:
C Jack Haley

Dallas Mavericks receive:
SF Terry Dozier
Charlotte Hornets 1993 2nd round pick

You have to wonder why Charlotte made this trade when they already have Rony. True, the centers not named Seikaly playing for the Bobcats are ice cold right now, but putting this guy on the IR when Charlotte gave up a pick for him makes no sense. Dallas gets a guy who doesn't do anything very well and showed extremely little in his first two seasons in Charlotte. Maybe Dozier can improve, but it's doubtful, especially since he's buried on the Mavericks bench. Call this a wash, as the second round pick Dallas gets is negated by the fact that they lost a pretty good backup center in my estimation.
Winner: None and a bad trade for two teams that normally make smart trades

Cleveland Cavaliers receive:
PG Andre Turner

New Orleans Hornets receive:
SF Winston Bennett

Turner may be cold right now, but when he recovers from his funk, he provides a very good ballhandler and a decent shooter for the Cavaliers, an ideal backup to superstar Mark Price. This doesn't make me happy about the prospects of battling Cleveland if we both make it against the Finals, but that's what smart teams do to ensure dynasties--They find the players needed to fill the remaining pieces. Hubie gets a fairly young kid who can rebound some and that's it. Stupid trade by New Orleans, smart one for Cleveland.
Winner: Cleveland by a pretty good amount

Our first game after the trade we won handily and then we lost a heartbreaking 100-98 last second game to the Sonics. Tony had a lot of fun with us after that game. Shawn Kemp was turning out to be a pretty special guy for them and was learning a lot about the game from Tony.

We rebounded with a solid win over the Trailblazers to close out the month in which Detlef and Volkov both got double-doubles, 27 points and 13 rebounds, 10 points and 12 rebounds respectively.

With that victory, we were now 46-11. Our lead over Seattle for the division, despite the loss to the Sonics, had expanded to 6. Cleveland still hadn't lost even 10 games and were sitting there with a 50-5 mark. There was talk in the papers that they might even set a record for wins by the time it was all said and done.

I didn't worry about them, though. I was only concerned for us and I wanted more than anything to see a banner flying in our arena. 1992 Western Conference Champions sounded good.

1992 NBA Champions sounded even better.

But there was still a lot of basketball to be played.

Izulde

07-21-2005, 07:09 PM

When we started the next month with a collapse in the fourth quarter and a loss to the Warriors, I started to get worried that it would be symbolic of how our season would finish out, but we rebounded with a 119-99 win against the Bucks in which Ron had 31 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. He was one free agent signing that I'd been very pleased with and it was my intention that we would re-sign him after his one year mid-level deal expired.

The next game against the Celtics was another case of falling apart in the last few minutes as we dropped our second loss of the month 113-109. This trend was starting to become alarming and I secretly began to regret ever trading away Stacey and Dudley. I only hoped this was just a matter of chemistry adjustment and that it'd be restored before the playoffs.

We got back on track with wins against Charlotte and Miami, though the game against the Heat was a lot closer than I'd liked. Tyrone got nicked up with a small injury in the latter contest, but his absence wasn't missed as Fox and Bowie took advantage of the extra minutes to perform well in our next game, a victory over the Magic.

Despite another small knock, this one to Brandon, we continued to roll as we crushed the Mavericks 127-89. Ron had been instrumental in our resurgance after the initial stumbles out of the gate and that night was no exception as he put up 30 points and nabbed 7 rebounds and 2 assists. That he was a shooting guard with extraordinary rebounding talents certainly had helped us out a lot over the course of the season.

We then went on a tear of a win streak that led me to believe our team chemistry was once more fully functioning. Towards the end of the month, the streak came crashing down with a nailbiting 112-106 OT loss to Hubie's Hornets, when not even Detlef's double-double of 25 points and 15 rebounds could save us.

The team was angry at the loss and rebounded the next game by trashing the Nets 112-75. Once again Detlef had a double-double, this time good for 16 points and 15 rebounds. He also chipped in 4 assists and 3 steals. Leading us in points was Ron with 19. He and Detlef established themselves since Mitch's departure as our most consistent team leaders. Pooh, Scottie, and Alexander, while capable of periodic outbursts, weren't quite at the same level as Ron and Detlef.

We closed out the month with a sweep of the two L.A. teams, the Lakers falling despite Orlando Woolridge's 39 points and 8 rebounds. In fact, the Purple and Gold was 29-42 on the year, due largely to their continued infatuation with Maurice Martin and their insistence that he start at center even though, as I've already mentioned, he was a horrible player who wasn't worthy of starting for anyone, much less a storied franchise such as the Lakers.

And so at month's close, we stood at 58-14. With ten games remaining in our regular season, we'd clinched the Northwest Division crown, as Seattle was now 10.5 games behind us in the divison. We had the number one seed in the playoffs locked up as well, for San Antonio was 13.5 games behind us for the number two seed.

It was success on a level I'd never dreamed of when I first took the job for the 1990 season. If you'd told me then that in our third season, I would have guided the expansion Minnesota Timberwolves to the number one seed in the playoffs, I would have laughed and bought you a beer for telling such a funny joke.

But the joke was more than funny now.

It was reality.

Izulde

07-28-2005, 02:53 PM

To be honest, I didn't know how we would play those last ten games. Would we, having assured ourselves security in the playoffs, start becoming lazy and just go through the motions? Or would we remain sleek and determined to go into the post-season sizzling and intent on peaking for the entireity of the playoffs?

The answer in the early going was the second one, as we reeled off three workmanlike, solid victories over the Suns, Kings, and Jazz that were the product of the same balanced-offense, iron defense that had brought us wins all season long.

Randy continued his dazzling play off the bench during that stretch. Bill just wasn't the same after his last injury and I was now leaning towards not re-signing him, much as I liked Wennington.

Our next game was a 117-89 beating of the Nuggets. Ron scored 32 and Detlef picked up a gem of a double-double in 25 points and 14 rebounds. We were heating up and becoming spectacular at about the right time, I felt.

The Hawks, Warriors, and Jazz again were the next three to fall to us. This was the Pooh stretch, when he piled up 20+ points a game and had several brilliant assists to feed the rest of the offense.

For the second go-round against the Jazz and the easy win against the Sonics afterwards, we were without Scottie, who was sidelined with a small injury. It turned out not to matter, even against Seattle. Volkov played exceptionally well in the small forward spot in place of Scottie and Randy was only too happy to have his old starting job back at center, even if only for a little while.

Tony Campbell told us at the usual supper that he was amazed at how easily we'd dismantled them, by 31 points in fact. He predicted that the East Conference crown would be ours and hoped that we'd be able to take down the Cavaliers, who still looked like the class of the league and a serious threat to repeat.

Reunion time continued in the next game, a meeting against Hubie's Hornets. Though the final score read 116-88, that's a misleading stat. The truth was, we were right tight neck and neck the entire game, and it wasn't until the waning minutes of the last quarter that we finally pulled away. Hubie always wanted to beat us every game and always got his players up for our matchups. Though he'd been having success in New Orleans, he was still bitter about having been fired after that first year.

This game though, no matter how hard the Hornets fought us, and fought well they did, in the end, Randy's 21 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, steal, and incredible 7 blocks just wasn't enough for New Orleans to overcome, especially not when combined with Detlef's double-double of 26 points and 14 rebounds.

In the last contest of the year, we got Scottie back and summarily crushed the Spurs 107-63. San Antonio was helpless to do anything against our suffocating defense, even when Alexander sat down after 3 minutes with 4 fouls, done for the night until the final seconds, when he picked up another foul. Volkov was furious with the refs and his statline filled with 0s and swore to make good in the playoffs.

68-14. That was how we finished. Our last ten games ended up being a beautiful, shimmering streak of 10 victories, with only two of them having looked even close to being losses at any point.

The date with destiny was now set. All across the country, newspapers and even Sports Illustrated chatted up the matchup they thought most likely for the Finals: the champion Cleveland Cavaliers against the pack of snarling, hungry Minnesota Timberwolves.

But first, there were hurdles to be overcome, in the shape of our Eastern Conference opponents.

I'll tell you about the playoffs and get you that season's standings tomorrow. The papers are buried somewhere and I'm feeling tired. My back isn't what it used to be and I need to rest.

Good, I'll see you then. Have a pleasant evening.

Izulde

07-30-2005, 04:22 PM

Hello again. Yes, my back's doing much better. Thank you for asking.

Here's the standings sheets for the 1992 regular season. Forgive me if I'm a bit slow and groggy today. The pain medication I'm on makes me not as sharp as I should be.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1992EastConf.jpg
Can anyone conquer the Cavaliers?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1992WestConf.jpg
A truly weak division when the champ is .500

A couple of things I want to mention about the West Conference that year. Danny Brooklyn was fired from Memphis after the Grizzlies didn't win the 20 games their owner wanted. He came over and I consoled him with a nice dinner of homecooked spaghetti, my speciality. Maybe I'll surprise you with it some day.

Anyway, I told him he'd have a good run of it and that he would probably have a good shot at landing a GM job elsewhere. There were rumours circulating of other positions in the league opening up and I was sure he'd be able to find a place somewhere.

One of those places was thought to possibly be Houston. Despite the addition of Mitch, the Rockets still couldn't muster up more than 25 wins. Hakeem's recovery had gone much slower than anticipated, to the point where he didn't see a single game all season long.

While the ensuing lottery pick would have been nice, they no longer had it as you know. It belonged to us instead as a result of the Mitch trade. As for the star shooting guard himself, well he'd angered the Rockets fans by complaining about the losing and insisting he wanted to be traded to a winner. Like I told Danny over dinner though, he wouldn't be a malcontent once they got Hakeem back the next season and started winning again.

No matter how the playoffs went, I knew that I was going to enjoy the next offseason. We had a guaranteed Top 10 pick, maybe even top 3 or top 5, depending on how the balls bounced, and there weren't going to be any real difficult contract decisions.

Pooh and Ron both had their contracts up. Pooh would definitely be re-signed, Ron was a wait and see proposition depending on how the draft shook out. Anthony Bowie was our other expiring deal and he wasn't going to be resigned, though I did like him quite a bit.

On to the playoffs then.

This is how the first round for each side looked matchup wise that year.

1992 Eastern Conference First Round:
(1) Cleveland vs (8) Milwaukee
(4) Detroit vs (5) Chicago
(3) Atlanta vs (6) Washington
(2) New York vs (7) New Jersey

I knew Cleveland would steamroll the Bucks. Milwaukee wasn't that good to begin with and suffered a serious blow earlier in the month when they lost Alvin Robertson for two months. The only question was if it would be a sweep or not.

Detroit and Chicago was a really tough matchup to call. Jordan versus the tenacious team-oriented Pistons. If there was one thing I'd learned from the season though, it was that teamwork beats talent nine times out of town. So I put my odds on the Pistons winning.

The most interesting matchup of the first round to me was Atlanta and Washington. A couple of minor injuries were nagging the Hawks and might cost them the first game or two, but after that, they'd be able to match the Wizards' two-punch firepower blast in the form of King and Malone. That game or two in the early going would be the difference in the end, I decided, so I gave the nod to Washington.

New York was going to waffle New Jersey. There was no doubt of that in my mind. Ewing was still a top center and I've told you before how much I hated the Nets' front office and their stupidity in a lot of things. Knicks all the way to my eye.

1992 Western Conference First Round:
(1) Minnesota vs (8) L.A. Clippers
(4) Seattle vs (5) Portland
(3) Sacramento vs (6) Utah
(2) San Antonio vs (7) New Orleans

The Clippers were easily the surprise team of the season. An outfit notorious for losing sneaking into the playoffs was a tremendous feat. Though they wouldn't make anyone forget the Purple and Gold, it was a crucial step forward for the Red and White. Unfortunately for them, I knew they wouldn't be able to stop us. Score it to the Timberwolves.

Seattle and Portland was, like the Eastern counterpart, a damn tough choice to call. I liked the Sonics though, and relished the thought of meeting Tony's boys in the second round, so I voted for Seattle's winning out.

.500 that year got you a division title and the number three seed if you were in the right division. The Kings had no business being there and the Jazz were going to blow them out, I felt. No more needs to be said there.

Hubie had the Hornets in the playoffs again, but David Robinson's Spurs were just going to be too much for them to handle. San Antonio in the end was my selection.

We blew apart the Clippers in Game 1 99-78, but I wasn't too happy. We'd had a 20 point lead at the half and let them back in it in the third quarter, even getting as close as 2. Gregg ripped the team's heads off at the intermission leading into the last quarter and they responded by shutting the lesser L.A. squad down. Detlef was the man of the night with his usual double-double. 21 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and a block was his final statline.

The Red and White got inspired after their third quarter showing in Game 1, because the second game of the series was a pitched battle with constant lead changes the whole way. In the end, we prevailed 108-102, once again due mostly to Detlef and his 28 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. Also critical was Randy's contribution of a 17 point, 10 rebound double-double from the bench.

The gloss of the win was wiped away a bit though when we got the report from the trainer after the game. Pooh was down for 11 days and Terrell was knicked up for 3. That meant a makeshift backcourt for at least Game 3, possibly even Game 4. I began to worry that we'd let the series slip away from us in Los Angeles.

In Game 3, the Clippers came charging hard out of the starting gate and had a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter. We rallied in the second frame and took the lead, holding it through the third. Then, in the fourth, we collapsed into another back-and-forth war. A last-second shot by shooting guard Jim Farmer, who finished with 30 on the night, and we lost, 109-108. The heartbreak was near devastating. The drivers' seat we thought was ours had just been pulled out from under us. Not even Detlef's double-double of 26 points and 13 rebounds could save us.

Once more the home team broke out to a fast start and a fair-sized lead in the first quarter in Game 4. But this time when we came back, we didn't let up. None of us wanted to go back home with a 2-2 tie. And we didn't. 101-83 was the final. Once more, it was the Detlef Show, as he finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds. When reporters asked him afterwards if he felt sad about his double-double streak being snapped, he just laughed and said, "Not at all. We won and that's what matters. Besides, Scottie got the double-double for us." And he did. Pippen finished with a beaut of an all-around game. 17 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a block.

Game 5 gives me a headache to think about it even now. We forgot all about how to play defense and the Clippers steamrolled us for most of the game. Only a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback secured us the 109-102 win and the series victory. It wasn't a game we deserved to win by any means. We didn't have any really stars that game either. Scottie had another double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Detlef matched Scottie's point total and got 8 rebounds. Volkov had a double-double of his own with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Terrell contributed 16 points from the bench in his first action back from his injury.

But I didn't complain about the way we'd played. The important thing was that we'd closed out the series and had guaranteed ourselves the second round.

Cleveland did in fact sweep the Bucks as I'd predicted. Milwaukee was simply outclassed in every way possible.

Fellow five-game series winners were the Knicks over the hated Nets, the Spurs over Hubie's Hornets, and the Jazz over the misplaced Kings.

Jordan proved too much for the Pistons, scoring 34 points in Game 6 to get the Bulls into Round 2.

Two series went to Game 7 and when all was said and done, the Hawks handily beat the Wizards to advance and poor Seattle dropped a 110-109 heartbreaker to the Trailblazers, allowing Portland into the second round. It was us who took Tony out to dinner after that night, as he was really depressed after the loss. We did our best to cheer him up and I gave him courtside seats to the opening home game for us in the next round.

1992 Eastern Conference Second Round
(1) Cleveland vs (5) Chicago
(3) Atlanta vs (2) New York

There was no way Jordan and Rice could make up for the firepower that the Cavaliers had in my mind. Cleveland was going to roll onto the Conference Finals, no doubt about it.

Atlanta and New York was another easy matchup. Ewing was simply too dominant and there were too many other pretty good players on the Knicks for the Hawks to win, though I figured the Redbirds would make a good show of it at least.

1992 Western Conference Second Round
(1) Minnesota vs (5) Portland
(6) Utah vs (2) San Antonio

The Trailblazers were going to be a tougher test than the Clippers had been, but I still thought we had enough to be able to best them, especially once we got Pooh back, who was scheduled to return after the first game.

Utah against San Antonio was a lot harder matchup to predict, but in the end, I surmised that Robinson and his merry band of Spurs would join us in the Conference Finals.

Buoyed by the news that Pooh was coming back the next game and determined to exact revenge for Tony, who'd accepted the tickets and was in attendance, we reamed the Traiblazers 125-96 in Game 1. Detlef had 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists to lead the way. Ron contributed 22 points, 4 rebounds 3 assists, a steal, and a surprising 3 blocks. Randy punched in 19 points from the bench. In short, it was a spirited and united team effort, the most complete victory we'd had yet in the playoffs.

With Pooh's return, we went back to our balanced offense, bearish defense ways and scored an easy 93-69 win in Game 2. Volkov had a 16 point, 10 rebound double-double and Pooh celebrated his chance to play again with a double-double of his own, to the tune of 12 points and 13 assists. There was no doubt he was the straw that really stirred our drink.

We went to Portland with a 2-0 series lead in hand and came away with a stinging 111-103 loss due largely to the noisy home crowd and a second half collapse that saw our lead evaporate and never be regained. In spite of Volkov's double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds and Detlef's of 11 points and 12 rebounds, and even in spite of Pooh's 23 points, it just wasn't enough to seize us that critical third win.

The Blazers were glavanized by their success in Game 3 and carried it over into Game 4, where they led box to wire and withstood a fast and furious rally attempt by us in the fourth quarter, getting the win 98-95 in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the score indicated. Clyde Drexler tore us apart for 33 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal. Had the fight gone out of the Timberwolves? Would we become frustrated now and go down in flames now that things were tied up 2-2?

I found out the answer in Game 5. Returning to home, we were sluggish in the first half, all save for Detlef, who had 10 rebounds by halftime already. Nonetheless, it was good for a lead that stayed right up until the last second of the third quarter, when Terry Porter hit a shot that gave them the lead. My heart sank when I saw that bucket. I was sure we would fall apart down the stretch yet again.

That didn't happen. Gregg tersely lectured the team as he'd done several times before going into the fourth quarter and the end result was that we dominated the final section of play. Dominated it so much that we won 96-71. Detlef was the hero of the game with 22 points, 14 rebounds, an assist and a steal. Scottie picked up another playoff double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. We were now up 3-2 and had the coveted driver's seat.

Game 6 in Portland was one for the ages. We jumped out to a 10 point first quarter lead that was cut to four by halftime. By the third quarter we were trading leads with the Trailblazers and went into the last period up by a single point. The fourth quarter was another taut, heartpounding string of minutes. Cheers roared from the homers as Portland began to pull away, but then we wrestled back and tied it 102-102.

With just 11 seconds remaining on the clock, the Trailblazers inbounded the ball and started towards half-court, with a play designed in mind to get Drexler the ball.

They never made it to the other side.

Ron got his second steal of the game just before Porter crossed over into our side. Detlef saw the move and raced down the court ahead of the rest of everyone else. The ball pounded into our power forward's hands just inside the 3-point arc on the pass from Ron.

Detlef took a deep breath, raised up, and fired.

The single second on the game clock expired midshot.

Everyone in the arena, players, coaches, and fans, watched in silence as the ball soared through the air.

Thunk.

The ball hit the backboard.

Rumble rumble.

We watched the orange ball roll forward.

Swiiiiish.

Through the net.

104-102.

The win was ours and we were headed to the Conference Finals!

...Forgive me. It's just that whenever I think about that moment again, I find myself going back there and I just get lost in the memory. It's one of the sweetest I have, you know.

In fact, would you mind terribly if I waited until tomorrow to tell you about the rest of the playoffs? I want to keep the rest of that memory with me today, drink an iced tea, and relive every moment of that game again.

Why yes, as a matter of fact I do have a tape of that game. You want to see it?

All right, sounds good. I'll get us some iced tea and the tape then.

Izulde

08-02-2005, 07:28 PM

Good game wasn't it? That last play is one of my favourites to watch. I'm glad you liked the iced tea. It's a recipe that Mrs. Arcadia taught me while we were dating, but I'm not going to bore you with our love story.

It's the basketball you want to hear about.

The upset of the ages happened over in the Eastern Conference after we beat the Trailblazers. One of the Bulls scored 50 points to knock off the defending champion Cavaliers.

Jordan, you say? Wrong.

It was none other than Glen Rice, the former Timberwolf. 12 for 17 from the floor, 4 for 7 from 3-point range and 22 for 24 from the charity stripe to be the difference and then some in Chicago's 111-102 series-clinching victory.

I called and congratulated him on that amazing feat right after I heard about it. He thanked me and told me how much he loved it in Chicago and that he was really happy he'd been traded for. Playing every night with Jordan inspired him with confidence and helped him to become a better player.

I didn't regret trading him, though. Scottie had helped to take us up to the level we were now at. If we still had Glen, I don't think we'd even have been in the Western Conference Finals. It was one of those trades that had worked out perfectly for each team and given them exactly what they needed.

The conference final matchups were set when the Hawks upset the Knicks in New York in Game 7 and, over in San Antonio, the Spurs dodged a bullet, escaping the Jazz by a single point, 95-94, also in Game 7.

Truth was, I was a little bit disappointed over the Jazz not winning. We matched up better against Utah than we did San Antonio and the Spurs advancing made me really worry about how we would fare in the conference title round.

1992 Eastern Conference Finals:
(3) Atlanta vs (5) Chicago

There was no way that I could see the Hawks beating the Bulls. Chicago looked like a team of destiny and I really wanted the chance to face off against Jordan and Glen in the Finals if we made it that far.

That being said, Atlanta had quite a couple former Timberwolves on them as well, and we had an old Hawk, Volkov, as our starting center. So no matter who the winner was, it'd be reunion time in Minneapolis.

1992 Western Conference Finals:
(1) Minnesota vs (2) San Antonio

As I said, I was really worried going into the series. Robinson was one of the dominant centers in the league and Cummings was a damn good player too. I figured it'd go down to Game 7, in any case, and it could go either way.

Game 1 turned out to be a cakewalk as we won 113-83. Gregg had Robinson doubleteamed whenever he was in and as a result the Admiral went just 1 for 9 from the field and none of the other Spurs was able to step up.

Randy was the man of the night, scoring 22 points from the bench and adding on 8 rebounds, an assist, and 4 blocks after Detlef got into major foul trouble fairly early on. 1-0 Timberwolves.

Early in Game 2, it looked as though we were going to have another easy victory, but then the Spurs came roaring back in the second half and closed the gap. Unfortunately for them, we found our shooting stroke just in time and got out of the Target Center with a 103-98 win and a critical 2-0 series lead.

The double-team didn't work against Robinson this game, as he scored 27 points and his teammates woke up and started shooting better, too. But in the end, they were no match for Detlef's double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds, or Randy coming through for us again from the bench. He got 20 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and an astounding 6 blocks. His stellar play after Bill got hurt again and started becoming less effective had been an unexpected boon and one that was keeping us alive in those playoffs.

I expected a ferocious battle when the series switched to San Antonio for Game 3, but that didn't happen. We broke out with an early lead, the Spurs hung with us for a while, and then we pulled away, never once looking back. The end result was a 110-85 victory and the coveted driver's seat of a 3-0 series lead. Robinson was once again shut down by Gregg's doubleteam schemes, so effectively so that he only took four shots all night. We won with our balanced offense, epitomized by Ron's all-around player of the game performance of 19 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks.

With their backs against the wall, I knew the Spurs were going to come out fighting hard in Game 4. And they did. They took the lead a few times in the first quarter, but by the middle of the second quarter, we'd widened our lead to a considerable gap and San Antonio was just too worn out to have any hope of catching us. We won 102-83 and swept the team that I feared most in the conference.

Detlef came through with his usual double-double, this time good for 24 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal to lead us. He was without question the most key player I'd ever picked up in a trade and as I'd done so many times before, I gave thanks after our win that I'd gotten him.

Minnesota Timberwolves. Western Conference Champions. The words were beautiful when I heard them announced over the P.A., and they sounded even more likey honey when I said them to myself.

In three short years, we'd gone from expansion team to conference champions.

Now all that remained was to see if we could knock down the last hurdle standing in our way and become... the NBA champions.

Izulde

08-04-2005, 07:50 PM

1992 NBA Finals
(1) Minnesota vs (3) Atlanta

Yes, it was the Hawks we played for the NBA championship that year. Atlanta soundly thrashed the Bulls 110-93 in Game 6 to capture the Eastern crown behind Dominique Wilkins' double-double of 32 points and 10 rebounds. He was their Detlef, only a bona fide superstar.

I have here an article that appeared in the Tribune shortly before the opening game of the finals.

Wolves Set To Down Hawks In NBA Finals

Nobody, not even the most optimistic of fans, would have predicted in 1990 that just three seasons later, the Minnesota Timberwolves would be playing for a championship, but that is precisely what has happened.

Much of the credit goes to GM Gabriel Arcadia. An unknown to the casual NBA fan, Arcadia built the Lacrosse Purple Knights of the Independant Midwest League into a perennial championship contender, and it was this success at the semipro level that led to his hiring just before the 1990 season began.

A series of deft moves by the general manager quickly laid the foundation for the Wolves' fast track to success. Mitch Richmond came from Golden State and was a popular star the first couple of years when the team needed a face from the franchise. Bill Wennington proves a valuable free agent pickup and has been a solid player, his recent slump notwithstanding. There were the blockbuster trades for Scottie Pippen and Detlef Schrempf that solidified the team at the forward positions and promoted the Timberwolves to the next level, propelling them to this, the brink of an NBA title.

Perhaps the most important decision by Arcadia, however, was the letting go of Hubie Brown after the first season and hiring Gregg Popovich as the team's head coach. The Timberwolves have made the playoffs the last two seasons under Popovich's leadership and possess the league's stingiest defense and best ball-control.

When the Hawks face the Timberwolves in tonight's opening game, there will be familiar faces for both teams on each side. Former Timberwolf Tyrone Hill has become the Hawks' 6th man in the wake of starting center Kevin Willis's injury against the Bulls that will knock him out for the Finals. On the other end, Alexander Volkov has been an unexpected windfall for the Timberwolves after his move from Atlanta in the draft-day trade that allowed Minnesota to move up three spots and select Terrell Brandon.

Expected to be no more than a contributing bench player, Volkov won the starting center job before the season started and has played very well for the Timberwolves, even showing flashes of brilliance. More importantly, his emergence has allowed Popovich the luxury of moving former starter Randy Breuer to the 6th man role, where he has exploded coming off the bench in the second half of the season.

While it will be a tough series for the home team, even with Willis out for the next two months, I predict we'll see the T-Wolves win this one in six games. Minneapolis will become the new Titletown."

***End Article***

I have to admit, I felt nervous when I read that column. It was putting too much pressure on us, pressure that I didn't want. I never have liked being the favourite. Then again, I don't like being an overwhelming underdog, either. I suppose I like the second place position best, where I'm still not expected to win, but I'm in a very good position to pull off the upset.

Game 1 opened up with a 3 point basket from Pooh. We went box to wire from there, with the Hawks unable to do anything to stop us. The final score was 123-83, our balanced offense the usual suspect in the win. Pooh had a double-double of 12 points and 14 assists and Randy chipped in with 20 points and 8 rebounds from the bench, the former the team high for the night, the latter the game high. As you can tell by that stat, both teams were concentrating on having as good a shot selection as they could manage. That first victory was a huge relief to me.

I thought Game 2 would be a lot closer, especially after Bill was knicked up in the last game and declared out for four days, and I was right. In fact, we were losing at the end of the first quarter after we went on a cold streak. Midway through the second frame, we got the lead and held it the rest of the way, but it wasn't easy. Atlanta battled us and hung close all throughout the second half and it wasn't until the last minute or two that we finally pulled away for the 108-96 win that was nowhere near as dominant as the final tally suggests.

Once more it was Pooh who was one of the keys, as he earned Player of the Game honors with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Ron chipped in 20 points as well, and Detlef picked up a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds.

I felt a little sorry for Dominique Wilkins. He'd been doing everything he could to keep the Hawks in the series, scoring 22 points in Game 1 and getting 22 points again in Game 2 as part of a double-double of 22 and 10 rebounds. But it just wasn't enough, as Atlanta returned home down two games to zero.

We started Game 3 with a 6-0 run, but it didn't last. Atlanta grabbed the lead back by the end of the first after our shooting went cold. The second quarter was a dogfight, with lead changes every few seconds it seems, but by the time the halftime buzzer sounded, we were down by one. In the third quarter, the Hawks broke the game open, seizing a double digit lead. From there, they gave us a taste of our own medicine, controlling us the entire rest of the game and never letting get us within sniffing distance of stealing the game away. 99-80 was the final.

I no longer felt sorry for Dominique Wilkins after the game, but did find myself admiring him all the more. Determined not to give us the driver's seat, he almost singlehandedly led Atlanta to the win and was the clear Player of the Game with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block.

As we went into Game 4, I hoped we could get the win and put ourselves in the driver's seat, but that didn't happen. As in Game 3, we kicked off a lead, but lost it by the end of the first quarter. We continued to try and play catch-up in the second quarter but couldn't pull it off and went into the locker room down by five. Quarter 3 went much better as we narrowed the gap to two by the end of the period and were only down 82-84. Then, in the final frame, the Hawks broke us, just as they did in Game 3, and they got the critical series-tying win 115-104.

Once more it was Dominique Wilkins who crushed us and was named Player of the Game for the second consecutive contest. 38 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists was his final statline. Little Spud Webb suddenly woke up for the Hawks as well, adding 25 points and 8 assists to Atlanta's cause, exceeding Pooh's 21 points and 8 assists for our side.

We were still in Atlanta for Game 5, but by this time, the team was mad. They didn't need Gregg to yell at them, because they held a players' meeting by themselves. Though I never did find out what precisely happened in there, I heard afterwards that Detlef and Randy tore into their teammates and told them to wake up and start playing to their potential.

It worked, because we blasted the Hawks right from the start, the score 35-18 at the end of the first. We widened our lead by another three points in the second quarter, but the Hawks cut the margin by eight in the third. In the fourth, we shut down all hopes of the home team's taking the driver's seat as we outscored them 29-27. 110-96 was the final, but the exact score didn't matter. All that was important was that we now had the crucial 3-2 lead.

Pooh led us with 23 points and 9 assists, once again proving my fundamental belief that he was the key to everything we did in our offense. Scottie added in 23 points and Ron picked up 9 points and 10 rebounds.

We finally got to go home for Game 6 in Minneapolis. There was a sellout crowd and the place was going crazy. Everyone wanted to see us win the title on our home court, and to be honest, I was among the everyone. The Twin Cities had been very loyal in their support of us and I wanted to repay them with a championship won at home.

Things started off slow, very slow. Midway through the first quarter, it was just 4-4. The defenses were tight and unrelenting. Then we got a 6-0 run to go up 10-4 and from there, we just zoomed away, leaving the Hawks choking in the dust from our rapid expansion of our lead. By the time it was all over, the scoreboard gleamed red with the final score of 110-91.

I broke down crying when I saw that. On the court, Detlef and Pooh were carrying Gregg to the ladder to cut down one of the nets. It was a beautiful scene and I sat there mesmerized.

Then the door to my suite burst open.

I looked and there was Randy running through the doorway to grab my hand and pull me out of my seat.

"Randy" I blubbered through my tears, "I'm sorry that Gregg benched you. You always did well for us and you were great for us from the bench."

"Don't worry about it. Come on, Mr. Arcadia! The other net belongs to you! We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you!" Randy wasn't about to let me out of this one.

And so the entire arena and probably half the country watched as I was led by Randy down the bleachers and joined by some of the other celebrating players.

Cheering, screaming, crying people were all around me, as the fans had surged on to the court after the final buzzer had sounded. But when they saw me there, they parted to clear a path to the net still uncut. I have to admit, it wasn't entirely of their own doing. A few of my players and security guards helped them to get out of the way.

My heart pounded as I took those hesistant, slow steps to the short ladder. I couldn't believe this was happening. This still didn't seem real to me, none of it did.

I felt a little embarassed as everyone fell silent and turned to watch me make that trip, my face a mess of tears and my hair wild and tousled in all the fuss.

But then I climbed those last few steps and reached up with the scissors that somebody, I think it may have been Bill, handed it to me.

Snip. Snip. Snip.

With three long cuts, the net was freed and floated down into my arms.

I clutched the white cords and turned, holding up the trophy to the watching crowd.

They cheered and again I wept.

Minnesota Timberwolves, 1992 NBA Champions. The sweetest words I have ever heard.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/Timberwolveschampions.jpg

Izulde

08-05-2005, 01:55 AM

Oh and I just have to add, this was the very first text-sim title I've accomplished since the Mogul days on Easy Level (and even a blind monkey with rabies could pull that off) so I'm feeling proud of myself, especially since I set Arcadia's evaluations all to the lowest level and only had the second-best charisma of Liked (since it fit the story of the character).

Izulde

08-08-2005, 04:35 PM

Shortly after the weeklong celebration in the Twin Cities at last tapered off into an immense sense of satisfaction and quiet joy, the season awards came out. To be perfectly honest, I doubted we would see any recognition on there, other than Gregg as Coach of the Year. That I suspected would be a shoo-in and maybe Terrell would make the All-Rookie Second Team. Anything more than that would be an unexpected bonus.

MVP:
Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
33.3 ppg 3.8 apg 5.9 rpg 0.8 bpg 1.7 spg

Defensive Player of the Year
David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs
22.2 ppg 1.8 apg 10.9 rpg 2.8 bpg 0.8 spg

6th Man of the Year
Sam Vincent - Orlando Magic
11.5 ppg 5.7 apg 2.5 rpg 0.1 bpg 1.0 spg

Rookie of the Year
Dikembe Mutombo - Sacramento Kings
10.1 ppg 2.0 apg 8.4 rpg 2.5 bpg 0.7 spg

Coach of the Year
Lenny Wilkens - Cleveland Cavaliers

All-League First Team
PG Mark Price - Cleveland Cavaliers
SG Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
SF Ricky Pierce - Milwaukee Bucks
PF Karl Malone - Utah Jazz
C David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs

All-League Second Team
PG Kevin Johnson - Phoenix Suns
SG Clyde Drexler - Portland Trailblazers
SF Dominique Wilkins - Atlanta Hawks
PF Kevin McHale - Boston Celtics
C Brad Daugherty - Cleveland Cavaliers

All-League Third Team
PG Terry Porter - Portland Trailblazers
SG Magic Johnson - L.A. Lakers
SF Bernard King - Washington Wizards
PF Larry Nance - Cleveland Cavaliers
C Roy Tarpley - Dallas Mavericks

All-Defense First Team
PG Nate McMillan - Seattle Sonics
SG Ron Harper - Minnesota Timberwolves
SF Scottie Pippen - Minnesota Timberwolves
PF Karl Malone - Utah Jazz
C David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs

All-Defense Second Team
PG John Stockton - Utah Jazz
SG Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
SF Chris Mullin - Golden State Warriors
PF Derrick Coleman - Charlotte Bobcats
C Dikembe Mutombo - Sacramento Kings

All-Rookie First Team
PG Greg Anthony - Detroit Pistons
SG Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf - Miami Heat
SF Richard Dumas - L.A. Clippers
PF Chris Gatling - Toronto Raptors
C Dikembe Mutomobo - Sacramento Kings

All-Rookie Second Team
PG Erick Murdock - Denver Nuggets
SG Elliott Perry - Utah Jazz
SF Rick Fox - Minnesota Timberwolves
PF Doug Smith - San Antonio Spurs
C Isaac Austin - Phoenix Suns

In the end, the voters decided to go with the Cavs' impressive win total when selecting the Coach of the Year. I wasn't too disappointed, though. I knew Gregg would have lots of chances down the line to get the nod.

Lenny's selection as Coach of the Year was just one of many repeats from last year. I was pleased to see that Scottie and Ron both got named to the All-Defense First Team. Not only did it mark a return to the list for them, but it also represented a promotion, as before they'd been All-Defense Second Teamers. I still wasn't sure if I was going to retain Ron or not. Things were just going to have unfold as they would and I'd decide later on.

Rick's All-Rookie Second Team status was largely due to two things: 1) His exceptional performance with the Jazz before he became a bit player for us after the trade, and 2) The fact that the draft that year was heavy on point guards and centers, and pretty weak on everything else. I was disheartened to see that Terrell didn't get a second team mention and in no way did I agree with Greg Anthony's being a first-team selection. I had a hunch the tale of their careers would prove me right.

There were some exciting things outside of the Timberwolves news that season in the awards, too. Derrick Coleman was fast on his way to becoming a complete all-around player and, much more to my pleasure, Dikembe dominated the awards boards that year, proving my prediction before the draft that he was the best damn player available and that the Magic were foolish in taking Dale Davis and passing on Mutombo. The Kings got themselves a steal that draft day.

The draft lottery followed a couple weeks after and it was a very exciting time for me. Not only had we just finished off a championship season, but we were guaranteed a very high lottery selection. So high, in fact, that when the balls started bouncing in the bin, we had the third-best chance of locking up the number 1 selection. Never before had I been in so great a position.

First came pick #14. Slated to go to Charlotte, it stayed there. One down.

#13 remained in Orlando, which I was pleased by. Orlando's earlier luck in draft lotteries was quite vexing, especially after they blew the #1 pick in the last draft. Two down.

Boston kept #12. Three down.

The Raptors were stuck at #11. Four down and I was starting to hope that maybe things would play out according to plan and that we'd at least stay at #3.

Dallas was due to go next and they did, staying put at #10. So far, so good.

The balls continued to bounce our way when Philadelphia didn't budge from #9.

My rivals, Golden State. Would Fate vex me by giving them a high selection, I wondered? No, they stayed at #8. I sighed in pleasure, feeling as though I'd thwarted my rivals. For some reason, we'd never lost the sense of rivalry that developed between our clubs after the Richmond trade, though I still don't know why. It made for some good, intense games though, whenever we met. New Orleans and Seattle were also rivals at the time, though the Hornets were because of Hubie and the Sonics both because of division rivalry and because of Tony.

The stupid, stupid Lakers, makers of moronic front-office moves, were rewarded for their ineptitude by given no shift from their initial position of #7.

Then the bad news came. Denver fell from #4 to #6. That could only mean one thing: Phoenix and Indiana jumped into the top three. I winced when I saw the pick flash on the board. Would we, too, fall, down to fifth?

No, for it was the Heat who came crashing down like the ball of flame that was their logo. Miami dropped from #2 all the way down to #5. I imagined I could hear the thump of pain all the way from South Florida.

As I watched the #4 selection pop up, I couldn't help but feel glad that Danny was no longer the GM for the Grizzlies. Memphis, eternally cursed with bad luck, was once again bitten by misfortune, as they freefell from #1 to #4. Now I could smile. Now I knew we were guaranteed to at least stay the course and maybe even move up.

Oh yes, I have to tell you now while I'm thinking of it. Danny got the job with the Rockets after the owner fired the GM for giving up a lottery pick for Mitch. Despite not having a first-round selection, I knew Danny would be in good shape next year. Hakeem was coming back and if he re-signed Mitch, he'd have a good offensive core to work with. The Rockets would go back to winning and Mitch would be happy again.

I leapt out of my chair and began dancing for joy when #3 came up. The colours were not grey, blue, and black on the image, but blue and gold. Indiana had jumped from #5 to #3. More importantly, we had one of the first two selections in the draft.

And as it turned out, we got the #2 pick, which I was immensely happy about. Sure it would have been nice to get #1, but going from #3 to #2 was still a huge improvement, especially when we could've gone through the same freefall as the Heat and the Grizzlies.

The #1 selection went to Phoenix, by the way. The Suns truly had risen, after falling to pieces in the years following their 1990 championship season.

Karlifornia

08-08-2005, 07:30 PM

I'm following this, and enjoying it.

Izulde

08-08-2005, 10:21 PM

I'm following this, and enjoying it.

Thanks! :) I'm glad to hear it.

JeeberD

08-09-2005, 09:31 AM

Wow, you have a shot at either Shaq or Zo. The rich get richer...

Edit: And if he's around for your second round pick, you gotta grab Marlon Maxey... :)

Izulde

08-09-2005, 03:20 PM

Wow, you have a shot at either Shaq or Zo. The rich get richer...

Edit: And if he's around for your second round pick, you gotta grab Marlon Maxey... :)

Yeah, I really lucked out here. Center has been my Achilles heel ever since I started. Sure Volkov, Wennington, and Breuer are all decent centers, even pretty good ones, but they're all starting to get towards the wrong side of 30 if they're not there already and I'm really hungry for a dominant center, an Ewing, Hakeem, or Robinson type.

On the other hand, I may go a different route completely. :D Just have to wait and see.

Marlon Maxey... got it. I'll see what I can do since second-rounders usually don't do much on my team, though I really liked how Stacey Augmon was doing before I traded him away. :)

Izulde

08-09-2005, 09:37 PM

Before I tell you about the draft, let me show you the regular season and playoff stats for that championship year.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1992RegStats.jpg
1992 Regular Season Stats

The numbers for Bannister are misleading as after being traded from the Jazz, he was chained to the IR list and not allowed to even think of reaching the active roster. Detlef led us in points by the slimmest of margins and was easily our best rebounder, further reaffirming my belief that he and Pooh were the cornerstone stars of the team and the closest thing to franchise players we had. Ron's numbers also gave me something to think about as I debated whether or not to resign him.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1992PlayoffStats.jpg
1992 Playoff Stats

Remember how often I've told you about Detlef's clutch playmaking? Well, as you can see from those stats, he validated the claim that year by being far and away the best player on the team. Pooh stepped up his game as well and Ron continued his strong play in the postseason.

After seeing all these statistics, I began to think that we would resign Ron after all, if his demands weren't too exorbiant, that is. The mid-level exemption salary was about what I liked him to be at, but fresh off an NBA 1st Team Defense selection, I had a hunch his demands would skyrocket.

Bill's falloff meant that I would try and trade him in the offseason. With one year left, his $7.4 million expiring contract was sure to appeal to somebody and the fact remained that he was still a solid player. There was just no way he was going to surpass Randy and Volkov anymore in my opinion. Besides, I was looking for a franchise center in the draft.

But before the draft began, there was a coaching matter to be decided. In a bit of foolishness on my part caused by the excitement of having the number two pick in the draft, I'd forgotten to call second assistant Mike O'Koren to see about renewing his contract. I cursed myself for that one, but decided to make the best of it and see who was available in the pool.

I eventually settled on Brendan Malone as my first choice. Average at scouting the current abilities of players, he was good at strategy, and, more importantly for the franchise player I hoped we could get with the #2 pick, good at determining potential and development. That he was a good strategist and believed in the same offensive scheme as Gregg and top assistant Bill Fitch was an added bonus. But alas, he signed with the Nuggets as their 1st assistant.

So then I turned my attention to Hal Wissel, good at evaluating defense and potential, okay at everything else. He got stolen too, by Danny's old team, the Grizzlies, also for the top assistant job.

Now down to the bare bottom of the barrel, I made an offer to Don Casey, good at scouting potential, bad at recognizing the good defenders, and average at anything else. He'd had one year of head coaching experience and had stunk at it, but I decided to give him a second chance at new life in Minneapolis. Thankfully, he signed, even though I wasn't that sure of him.

Once again there was a huge amount of turnover in the head coaching ranks that year. Enough so that a full third of league would be sporting new top men in the coming season.

Don Chaney - Philadelphia 76ers
Jim Lynam - Dallas Mavericks
Pat Riley - New Jersey Nets
Willis Reed - Miami Heat
Jack Ramsay - Denver Nuggets
Cotton Fitzsimmons - Indiana Pacers
Rudy Tomjanovich - L.A. Lakers
John Macleod - Houston Rockets
Dick Harter - Memphis Grizzlies
Matt Guokas - Phoenix Suns

Chaney came into Philadelphia with a 118-128 overall record in 3 years of coaching, but two of those three years, he'd taken his team to the playoffs. A genius on the floor, he liked a fast, high-pressure game, was very good at picking out offensive stars, good at defensive and rookie evaluations, and average at development. This was one hiring I really liked.

Dallas's new head man, Lynam, was another guy with 3 years of coaching, two playoffs, and a sub .500 record at 122-124. I wasn't impressed with him, though. He was literally average in everything.

For as much bashing as I did of the Nets, I had to applaud their move in landing Pat Riley. He was a carbon copy of Chaney in every way, save for the fact that he'd posted a winning record up to that point of 125-121.

Reed, like Chaney and Lynam, three years coaching, two playoffs, 119-127 record. Good at tactics, he liked his offenses to be blazing fast with high pressure on D. Very good at offensive and potential scouting, he was terrible at estimating defensive abilities, but could develop players well. I loved this hiring for the Heat. Maybe now Miami would get a coach they could stick with, and if nothing else, he was going make our former expansion mates a fun team to watch.

Ramsay had 3 years experience, a .sub 500 record, but only had one postseason appearance. Like Lynam, he didn't excite me in the least, but he was good at youngster scouting, something the Nuggets needed.

Fitzsimmons landed in Indiana after being fired by the Suns. In three years of coaching, the championship he won with Phoenix in 1990 was his only postseason appearance, but he still had a good record at 131-115, was a good tactician, ran an speedy offense, and knew how to find the players to fit his scheme. His defense left something to be desired, but with Dan Issel as his top assistant and his number two and three men complementary to his scheme, that wasn't something to be worried about. I predicted Indiana was going to enjoy a resurgence in 1993.

The Purple and Gold were desperate for a coach who could restore them to the glory years, so they took a shot in the dark at a guy a lot like our own Gregg. So much like him, in fact, that the only differences were that Rudy liked a little bit faster offense and wasn't as good as a defensive scout as Gregg. Everything else was the same. Only time would tell if it'd mark the return of the Lakers to postseason form, but I had to say, it was a damn good hiring after that stupid Maurice Martin obsession.

I'm not sure why Danny hired John Macleod as the head man. First assistant Jeff Van Gundy was a better option in every respect, as Macleod was average all around. It was about that time that I began to wonder if maybe Danny wasn't cut out to be an NBA GM after all.

Danny's older employers were now taking the defensive route, hoping to emulate the success we'd had on D in our championship season. Dick Harter had been around for three years and had yet to post a winning season or get in the playoffs. That wasn't all his fault though, because he was good at coaching and was very good at scouting defensive talent. Unfortunately he couldn't pick an offensive talent to save his life and was only average at potential and development.

Matt Guokas was one of those guys who was an average coach and a good scout. Not the most exciting hiring in the world, and I personally would have gone with a youngsters' kind of coach, but this was Phoenix, who seemed determined to prove their title had been a fluke.

The 1992 draft was my favourite one up to that point. Not only did we have the number two and twenty-ninth picks in the first round, but Christian Laettner, my favourite player in college since I'd become the GM, had now graduated from Duke after a championship season in his senior year and was available for the drafting.

The name on everyone's lips, though, was Shaquille O'Neal. After dominating the college competition at LSU, he now was in the draft and was the consensus #1 in every publication. Center, Shaq's position, was our biggest area of need and I was salivating over the prospect of getting this big man or another quality center.

We were lucky in that regard, because the 1992 draft was chock full of dynamite big men. Alonzo Mourning out of Georgetown was another star center, picked uniformly to go to us with the number two pick. Other impressive big men looked to be Laettner, center Matt Geiger from Georgia Tech, and center Marlon Maxey out of UTEP.

With the twenty-ninth pick, the publication I read most often had us selecting a shooting guard I'd never heard of. I wasn't interested in him. They were right in that I was looking at shooting guard for the late first-rounder, though. Either that or power forward, though in both cases it was largely for depth. I sent out my invitations and waited with eager anticipation for the returns.

Draft Night 1993. The Suns had drafted centers in the first round the last two drafts, but the chance to get a superb big man of the kind of caliber that was available at the top of the draft would likely prove too much for Phoenix to resist.

After looking over the scouting reports I'd gotten from my staff, it was clear. Shaquille was definitely better than Alonzo in every possible way, but Alonzo was still head and shoulders above everybody else that we'd scouted. Just on a whim, I decided to call up Phoenix's GM and see what it would take to land the #1 pick.

We negotiated a bit and then I offered them a swap of the #2 pick and Rick Fox for the #1 pick and Danny Ferry. Ferry was a year older, not as well developed, and didn't have quite as much potential as Rick, but they played the same position and I loved his intangibles and one-year contract.

The Suns accepted, and just like that, we had the #1 overall selection in the draft.

I wasted no time at all in sending up the card. Stern's voice as it sounded over the microphone was beautiful, simply beautiful. Here's the audio recording.

"We have a trade. The Phoenix Suns have traded the first pick of the first round in this year's draft, the first overall selection, and small forward Danny Ferry to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the second pick of the first round in this year's draft, the second overall selection, and small forward Rick Fox."

Shh. Here comes the best part.

"And with that first overall selection, the Minnesota Timberwolves select... center Shaquille O'Neal out of LSU."

The rest of his words got washed out in the roar of the crowd as you just heard. The Phoenix fans were furious and the Timberwolves fans were ecstatic. We'd just pulled off the coup of the century and solved our starting center problems for the next ten years.

As the mock draft predicted, and as I would have done myself had we not made the deal, Alonzo Mourning went to the Suns with the next pick.

1993 First Round Selections

1. C Shaquille O'Neal (Minnesota Timberwolves)
2. C Alonzo Mourning (Phoenix Suns)
3. PF Tom Gugliotta (Indiana Pacers)
4. SF Todd Day (Memphis Grizzlies)
5. PF Christian Laettner (Miami Heat)
6. SF Sean Green (Denver Nuggets)
7. PG Robert Pack (L.A. Lakers)
8. PG Randy Woods (Golden State Warriors)
9. C Oliver Miller (Philadelphia 76ers)
10. PG Brent Price (Dallas Mavericks)
11. C Matt Geiger (Toronto Raptors)
12. C Bison Dele (Boston Celtics)
13. SF Walt Williams (Orlando Magic)
14. PF David Benoit (Charlotte Bobcats)
15. SG Doug Christie (L.A. Clippers)
16. SG Latrell Sprewell (Sacramento Kings)
17. C Marlon Maxey (New Jersey Nets) (There's your boy, Jeeber)
18. PG Tharon Mayes (Milwaukee Bucks)
19. PG Litterial Green (New Orleans Hornets)
20. PG Tony Bennett (Utah Jazz)
21. SF Don Maclean (Washington Wizards)
22. SF Paul Graham (Atlanta Hawks)
23. SF Tracy Murray (Chicago Bulls)
24. C Top Copa (New York Knicks)
25. SF Jim Jackson (San Antonio Spurs)
26. C Adam Keefe (Portland Trailblazers)
27. PG Charles Thomas (Detroit Pistons)
28. SF Laphonso Ellis (Seattle Supersonics)
29. PF Robert Horry (Minnesota Timberwolves)
30. SG Harold Miner (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Horry was a player I considered to be a steal that late in the first round. The report I'd gotten on him said he had top notch defensive talent, something that fit in perfectly with our scheme. In my opinion he'd make a nice backup to Detlef, even if he never did turn into a good enough scorer to be anything more than a key bench player.

The other guy I was looking at with that pick was shooting guard Anthony Peeler. I had a hunch he wouldn't make it all the way down to the twenty-second pick in the second round, but neither would have Horry, in my opinion, and I liked Robert's intangibles and defense better, so I chose him.

Good thing too, because the first two picks in the second round were both power forwards, guys I didn't consider to be anywhere near Horry's potential. Peeler wound up going to the Orlando Magic with pick #12 in round 2, so I was in a situation where I was just going to take a flyer on a guy.

Or so I thought. After taking a closer look when we came up again with the 22nd pick in the 2nd round, I saw that shooting guard Hubert Davis from North Carolina, who we'd scouted was still available. Pretty average guy all around, but he had high durability and consistency. True his work ethic was pretty bad, he didn't have a good personality, and he wasn't that bright, but he was still good enough for me to pick up that late in the draft, rather than take a total jump at a complete unknown. So we drafted him.

That's the story of the 1993 draft, one of the most thrilling, exciting, and satisfying ones I've ever had, even after all these years. We'd drafted a franchise player at the position we needed one at, gotten a backup power forward who would fit nicely on our bench behind Detlef, and picked up a guy who had the potential to turn into something okay.

Best of all, it was all coming off a championship year and our prospects for a a dynasty had suddenly brightened immensely.

I'll tell you about the rest of the offseason tomorrow. I'm thinking it's Dairy Queen time, don't you? It's been a while since we've been there.

Good, just let me get my coat. Don't worry about the money. I'll pay for it. My treat.

JeeberD

08-09-2005, 11:19 PM

Nice coup in getting Shaq. You should me a dominant team for years to come...

I'm amazed that Marlon is good enough to go that high in the game, he was a marginal pro player in real life. Hopefully he develps well and helps the Nets out. :)

Oh, and Rudy T to the Lakers makes me sick. Seriously, I feel like vomitting right now...

Johnny93g

08-10-2005, 03:35 PM

Karlifornia

08-10-2005, 06:41 PM

great dynasty, great read....but its a turn off for me that you got shaq.....ive never played the game, but for Phoenix to trade Shaq like that, makes it seem way too easy, i think you should trade Shaq, and keep trying to win with the modest players you have been doing it with....seems to easy getting shaq after a champiionship year

Fair enough, but what about when the Redskins won the Super Bowl and then got Desmond Howard in the draft the following offseason. Granted, it didn't work out well, but at the time it almost seemed unfair. Or when the Spurs lost David Robinson for a year and stumbled into Tim Duncan? I say keep Shaq and see what happens. I don't think you can repeat the success you had last year.

Izulde

08-10-2005, 11:09 PM

Jeeber: Yeah, I figured that would make you ill to see Rudy. ;) I have to give the Nets credit, though. It seems they're back on the way to making smart moves again after they went through a string of bad ones following that Drazen Petrovic coup a few seasons ago.

Johnny: I was guaranteed a dominant center either way, because of the Mitch deal with Houston I made to get the #1 pick. It was just a question of whether it was Shaq or Alonzo. So it would have seemed unfair either way, but at the time, it was an okay move for Houston. Sure they could have the lottery pick but instead they got Mitch and uh something else I think. I'd have to go back and look. With Mitch they've got another potent scoring option for the games when Hakeem is having an off night.

Besides, Shaq isn't guaranteed to become the dominant player that he was in real life. He could very well turn out to be a bust in this particular universe, or Alonzo could end up as the more dominant of the two centers. You won't know until all is said and done. Phoenix didn't get ripped off in this deal I don't think. They still got a franchise type center in 'Zo and they got a guy in Rick Fox who was a pretty significant upgrade over Danny Ferry. A year younger, guaranteed for an extra year at a very affordable price, and much more developed.

And back when I made the trade with Houston, there was no guarantee that it was going to be a pick this high. The Rockets could have suddenly taken off with Mitch now in the lineup and I could have been stuck with a mid first-round lottery selection. Or the lottery could have ended up screwing me and dropping me down to the #6 selection.

And I do plan on keeping Shaq. Like I said, he may not even develop to the level he did in real life. Or he may get hurt. A lot of things could happen. Look at Vlade Divac for the Grizzlies in this game. He's been around for a few seasons now and he still isn't turning out to his potential. Hell, he's not even solidly in the starting lineup. He's a part-time starter, and that's for the worst team in the league.

The thing is, there's a lot more variables and factors involved to this than it first appears, so this isn't necessarily the great steal that it looks like at initial glance.

I'm glad you enjoy the dynasty, though. :)

RFUS: I agree it's going to be tough to repeat. It seems pretty difficult to maintain a dynasty in this game and you never know when an injury bug might strike to ruin your carefully laid plans like what with Hakeem being lost for not only the playoffs in 1991, but the entire freaking 1992 season. That took the Rockets from being title contenders to a lottery team.

But it should be fun and I hope I can repeat. :)

Neon_Chaos

08-11-2005, 12:06 AM

Great read. The Minnesotta era has begun! :)

Izulde

08-13-2005, 12:49 AM

Great read. The Minnesotta era has begun! :)

Thanks. :) This is easily my favourite out of all the dynasties I've ever done.

Izulde

08-13-2005, 12:49 AM

I can still taste the Butterfinger Blizzard on my lips. So delicious. My doctor tells me I shouldn't eat too many fattening foods or I'll have a heart attack on him, but a Butterfinger Blizzard is worth it. More divine and sweet than the cherriest of wines.

Now then, let's have a seat before I get hungry for another one even though we just went there last night.

After the draft was concluded, it was time to make decisions on contracts.

We were $18 million over the cap and had three contracts set to expire: Pooh's, Ron's, and Bowie's. Bowie I renounced right away. Danny Ferry made for a much cheaper backup to Scottie and to be honest, I liked him quite a bit better than Anthony.

Pooh had to be kept. There was no question about that. Ron was a little different story. He'd been brilliant for us on defense and gave us flashes of offensive output throughout the season. Tyrone's terrible contract we were still stuck with for another four years. But then I realized that even if we *did* renounce Ron, we'd still be far from reaching salary cap underness, so I decided to keep his rights, too.

Going into free agency, there really weren't any need outside signings we had to do. We were very comfortable with Pooh and Terrell at the point; Ron, Tyrone, and Hubert, who looked to be a very capable defensive player and a real steal that late in the second round had us set at shooting guard. At small forward as I said, we were happy with Scottie and Danny. We also still had team captain Sam Mitchell with us as well.

Power forward was our glut position, where we had a ton of guys. Detlef, Volkov, Bannister, and Horry. Horry looked lost on offense, at least before the summer league started, but on defense, he appeared to be the second coming of Scottie, only in a power forward's body. Excellent value for the second-to-last pick in the first round. Both he and Hubert fit our system quite well, almost perfectly, in fact.

At center, we had Shaq, who looked so dominant even as a rookie that it appeared he was instanteously one of the top centers of the league, if not *the* best. The scary part was, he was just 19 years old and already looking like a Hall of Famer. Randy and Bill would continue to be very capable backups, so all of our positions were more or less set.

As I peeked ahead to the next season though, I realized a lot of work lay ahead. No less than 6 players would be up for contract decisions then, but I decided to worry about that later and just concentrate on this year.

I grabbed Shaq's rookie option immediately. That wasn't going to be one thing I waited on. Hubert I signed to a 3-year deal. Horry's option was something I decided to hold off on and see how he did the first year before I made any binding decisions.

As everyone expected, Shaq destroyed the competition in the summer league, picking up the MVP award with 26.0 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 0.3 steals on average while improving on his already scary defense and increasing his stealing ability.

In other Timberwolves news that summer, Horry became a better blocker, but that happy development was negated by his worsening scoring technique. Danny Ferry's blocking got a little worse, Terrell Brandon's got a little better, and Hubert's defense went down a notch.

A mixed bag, but all in all, I was happy. Terrell appeared to be blossoming into the type of player I knew he was capable of and of course, everyone was abuzz about Shaq. The few bad pieces of news I would handle when the right time came for me to do so.

When the free agency period began, we had 13 players under contract, a record for me. Because of that, I didn't go hunting around for any new people. I just put my efforts on Ron and Pooh and let the rest fall where they may.

Pooh made $4.9 million in 1992. Now he was asking more than double, $11 million a year for 6 years. I countered with $8 million for 7 years. It was still a significant pay raise and it validated his importance to us. I knew he wouldn't accept it right away and might not even consider it, but I was prepared to wait him out until his demands lowered.

The season before Ron had made $5.8 million. Now he want $10.4 million for 6 years and didn't really show all that much interest in coming back to us. Not like Pooh, who really, really wanted to stay in Minneapolis.

I'm not sure why, but I was really disgusted with Ron's cool attitude to us. Maybe because I pulled him off the free agency pile and gave him a salary five times what he would have gotten otherwise. He finally got to start for a winning team, too, so winning in fact, that he got a ring because of it.

So I told Ron that if he was going to act that way to us, then we had no interest in having him back with us for the next season or any season after that. We broke off talks and I went looking for a new target, simply because I didn't really want Tyrone to have a free pass to the starting lineup. I still remembered his high turnover rate in his starting years and I wanted to bring in some competition for him.

Luckily for us, Dan Majerle was also out there, the equal to Ron in defense and even a little bit better ballhandler. While not near the passer or shooter that our former starter had been, with Shaq, Detlef, and Pooh, we didn't really need another shooter. He was also two years younger than Ron but had been forced to play the season before in the semipro leagues after the Suns renounced his contract in 1991 and for some reason, no other team made him an offer.

Was it a risk? Yes, but he had some interest in playing for us and his initial demands were a lot lower at $8.8 million for 5 years. I decided to offer him the mid-level exemption and turn it into a contract for $4.9 million for 3 years. I reminded him over the phone that he'd been out of the NBA for a year, so a lot of teams would be wary and not so eager to sign him because of that. He wouldn't get any other better deal from any other team than what I was willing to give him.

Pooh decided to consider our offer, recognizing that it was quite fair. Danny still wanted something a little more, so I decided to wait him out, especially when he became extremely eager to play for us after mulling over the initial offer and realizing how true my words were.

Out of the premium players that year, Patrick Ewing re-signed with the Knicks for $107 million and 6 years. Clyde Drexler resigned with Portland for a similiar deal. All-Star point guard Michael Adams stayed in Dallas after having been traded there. He got 6 years and $81 million.

Pooh resigned with us for $56 million and 7 years the same day that Rony stayed in Charlotte for 7 years and $80 million. I guess money really talked to the center I'd once coveted and seriously contemplated getting.

Majerle joined us a little over halfway through the period, inking on for the $4.9 million a year for 3 years mid-level deal I gave him. I liked the signing. He was a good, smart player, and he'd be good insurance in case Hubert didn't pan out like I hoped.

Not a lot of real quality players jumped teams that year. Former Timberwolf Brad Lohaus signed with the Celtics. Ron got a one-year deal at the end of the period with Denver for $2.4 million, less than half of what he'd made in Minneapolis.

There was one significant player who changed teams, though. Otis Smith, who'd averaged 19.5 points a game the season before with Orlando and had improved his scoring each of the three seasons he'd played for the Magic, jumped ship to of all teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers. The chance to be on a winner was too much for Otis to resist, who signed a midlevel contract that started at $4.9 million in Year 1 and ran up to $7.8 million by year 6. I fully expected the Cavaliers to repeat as one of the top teams in 1993.

As you might expect, we sold all of our season tickets before the first game. That's what winning an NBA title does for your gate receipts. But it was still special to me, because it was the first time in my tenure we'd managed to succeed in that goal.

You should be getting home now. You've got work tomorrow. Yes, yes, I know, you want to hear more. But it's important that we always get enough sleep so we can do our absolute best on the job.

Here, take this. It's the Opening Day lineup for the 1993 season. I'll tell you how the first month went next time you come.

1993 Minnesota Timberwolves' Opening Day Lineup

PG Pooh Richardson
SG Dan Majerle
SF Scottie Pippen
PF Detlef Schrempf
C Shaquille O'Neal
6th Man: Alexander Volkov

Neon_Chaos

08-13-2005, 12:47 PM

"Shaq who?"

"Shaq FU!"

JeeberD

09-11-2005, 06:56 PM

bump

I don't care about Laramie frats...don't you dare let this sucker die now!

Izulde

09-11-2005, 07:23 PM

bump

I don't care about Laramie frats...don't you dare let this sucker die now!

Thanks for the bump. :) I'll try and get an update in tonight.

Izulde

09-12-2005, 11:27 PM

The 1993 season began with very high internal expectations and a considerable amount of external expectations as well. Within the organization, we felt that we'd made the moves we needed to in order to successfully defend our title. To the world outside, we were one of the league's top teams, but most considered the championship to be a fluke occurrence. Only time would tell who was right.

Opening Night was in Toronto, where the Raptors hung with us for half of the first quarter. From then on, it was all Timberwolves as we ran roughshod over them to take away a 115-82 victory. Terrell Brandon won the starting job from Majerle earlier that week and repaid us with a game-leading 19 points. Shaq was quite good in his debut, with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Detlef added a double-double of his own, 17 points and 10 rebounds. We were continuing the high defense-balanced offense scheme that had given us the title in the first place, or so this early game seemed to indicate.

Detlef was out for about 2 weeks, as he picked up a really bad ankle sprain in the opener. Volkov replaced him in the lineup and Robert Horry got a chance to get some minutes as a result of our placing Detlef on injured reserve.

The next game we faced that bastard Ron Harper and the Nuggets. Forgive my language, but I never have forgiven Ron for being so acrimonious in negotiations after we got him the ring. There was no excuse for it. In any case, they were with us for a full half before we broke away in the 3rd and never looked back, winning 106-74. Shaq stepped up and was player of the game with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal, and a block. Already he was becoming one of the premiere players on the team, and a vital force in the middle for us.

Another reunion awaited us in Game 3 against Hubie and the Hornets. This time, there was no easy victory going away. Instead, it was one of the fierce back-and-forth battles so common between our two squads. In the end we prevailed 103-96, with Pooh leading the way thanks to 32 points and Shaq accessorizing nicely with 15 points and 21 rebounds.

Remember all the times I've told you that Pooh was the most important player on the team and the one who really guided us? Well, he was out with an injury in our next game against the Pacers and we lost for the first time that year, 107-96. Neither Scottie's 26 points nor Shaq's double-double of 11 points and 17 rebounds could save us.

There's still a bitter taste that lingers in my mouth even after all these years over our next game. Pooh was back and Shaq scored 31 points, and yet we fell 100-99 to Mitch Richmond and the Rockets. One damn lousy point. And it was our fault too, as we had several stretches where we didn't score that single point. Suddenly we weren't looking as good as we'd thought we were. And to think this was on a night when Olajuwon scored only 3 points and Mitch just 10. Making matters worse, Shaq injured his knee and was expected to miss the next game.

He did play the next contest, but for 9 minutes and scored just 1 point as we suffered an embarassing 101-97 loss to the then 1-win Miami Heat. Gregg and I were both furious after that game and I began to contemplate moves to shake up the team. We were far, far too talented to be 3-3 at this point in the season.

An aggravating loss to the Bucks dropped us a game below .500, but we rebounded with a win over Hubie's Hornets that was far too close for comfort. We weren't just playing as well we should have, even though we got Detlef back before the Milwaukee game.

A blowout win over the Spurs, a close win over Tony Campbell's 7-4 Sonics, and a demoralizing 1-point loss to the surpising 9-2 Pacers comprised our next three games. Indiana was quickly becoming our most hated rival and I wanted to beat them badly. Once more it was offensive droughts that caused our undoing in that loss.

We followed that up with a split in our next games, a massacre of the Grizzlies and an infuriating 99-96 loss to the Kings where we blew a third quarter double digit lead and played with absolute sloppiness and utter disregard for hanging on to the ball. It was emblematic of just how vexing the month was.

Finally the first 30 days came to a close with a 118-111 victory over the subpar Golden State Warriors that was much closer than the final score would suggest.

It also ended in Pooh's being injured again, this time down for 8 days.

We were 8-6 and struggling badly. I feared for the worst for the rest of the season, a season that had the most talented team I'd ever assembled as the T-Wolves GM.

Icy

09-13-2005, 03:13 AM

Izulde

09-13-2005, 04:28 PM

Awesome read, have missed this until now and now you made me wanting to start to play TPB again, but i'm in a midle of an ootp dynasty with KC thatis being fun too. One question, i have always played being myself the coach, i like to manage lineups, but after reading your dynasty, maybe it could be fun to play as GM only, leaving the lineups and strategies to the coach i hire, but do they really look different from eachothers? do they adjust tactics etc properly to the players they have? in resume, do they look like "live" personalities?

Glad you're enjoying it. :)

And the strategies *do* translate into a significant difference. One thing I noticed going from Hubie to Gregg were the following: lot lower turnover numbers, lot better defense, but also quite a few irritating instances where we just plain weren't scoring and it wasn't because we didn't have offensive weapons available to us.

So yes, they do have live personalities to at least *some* degree.

Izulde

09-24-2005, 05:12 AM

Three trades transpired during those torturous thirty days. The one that most interested me was the one that involved a talented young superstar who had been unhappy with the team that drafted him from the very first day, so I'll tell you about that one first.

Denver Nuggets receive:
PG Gary Payton

Toronto Raptors receive:
SG Todd Lichti
Denver Nuggets 1994 2nd round pick

Payton finally gets out of jail and escapes to a team that was once proud, but has struggled in recent years. The Nuggets unfortunately are still downtrodden thus far, going 3-11 in the first month. Gary will help turn them around though, as he becomes their starter and a legitimate rising star. A huge, huge pickup for Denver. For some inexplicable reason, the Raptors are planning on having Lichti start at the point, even though he's subpar with the ball and is mediocre all around. The 2nd round pick at best is going to be akin to a late first rounder. The only positive Toronto gets out of the deal is that they get rid of a malcontent and tack on someone who doesn't care about losing. Still, the Raptors could have done a lot better than this.

Winner: Denver fleeces Toronto and then some

San Antonio Spurs receive:
PF Jayson Williams

Cleveland Cavaliers receive:
SF Marcus Liberty

So how does the league's most dominant team do in this swap? Well, Liberty is a third-year player who is an average bench player right now, but he's got some considerable upside. The only question is if he'll get enough playing time on this powerhouse team to develop it. Jayson is an extremely talented rebounder in just his third season in the league, and an above average inside shot and defender. He just hasn't uncovered natural scoring instincts yet. He also hasn't had much of a chance to prove himself given the Cavs's powerhouse front court. In San Antonio, his minutes will ramp up, as he's the 6th man and should start showing results more commensurate with his talent.

Winner: San Antonio by a pretty big margin as Williams should break out now with the greater opportunities

New Orleans Hornets receive:
C Johnny Rogers

New Yorks receive:
PF Andre Moore
New Orleans Hornets 1994 2nd round pick

Hubie's Hornets needed some more frontcourt depth after Lionel Simmons got hurt, so New Orleans goes and picks up Rogers. Honestly, he isn't any better than what they have right now at C, but he's a damn sight better than their current backup PF. Moore, who was the Hornets' former backup PF, settles in with the Knicks in a bench role. Comparing the two players side by side, Johnny has significantly better scoring instincts while Andre is a phenomenally better free-throw shooter. Scoring is weighted more heavily than free-throw shooting in my book, so the 2nd round pick balances it out perfectly.

Winner: Very slight edge to New Orleans

As for we the Timberwolves, my aim was simply that we would start gelling and playing up to our talent level starting with the second month of the season. The papers had started getting a little ugly, returning to calling our championship a fluke and a lot of people were beginning to doubt us. Gregg, of course, used the clippings as corkboard motivational material.

Unfortunately, we were without Pooh for the first few games of the month and thus we opened with an embarassing 112-105 loss at home to the Suns, who were 3-12 at the time. Foul trouble and uncharacteristically shoddy defense doomed us. Things were starting to more bleak than ever before.

A vexing 97-93 loss to the Clippers followed, dropping us to .500. Making matters even worse, Terrell got hurt for nine days and Pooh wasn't back yet, robbing of us any true point guards on the roster.

The injuries crippled us at the end of our next game against the Spurs, where we led the entire way, only to blow it in the last minute of play and fall 91-89. Our post-championship season that had brimmed with so much hope, was quickly turning into a nightmare. Shaq was whipped by Robinson in that game, as The Admiral showed The Big O who was truly the most dominating center in the NBA.

Our losing streak hit 4 games with a blowout loss to the 76ers before we finally got Pooh back. The result was that we won our next game, finally breaking the dry spell. That 97-87 victory over the Kings was like sweet water to my parched lips and some of the shakeups I had begun quietly contemplating were put away for the moment.

The losing streak had been dominated by Detlef and Shaq frequently scoring 20+ points or more and getting a double-double. With Pooh's return, we got back to our balanced offense, highlighted by Shaq's 12 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks to have a superb all-around game in the much-needed win.

That game kicked off an amazing winning streak that included an immensely uplifting and satisfying 113-105 OT win against the Knicks that was all about Ewing and O'Neal going head to head. This time Shaq held his own against one of the league's established great middle men, getting 26 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and 3 blocks to Ewing's 34 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. I still have that contest on videotape as well. When I get done telling you about the rest of the month, we'll watch it. I consider it to be Shaq's first real coming out game.

We ran the wins to five games before suffering a heartbreaking last-second 88-86 defeat at the hands of the mighty Cleveland Cavaliers. Still, I was extremely proud of the team. We'd gone from 8-10 and being filled with doubts about the prospects of the rest of the season all the way to 13-11 and confidence that we could battle our way through and recover despite the near-apocalyptic slump we'd fallen into early on.

Rolando Blackman ambushed us for 39 points in the next game as we dropped one to the Mavericks, but then we rebounded with a convincing win over the Washington Wizards, despite Pooh's being out with yet another injury.

The month ended with a win versus the Raptors that was too close for my tastes, but at that point, I regarded victories as victories.

We grew a lot as a team in that second set of 30. Started 8-6, had the 4 game swoon when we lost Pooh and Brandon, then rebounded to finish with a significantly improved 15-12 mark by the time 60 days of the season concluded.

Dan Majerle, the free agent signing I'd had considerable hopes for took the starting shooting guard spot from Terrell at the end of the month and at first glance, it appeared that the move was working out fairly well. Only time would tell if he managed to keep it though, or if Brandon would fight his way back to the first five.

In a way it was a microcosm of the T-Wolves ourselves. Would we make up that half game we were behind Tony Campbell and the Supersonics, thusly elevating ourselves from our then #5 slot in the playoffs, or would we stay where we were or even slide down?

Regardless of what the answer turned out to be, I can safely say that I felt much better about the squad as a whole after the second cycle of our defending championship season and I held out renewed hope that we might be able to repeat after all, something I very seriously doubted at the start.

What do you say we go get ourselves some lemonade? I'm thirsty from too much talking and you look a little bone-dry too.

Good, we'll go over to the Evans's yard then. Their two kids have a lemonade stand going right now. It's a little too sweet for my preferences, but I've always believed in encouraging the dreams of youngsters. The world's a hard enough place as it is without crushing the hopes of our future generations.

Izulde

10-01-2005, 06:45 AM

So it wasn't too sweet for you? Ah well, we all have different preferences of taste, I suppose. Come, let's sit on this bench and I'll tell you about the next month. I love this park. It's so beautiful in autumn. But you can see that for yourself, so let me get started, or rather, let me continue what has already begun.

Two trades were made in month two of the 1993 season and I brought my notes with me so you can look over them.

Detroit Pistons receive:
C Dale Davis

Orlando Magic receive:
PF Scott Hastings
Detroit Pistons 1994 1st round pick

I have never been fond of Dale Davis, especially not after he was made the #1 overall selection a couple years ago by Orlando, as they quite foolishly passed up Dikembe Mutombo. Yes, Davis is a great rebounder and a very good defender, but there are many big men in the league who fit that description. Double D has produced very little in his first season and a quarter of play, whereas Mutombo is a very good player. DD is buried on the Pistons' depth chart and doesn't even show that much potential. Conversely, Hastings is just a body, but he's a body with an expiring contract. That financial freedom, compared with a 1st round selection in next year's draft, means the Magic have a good chance at rectifying their Davis over Mutombo error of two seasons ago. The Pistons paid dearly here, and for a player who isn't worth it.
Winner: Orlando by an overwhelming majority

Sacramento Kings receive:
PF Tellis Frank
Memphis Grizzlies 1994 2nd round pick

Memphis Grizzlies receive:
C Elden Campbell

The Kings pick up a guy with a pretty good all-around game. Nice inside shot and decent rebounding to go with passable defense. He also becomes Sacramento's 6th man. Pretty nice upgrade, I think. Memphis already has two young, talented centers in Rich King and Vlade Divac, the latter of whom is finally starting to realize some of the immense potential he has this season. Elden, much like Divac up until this year, is a player with incredible promise that hasn't delivered on it. He sits on the IR now and unless the Grizzlies trade one of their young big men, I can't see how this makes sense at all.
Winner: Sacramento without question, unless Memphis pulls a move to unload either King or Divac

I should also mention that Derrick McKey had once again re-surfaced in the NBA by this time. He signed a one-year deal with the Kings before the season started and actually was doing quite well for them. So well, in fact, that he'd been the 6th man before they traded for Tellis.

Thus far, it had been a rocky season as I'd described to you those first two months, but we were still in good shape. It just remained to be seen if we could at last gel together as a team and play consistently.

We started the month with a series of solid wins, including a decimation of the Suns that was over with early in the 1st quarter. Sam Mitchell scorched Phoenix for 28 points as he played most of the game coming off the bench. That's how badly we whipped the once-proud franchise. But there was a severe cost associated with that second victory in as many games. Terrell Brandon, who'd won his starting job back from Majerle, shattered a bone in his hand and was estimated to be out for two months. So to the IR he went, with rookie SF Danny Ferry activated to replace him.

Despite the loss, we continued to roll, winning our third straight game against a competitive Bobcats team that entered the contest with a .500 record. Mitchell was the surprising winner of the starting SG sweepstakes but played well. The real hero of the game though was Shaq, who put one of his finest performances yet together. 26 points, 16 rebounds, a steal, and 5 blocks. It felt wonderful having an incredible force inside that we'd lacked for so long. And to think that he was only a rookie!

Our blazing play lasted for five games and in the sixth, we dropped a 108-96 decision to the Lakers to end the streak. Not even Detlef's 35 points and 14 rebounds could save us, as Orlando Woolridge countered with 21 points and 12 rebounds and James Worthy added 30 while completely shutting down Scottie on 2 for 9 shooting. It was another great game in a long line of Lakers vs Timberwolves contests that proved pleasurable to watch, even when one was on the losing end.

The next game was a win, a solid one over the Atlanta Hawks. Shaq put up 27 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks to lead the way. Though he'd initially struggled with fitting in to the team concept that Gregg preached and was concerned more with making sure he got his stats, as the season wore on, he became more and more acclimated to Coach Pop's system and the results were impressive, both for himself and for the Timberwolves as a whole. He'd really become our greatest star player during that third set of thirty.

Robert Horry got the chance to get some minutes in for a couple weeks after that Hawks game, as Randy and Bill both picked up small injuries that looked to keep them out for a short while.

We got to see Gary Payton in Nuggets' powder blue next and it was a tough battle before we prevailed by a handful of points, thanks to a balanced game. While Denver still wasn't a superior team, Payton had really enhanced the team and directly as a result of him, the Nuggets were playing better than they had in a very long time.

The evening after, the Trailblazers crushed us 95-77 to end our two-game win streak. Simply put, we couldn't hit the bucket worth anything that night. I wasn't too worried, though. Every team has a bad outing every now and then.

My faith was justified when we rebounded for a 119-104 victory over the then 27-11 Knicks. Shaq schooled that game, with 34 points, 9 rebounds, an assist, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He also sent Patrick Ewing out of the game towards the end of the third quarter with a hard shoulder collision on one of his blocks. O'Neal was easily the best draft choice I'd ever made.

We crushed the hated Lakers 101-60 in a rematch. James Worthy was out with an injury and we took advantage. Shaq had 19 points and 11 rebounds and in what was my favourite double-double of that year so far, Pooh had 20 points and 10 assists. I've always felt that Pooh never got the recognition that he deserved for being one of the top point guards in the league. He was easily the most underrated player in the NBA according to my lights.

Pooh drove that very point the next game against Tony Campbell and the Seattle Supersonics when he hit a buzzer-beater to get us the 98-96 win. He finished with 26 points and 7 assists to go with Shaq's 23 points, 16 rebounds, assist, 2 steals, and 3 blocks.

At our customary supper afterwards, Tony said, "Man, after that first month and a half, everyone had written you guys off. Even I was wondering if maybe you'd fallen into the post-championship hangover but then you bounced right back and now you're kicking everyone's ass." He also privately congratulated me on having the courage to stand pat and not make any panicky moves when the team was at its low point. I'd always liked Tony and wished I hadn't had to trade him, but it'd worked out for both sides. I was already thinking about extending an offer for him to join the front office in Minnesota after he retired.

We then promptly went out and lost a rematch at home against the Blazers, 115-112 in a tight game that was back and forth the whole way. I privately hoped we wouldn't have to face them in the postseason, because Portland, perenially playoff-bound, looked especially sharp that season. In my mind, they were the biggest threat to our hopes of repeating as Western Conference champions.

The month ended with a loss to the Bucks where Pooh didn't play because of a sprained finger he picked up in warmups, a game that once more reinforced Pooh's vital importance to our gameplan and a solid win over the Magic, highlighted by Detlef's 30 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, steal, and block. Schrempf had been picking up double-doubles for a good portion of the season's games to that point, but, much like the rest of the team, he was overshadowed by the brightly burning brilliance of Shaq's rookie campaign.

Oh yes, there was one more game that month, a loss to the Jazz that I prefer not to think about, because we a) played terribly and b) had a two-week injury to original Timberwolf Tyrone Corbin that laid him up for two weeks and a concussion to Ken Bannister. ...And yes, I have to confess that yes, we had another game that ended in a loss, a 94-89 defeat at the hands of the Kings. I don't like admitting when we ended months on losing streaks, to tell the truth. To me, it shows bad form.

Still, I have to say that overall we'd played very well in the third month of the 1993 season. While various injuries that hit us disrupted our flow in the second half of the month, we still managed to parley ourselves into a stronger record of 26-16.

The bad part? We were now a full game behind in the division and still were stuck in the 5th seed of the playoffs, a game and a half out of the 4th spot.

Ahead of us in the playoff race for #4? Hakeem Olajuwon and Mitch Richmond's Rockets.

Ahead of us in the division? None other than the Portland Trailblazers, the postseason opponent I feared most.

Izulde

10-05-2005, 09:53 PM

I'll admit that I had my reservations going into the fourth month of our defending season, as we would be without Terrell for the entire sum of it, and my feeling was that we would at best retain a mid-playoff spot.

Two trades occurred during month three and here they are.

Utah Jazz receive:
PF Antonio Davis

New Jersey Nets receive:
C Eric Leckner
Utah Jazz 1994 2nd round pick

Antonio has developed into a very solid player since leaving us for the Nets. While he doesn't do anything spectacularly, he's become good at scoring, rebounding, and defending and is a nice all-around guy. He's the Mailman's top backup in Utah, so it looks as though he'll finally start getting the minutes like what he had with us and maybe even more, for he was much further down the bench in New Jersey. Leckner is a great rebounder and shows some inside shooting ability, but much like Davis was, he's buried on the bench. Furthermore, they have rookie Marlon Maxey ahead of him, so essentially to me this trade's value as far as the Nets go is solely that 2nd round pick.
Winner: Utah by a significant margin as Davis is worth far more than a 2nd rounder

Phoenix Suns receive:
PF Keith Lee
Toronto Raptors 1994 2nd round pick

Toronto Raptors receive:
C Alec Kessler

Lee is a veteran player with a very good inside shot, some scoring instincts, and good rebounding ability. He also has terrible ballhandling abilities and has never been anything more than a mid-bench player, something he remains in Phoenix. Kessler had a solid rookie campaign for the Suns, starting at C in the Rookie-Sophs game in '91 and named to the All-Rookie 2nd Team. However the drafting of Isaac Austin the next year and Alonzo Mourning the year after that meant fewer and fewer minutes for Kessler, the once promising rookie reduced to mere bench fodder. He won't even be that in Toronto, as he's put on the IR. Nor is he likely to be anything more than a backup, for rookie center Matt Geiger looks to be playing okay for a first-year guy and is developing quite nicely.
Winner: Phoenix, for Toronto gets little of value here

We started off with a solid win against the Pistons. Shaq had 24 points and 9 rebounds to nearly complete three double-doubles for the team, as Scottie had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Detlef got 16 points and 11 rebounds himself.

The second game was a vexing one, as we shot with frozen hands down the stretch to fall 101-98 to the Suns in a game that we'd been controlling quite well up until that point. Even more obnoxious was that the loss came during a brilliant Shaq performance of 20 points, 20 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and 3 blocks.

We reversed our fortunes with a narrow 95-94 win over Mitch and Hakeem's Rockets, thanks to our usual balanced scoring effort and spirited defense that allowed us to come back from 14 points down in the late 3rd quarter.

Robert Parrish's retirement after the 1992 season meant that the Celtics had to go with youngster Luc Longley at center. Shaq feasted on him for 32 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks to lead us in a 116-96 squashing of Boston. Pooh just missed a double-double in that game, as he finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds.

Another case of a great individual performance in a loss struck us the next game, as Detlef turned in 36 points, 14 rebounds, an assist, and a steal in a 115-104 defeat at the hands of the lowly Memphis Grizzlies. I was furious after that loss and began contemplating shaking up the team.

Dominating wins against the Nuggets and the Jazz caused me to stay my itching hand however, the latter witnessing a gem of a near triple-double from Shaq, who had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 blocks. He was defintely the superstar we'd long been thirsting for and that he was only a rookie... well that gave me hope for our being able to have a dynasty.

My jubiliation was short-lived however, as we went on a three game losing streak to the Bulls, Nets, and Cavaliers. Even more distressing than the losses was the fact that we showed a lack of ability to close out in the 4th quarter, leading to our defeats.

A reprieve came in the form of the All-Star Break and a break was definitely what we needed. I spent most of the weekend quietly talking to GMs from other teams about the possibility of working out a trade.

As expected, Shaq started for the Rookies in the Rookie-Sophomore game. With his inclusion, it was expected that the Rookies would blow away the Sophomores.

But it didn't happen. The Sophs jumped out to a 10-0 lead and the Rooks never recovered, falling 115-112. Shaq finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Todd Day led the Rookies with 22 points, but the player of the game was Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf of the Sophomores, who had 25 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a critical steal late in the game.

Shaq also started for the West Conference in the All-Star Game... at small forward. I laughed when I heard the news, but to me, it was great exposure for both O'Neal and for us. We'd never had an All-Star starter before, so it was something really special for us.

It was without question one of the most thrilling finishes to an All-Star game in history. The East dominated most of the game, but then the West charged hard in the 4th quarter to tie it up 107-107 at the end of regulation. In overtime, the lead changed hands multiple times, but when the final buzzer sounded, the West stood there with a 122-118 victory.

Shaq played reasonably well, getting 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks. His 4 turnovers were a knock, though. But Shaquille was not alone in representing Minnesota. After being shut out in the All-Star rosters for the first three years of existence, the T-Wolves had two representatives that year, for Detlef Schrempf played as well. The reserve PF got 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, and was instrumental in keeping the West in the game during the early and middle going.

Buoyed by those results, I began to believe that we would finish out the month well.

The trade deadline came and I found myself exploring possible options. While we would be getting Brandon back at the start of the next month, I wasn't entirely certain that we would be able to repeat even with his return. As of the deadline, we held the #6 seed in the playoffs and were a game behind the Sonics and the Trailblazers, who were tied for the division lead, and a half game behind the Rockets for the #5 slot.

I was principally looking for a scorer who had an acceptable amount of defense and stamina. Though we had won our championship with excellent defense, it was the scoring outages and the lack of closing that thus far had doomed us in the defense year.

There were the discussions I'd had with the GMs at the All-Star Game, but now these intensified as I scoured the league, looking for the missing piece of the puzzle.

Originally I was involved with the Celtics in heavy negotiations for Kevin McHale, but in the end the cost was going to prove too prohibitive for my tastes and anyhow, I wasn't sold on Kevin's advanced years and defense.

Many of the other players that I looked at had contracts that were far too big and far too long for my tastes, when I looked at what they would bring to our team.

And then, along came our old trading partners, the Golden State Warriors. A lot of their star players were wanting out of a bad situation where losses were mounting and the team just plain was bad.

An hour or so of negotations later, the deal was struck. Bill Wennington, who had played little enough for our team the last few years, but who had a valuable expiring contract, went with Hubert Davis, who I was fast becoming convinced would never pan out, to Golden State. In exchange, we got a player I'd admired very much. Excellent scorer, passable ball handling, and good defense. His rebounding left something to be desired, but that was okay, because we had lots of rebounders.

Yes, that's right. Chris Mullin joined us, along with the Warriors' 1994 2nd round pick.

The move had a tremendous effect on the lineup. Scottie moved to the starting SG spot while Terrell rehabed his injury and Mullin took over at SF. Suddenly we were looking like a much dangerous team.

How did the move make sense for Golden State? Well, as I said, Chris was terribly unhappy with the Warriors. Bill had an expiring contract and Hubert represented a potential piece of a youth movement puzzle for them, even if for the moment he was on their IR. Furthermore, by jettisoning Mullin, they made their team that much worse and put themselves in a better chance of ending up with the #1 pick in the lottery, something the front office was desperately wishing for.

Mullin made an immediate impact that very night in our 122-75 romp over the Clippers. He had 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. An excellent all-round game for him and he finished third on the team in scoring, fulfilling precisely the role I'd envisioned for him, that of the third scoring option beside Detlef and Shaq.

He continued to pay huge dividends in our next game, a critical 122-93 over Tony Campbell's Sonics. 25 points he dropped on Seattle, 2nd behind Shaq's 30. The early returns indicated that I'd not only diagnosed our problem correctly, but that I'd found the perfect cure for what ailed us. Mullin fit in seamlessly with our team and both he and us were thrilled for it.

If I'd had any doubts at all in my mind about the trade, they were erased when we won the next game against the feared Trailblazers, 114-102. The player of the game and leading scorer? None other than Mullin, with 24 points, 5 rebounds, an assist, 3 steals, and a block. There was no greater marriage under heaven that year than Chris Mullin and the Timberwolves. Of that, I am sure.

Thanks to the Mullin-inspired three game win streak, at month's end we were 34-23, a full game on the Trailblazers and the Sonics.

This time, unlike the prior months of that season, I had no worries about what lay ahead.

For the first time, I was fully confident that we would have a very strong chance at becoming repeat champions.

Izulde

10-08-2005, 02:21 PM

Although a great many big names were on the trading block and rumours abounded everywhere as to major deals, in the end, the Mullin deal we made was the only one that went down at the deadline and indeed in the entire month.

Flush with newfound confidence, I found myself greatly looking forward to the rest of the season. Chris was the spark that we needed to blaze into determined, brilliant glory. Even better, we now had Brandon back.

Ironically enough, our first game was against the Warriors. Golden State had gone on a three game win streak of their own after trading Mullin, as the improved chemistry resulted in a happier team with the departure of the miserable star small forward.

Golden State came out fired up and raced to an early 11-2 lead. We caught up and from there it was an exchange of leads until late in the 2nd quarter. From there, we won going away. Detlef got into foul trouble early and only played 11 minutes as a result, but there the strength of our bench told, as Volkov came on to score a career high 38 points and nab 7 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and a block in helping us to crush the Warriors 121-97. Many of the points came as a result of Pooh's brilliant passing, who finished with an amazing 15 assists. It was the only grognards among the NBA fanship that recognized Pooh's excellence, something I still find sad. To my mind, he was one of the top 10 point guards in the league during his career. Easily one of the most underrated players, as I've said.

From there, we peeled off a win streak that included a 114-104 OT win against the Celtics. Shaq had 31 points and 13 rebounds in that game, as we survived a dreadful 0 for 7 shooting performance from Detlef. We hit four games consecutive before dropping a 105-100 decision to our East Conference foes in the Finals the year before, the Atlanta Hawks. Shaq's going 1 for 4 was the biggest culprit, but I was still proud of the way we hung in there.

My complacency and cheer were shattered the next game, however, when we fell to the Spurs in a game where we were beaten in every single aspect. Suddenly I was worried, afraid that we had gotten too confident and were starting to get too lacksadasical out on the floor.

As it turned out, I needn't have worried so excessively, for our next game, also against the Spurs, we turned it around and won 105-85 behind our old balanced attack. Gregg really hammered it home to the guys that we couldn't afford to let up after I privately voiced my concerns to him. In both games though, Robinson schooled Shaq and whipped him bad. Good thing for us that San Antonio wasn't about to make the playoffs that year, as the Admiral had missed quite a bit of time earlier in the season.

From there we went on to a small three-game win streak, where Mullin was the lead scorer in each victory. Immediately after game three, a win over the Grizzlies, we received the disturbing news that Detlef was out for a couple of weeks. Since I thought he would be back before the playoffs, I authorized him to be on the IR. With Volkov already on IR as well and not due back for another 6 days, we were suddenly shorthanded in the frontcourt. The situation was resolved by signing power forward Rob Lock from the developmental league, who had yet to appear in the NBA at 27 years old.

Mullin once again came through. In a critical game against the Rockets, with Randy Breuer starting for the first time in a long time, Chris shredded Houston for 35 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block. Truly, he was our saviour that year.

Our reign ended with a 102-98 loss to Hubie's Hornets. The weakness at the PF position was just too much for us to overcome, especially when New Orleans had Lionel Simmons, a player I still very much coveted, there. Hubie had done a great job with the Hornets, well enough that after their win over us, they were up to 43 victories.

Volkov came back for the next contest and we got a nice 108-82 win over the Nets that featured our bygone balanced scoring. Randy got 15 points in bench play, but even with that, I knew that he would not be a Timberwolf for long. His play had simply eroded over the past season and a half, and he wasn't going to be coming back once his contract ended.

Unfortunately, Volkov got hurt again, out for 5 days, as did Sam Mitchell. We still managed to win our next game, against the Clippers, when Shaq dropped them for 35 points and Chris hit them for 22. These nagging injuries had me worried for what would happen in the rough and tumble playoffs, though.

The last game of the month, we finally got Detlef back on the team. The spate of injuries we'd suffered at the power forward position had me thinking we would be looking in that direction come draft and free agency time, even though Horry was developing beyond our wildest imaginings.

A shared-wealth game later, we'd beaten the Purple and Gold 113-92 and the month officially ended.

With a 46-26 record, we held a one and a half game lead over Tony Campbell's Sonics, with the Trailblazers 6 games back. We were tied with Hubie's Hornets for the top seed in the playoffs, with New Orleans holding the barest edge thanks to winning percentage and their 45-25 mark. Third were the Lakers, a full 5 and a half games off the pace we two top teams had set.

The last set of 10 games were coming on in the next month and I felt good about our chances if we could avoid injuries. At worst, we would lose the division and finish as the number 4 or 5 seed. At best would be the number one seed, obviously. Still, I'd be happy with even the number two spot.

Only time would tell how things played out, however.

Izulde

10-13-2005, 04:45 AM

It was with great excitement that I looked forward to the last ten games of the 1993 season. I knew Hubie's team presented a great challenge to our top seed aspirations, but I thought we could pull it out, thanks to our deadline move for Mullin.

We started off with a dazzling 3-0 run, highlighted by Mullin's consecutive player of the game awards against Phoenix and Sacramento, and topped off by our arguably most complete game of the year in a 107-86 dismantling of the Utah Jazz. In that game, Shaq had 32 points and 9 rebounds, Mullin scored 32, Detlef had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Pooh had a double-double of 11 points and 11 assists.

The Nuggets and Magic were our next two victims as we extended the streak to 5-0. Not even Gary Payton's 26 points and 11 assists could save Denver from falling to us. Against the Magic, Shaq led with 24 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and 4 blocks, Mullin adding in 22 to the victory.

We faced Golden State next and beat them soundly, 109-82. Once again it was the Shaq and Mullin show, as O'Neal got 29 points and 12 rebounds, 21 points tacked on by Chris. Volkov contributed 17 points and 9 rebounds from the bench. Three of our big men had their last year of contract that season. Wennington was traded to the Warriors and incidentally only got 4 rebounds in that game against us, Randy lost his active roster spot to Robert Horry, who was far exceeding all our expectations and looked to be a huge steal, and Alexander was averaging 10 points on the nose after that game. I knew already that we wouldn't be resigning Randy and in Alexander's case, it depended on what price he demanded.

Our 6 win game streak ended the next contest against the Jazz. We lost 110-105 and had no answer for the Stockton-Malone combo, who had 24 and 29 points respectively. Mullin put up 32, but it wasn't enough. Still, I was proud of the team for the run they'd put together. I only hoped we'd be able to continue it for the last three games of the year.

Unfortunately, Detlef got hurt that game and was expected to be out for 8 days. I decided to ride it out and not put him on the IR, since I wanted to be sure he'd be there for the playoffs. We were 4 games up on the Rockets for #1 vs. #2, so in essence, we'd won that battle. The only question that remained was the division title. Tony Campbell's Sonics were just two games back of us, so we needed to win at least two during the final three to lock up the division and the first seed.

It was that very team we faced in Seattle next and came away with a critical 109-89 victory that sealed the division title and the number one seed in the playoffs for us. Volkov, starting in place of Detlef, scored a fast 10 points in the first quarter to give us the early lead and we never looked back.

Despite having nothing left to play for, we came from behind to beat Hubie's Hornets 100-91 in the next contest, all but destroying the hungry Hornets' hopes for getting the division title back from Houston after the Rockets stole it earlier in the month.

The Dallas Mavericks exacted revenge on behalf of the Hornets, beating us 116-112 in a comeback of their own in the 4th quarter in the final game of the regular season. Mullin scored 35 points and Shaq double-doubled with 26 points and 12 rebounds, but it was nothing doing in the end.

I was happy though. We went 8-2 in the last 10 and were sitting pretty at the top of the Western Conference. Still, there was a dark cloud of concern on the horizon. Detlef was going to miss the first two games of the opening playoff round.

This did not bode well, for it was Malone's Jazz that we were up against in Round 1.

But that story will have to wait until tomorrow night.

JeeberD

10-13-2005, 11:14 AM

Utah Jazz receive:
PF Antonio Davis

New Jersey Nets receive:
C Eric Leckner
Utah Jazz 1994 2nd round pick

Antonio has developed into a very solid player since leaving us for the Nets. While he doesn't do anything spectacularly, he's become good at scoring, rebounding, and defending and is a nice all-around guy. He's the Mailman's top backup in Utah, so it looks as though he'll finally start getting the minutes like what he had with us and maybe even more, for he was much further down the bench in New Jersey. Leckner is a great rebounder and shows some inside shooting ability, but much like Davis was, he's buried on the bench. Furthermore, they have rookie Marlon Maxey ahead of him, so essentially to me this trade's value as far as the Nets go is solely that 2nd round pick.
Winner: Utah by a significant margin as Davis is worth far more than a 2nd rounder

I mised this trade earlier, and it really makes me smile. Not only does it show that Antonio is developing quite nicely, but it also shows that punk-ass Wyoming Cowboy Eric Leck-nerd sucks ass and is stuck behind my boy Marlon. Good times... :)

Izulde

10-13-2005, 10:26 PM

I mised this trade earlier, and it really makes me smile. Not only does it show that Antonio is developing quite nicely, but it also shows that punk-ass Wyoming Cowboy Eric Leck-nerd sucks ass and is stuck behind my boy Marlon. Good times... :)

:D If I transfer to ASU like I'm planning to, you can talk shit about the former Sun Devil players, too.

As for Marlon, he didn't have too bad a rookie year, but I'll post his stats up when I do the T-Wolves' after the playoffs.

JeeberD

10-14-2005, 12:22 AM

I don't have nay problems with former Sun Devils, but back when Leck-nerd was playing for Wyoming the Cowboys and the Miners were HUGE basketball rivals. The WAC championship always was between the Tim Hardaway and Antonio Davis led Miners and the Leck-nerd and Fennis Dumbo led Cowboys. Such fond memories of mid to late eighties WAC basketball... :)

Izulde

10-23-2005, 02:31 AM

:D Glad you have those good memories, Jeebs. And to make you even happier, here's an update! :D

**********************************************************

Take off your coat and relax a bit. You look pretty tired. Yes, studying for final exams does tend to wear you out. Sit down on the couch and I'll go brew up a pot of coffee.

Here you go. Hope you don't mind that it's just basic black. I never did care for all those different flavour coffees. To me they're just cream and sugar added in under another name.

Now then, where was I? Ah yes, Malone and the Jazz. Detlef gone for the first two games in the 1993 playoffs. I've the sheet with me as always.

1993 Playoffs: 1st Round (East Conference)
1) Cleveland vs 8) Philadelphia
4) Chicago vs 5) New Jersey
3) Atlanta vs 6) Indiana
2) New York vs 7) Washington

1993 Playoffs: 1st Round (West Conference)
1) Minnesota vs 8) Utah
4) Seattle vs 5) New Orleans
3) L.A. Lakers vs 6) Portland
2) Houston vs 7) Sacramento

I had no doubt the Cavaliers would steamroll the 76ers. Jordan still played for Chicago so the Bulls looked to beat the Nets soundly. Atlanta I figured would make a run towards defending their conference title and get by at least Indiana. The Knicks seemed certain to trounce the Wizards.

Because of losing Detlef, I felt our series against the Jazz would be close, but in the end, we would pull it out. The Sonics and the Hornets presented an intriguing matchup of people with ex-Timberwolf statuses, but Hubie was too brilliant a coach to allow Tony Campbell's team to beat him. Portland was my pick to upset the Purple and Gold, for in my opinion the Trailblazers were the scariest team in the West besides us that season. Houston should have no trouble against the Kings to my mind.

We jumped out to an early 25-17 lead, but then the Jazz came roaring back to tie it up and then take the lead. From then on, it was a series of constant lead changes and inspired rallies on both sides. Malone, as I feared, abused us all night long and we couldn't do anything to stop him. But Mullin answered him basket for basket, point for point... and when it was all over, we stood on top 116-112, having made the last rally in the final minutes of the contest. Mullin and Malone both scored 41 points. It was the most dazzling duel of amazing postseason performances I'd ever seen. Even better, Mullin made the last two points to seal the win for us, on picture-perfect free throws.

His value since coming to the team had been nothing short of tremendous. Pooh also played wonderfully, amassing a double-double of 19 points and 13 assists while continuing to be the most underrated player in the league.

Game 2 was another case of ceaseless changes in command, but then we broke the game open early in the last quarter and coasted to a 116-107 win behind balanced scoring efforts. Evidence of this came in Mullin having 23 points and Shaq 22, with two players scoring in double figures off the bench, Bannister, who had turned out to be a nice suprise that year after getting virtually no time when he joined us the season before and aging, yet still crafty team captain Sam Mitchell. The submen scored 14 and 11 points respectively.

Malone did everything possible to keep his team in the game and the series, though. He scored 25 points in Game 2, adding to it 14 rebounds, 7 assists, and a steal. Much like Dominique Wilkins in the '92 NBA Finals, he was carrying his team on his back.

Speaking of back, Detlef returned for Game 3 and we rode him all the way to a solid 110-94 series clinching victory. No, he didn't score lots of points or grab a ton of rebounds. In fact, he scored just 2 points and netted only 4 rebounds. But what he did was use his superior defense to lock down Malone and frustrate the Mailman all game long. As a result, Karl ended up with just 14 points on the evening and nobody else on the Jazz was able to pick up the slack.

Also key to the win was Mullin's 24 points and Shaq and Pooh's double-doubles of 17 points and 12 rebounds and 16 points and 10 assists respectively.

But we hadn't clinched yet. After all, it was when I joined the league that the NBA switched the opening round to also be a 7 game series.

Alas for the Jazz, all the fight had gone out of them in Game 3. They went down with barely a whimper in Game 4, falling 107-87. Pooh and Scottie each scored 22, Detlef dropped 18 points and 9 rebounds, and Shaq had a double-double of 13 points, 10 rebounds.

We'd done it. We'd gotten past the Jazz, and more importantly, we'd swept them. This meant we would be well-rested for our next series against either Tony Campbell's Sonics or Hubie's Hornets.

In other round one action, the Knicks swept the Wizards, the Bulls won over the Nets in 5, the same count the Rockets used to punch out the Kings and Tony's Sonics needed to beat Hubie's team. The Lakers topped the Trailblazers in 6 and the Pacers-Hawks series went the full seven, ending in a 106-86 Atlanta victory that was the epitome of the tough-defense, balanced-scoring mentality we used. Evidently the Hawks had learned something from our methods after being beaten by us in the Finals that last year.

But the biggest upset is the one I haven't mentioned yet. It's the one that people still talk about to this day and shake their heads in amazement over. Even I was shocked when I heard it. It was the most stunning upset I'd ever encountered to that point. Here's the slip of paper.

Philadelphia 76ers 4 Cleveland Cavaliers 1

The mightiest team in the entire league had fallen in the first round. To a number eight seed.

Izulde

11-17-2005, 08:51 PM

Though Tony would no doubt be fired up to go against us, I had little doubt that we'd beat the Sonics and beat them soundly. The rest of the playoffs looked to tip in our favour as well, for Cleveland and Portland were the only two teams that scared me much at all.

1993 Eastern Conference: 2nd Round
(8) Philadelphia vs. (4) Chicago
(3) Atlanta vs. (2) New York

The Bulls I counted on manhandling the 76ers. Philadelphia's stunning opening-round upset was a fluke in my eyes and the combined firepower of Jordan and former Timberwolf Glen Rice would simply be too much for Philly to handle. Atlanta and New York represented an interesting matchup. Last year's Eastern Conference champions had been playing our brand of ball, but the Knicks boasted the superlative Patrick Ewing. As I had become partial to the way we played, I favoured the Hawks in the matchup, though I felt for the Knicks' fans frustrations everywhere.

1993 Western Conference: 2nd Round
(1) Minnesota vs. (4) Seattle
(3) L.A. Lakers vs. (2) Houston

Fat Lever had been a huge free-agent signing for Seattle in the offseason, so big that he was the team's second leading scorer. As such, he gave the Sonics an option to go besides Tony and the developing star Shawn Kemp. Still, even with Fat, I knew we could beat them soundly and move on to defend our Western Conference title.

Houston and the Lakers. I had to go with the Rockets. The Lakers' foolish manlove for Maurice Martin finally ended with the putting of A.C. Green in the starting center slot, but they, like the Celtics, were a greybearding team by that point and Hakeem looked eager to punish the Purple and Gold and set up a playoff rematch with us where he would be completely healthy.

Well, as it turns out, we came out in Game 1 overconfident and as a result, it wasn't until the halftime buzzer that we took our first lead. We held it through the third quarter, but then in the fourth, the entire team went cold and the Sonics surged back to upset us 100-95 on our own court. Shaq was the only one truly with it that night, as he had 28 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks.

Gregg focused our game plan around stopping Tony and Fat. Tony still managed to score 19, and by focusing on those two players, we opened the door and Sedale Threatt charged right in, popping off 29 points and 8 assists to completely blindside us.

We came out determined to beat them in Game 2 and not let them go back to Seattle with a 2-0 series lead and we got it done with a stellar defensive effort in a 102-83 win, where we pulled away midway through the third quarter and never looked back. Shaq was again a beast on the boards with 28 points, 13 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Having him in the middle truly was saving our franchise and the draft day trade we made with Phoenix to get him is still talked about even to this day.

The noise of the home crowd was deafening for Game 3 and I'm ashamed to admit that our boys were affected by the ear-splittind decibel level. The Supersonics broke out to a 10 point halftime lead and staved off a Herculean effort by our squad in the second half to escape with a 109-106 victory and a 2-1 series lead. Shaq once again tried to save us with a 20 point, 10 rebound, one steal, 4 block night, but it wasn't enough. The real culprit in our defeat was the bench play. Seattle got contributions from virtually every single one of their reserve players, whereas we only got 17 points from Volkov and a scattering of points from a few others.

Sadly for Tony, he got hurt in Game 3 and was projected to be out for the rest of the series. This was a serious blow to the Supersonics' chances of toppling us and a very lucky break as far as I was concerned. I only wished it wasn't Tony that had gotten hurt, for we were still quite close to him as a franchise.

Tony's absence was just what Chris Mullin needed. The newest Timberwolf had been largely shut down and frustrated by him throughout the series and was a significant reason why we were down 2-1. With Tony gone, Chris exploded in Game 4 with 34 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks to lead us to a handy 109-95 win and a series tie. Detlef chimed in with a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds and Shaq kept his 20+ points streak alive with 21. Sedale Threatt on the other side also had his fourth straight 20+ point game for the Sonics.

Back in Minneapolis for Game 5, we felt confident that we could deliver the knockout punch and put the Sonics on the ropes. But Seattle wasn't going to go away so quietly. Inspired by a passionate pre-game speech from Tony, they came out as equally determined as we to win. The lead changed hands 20 times over the 4 quarters and it was tied another 9 times, but in the end, we were handed a 94-91 loss. Fat Lever exploded all over us for 27 points and once again, their bench ran roughshod over ours. Shaq's 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks, in what was becoming a familiar tale of the series, just wasn't enough.

Down 3 games to 2. One game away from elimination and the destruction of our dynasty dreams.

Izulde

12-01-2005, 09:14 PM

As we headed to Seattle for Game 6, I sweated profusely on the plane. To lose in the second round the year after a championship, after an offseason where we solved our center woes with Shaq... I couldn't bear the thought of it. But it may be that our dynasty would fall that night.

The partisan Sonics crowed roared lustily as the opening lineups were announced. They were determined to knock off the defending NBA champions, here on the court of green and gold.

But it never happened.

Gregg gave a fiery speech in the locker room before the game, reminding the players that everyone considered our title last year a fluke, an abberation that would end tonight. The papers called us a Cinderella story last year, one that would be revealed as pretender at the conclusion of that year's playoffs.

We came out angry and hungry and at the end of the first quarter, we were up 29-17. From there, we tore into them and slammed into them, denying everyone but Sedale Threatt, who scored 31 points, a dominating offensive presence. By the third quarter, our lead was 20, and when the final buzzer sounded, the score read 101-86. We were headed back home to Minneapolis for Game 7.

Chris Mullin once again answered the call for us as he did so many times after the trade for him, leading the team with 25 points. Shaq, our other key acquisition, had 14 points and 10 rebounds, in yet another critical double-double. Volkov contributed 16 points and 7 rebounds from the bench in a continuation of his valuable, surprising contribution since coming to us from the Hawks before the start of last season. 1993 was the last year of his contract and the decision of whether or not to resign him was going to be the most difficult of the offseason for me.

But contract issues did not matter just then. All that was important was that we bought ourselves another chance at life, at redemption.

Back in Minneapolis, it was we who had the frenzied crowd at our back, and the passion in the arena was palpable. We did not want to see the dynasty dreams die here.

A quick 6-0 run to open the game made me breathe easier, but it was not to be so elegant and dominating as Game 6. Time and time and time again throughout the game, the Sonics fought back, now within 2, now within 1, back down to 7 and getting again to in 3. With the score 101-100 in our favour, a critical play that changed the fate of the game ensued.

Sedale, who had been the threat to us the entire series, squared up in front of the three-point line.

He took a breath, set himself, and launched the ball in the air.

....BLOCK!

Racing from a foot away, Sam Mitchell, the lone original Timberwolf and veteran bench player, reached out and swatted away the ball. He took possession and a series later, Detlef Schrempf sunk two free throws to make the score 103-100.

We won 105-100.

It seemed only fitting that the blue-collar Mitchell, loved by fans and teammates alike and happily accepting his bench role after that first season, made the play, for our original championship was founded on those men.

And even though we had two true stars on the team now in Shaq and Mullin, at the core of our success were still the Blue Men, underrated and hard-working players.

Blue Men, who thanks to one of their own could still hope for gold to once again find their fingers.

Izulde

03-01-2006, 11:09 PM

Ours was not the only series to go the full 7 in that round that year. The Chicago Bulls also required the entire set of seven to top the 76ers. Once again, Michael Jordan led the way, scoring 39 points as Chicago thumped Philly 126-106 in the deciding contest.

The Lakers evicted the Rockets in 6 games. Hakeem simply failed to show up in the second round and played especially terrible in the last game, getting just 11 points. The Purple and Gold were carried in the series by their aging Triplet Stars of James Worthy, Orlando Woolridge, and Magic Johnson. One had the feeling that their star was falling fast, just as Chicago's star would explode the instant Jordan was no longer a Bull. As I have already told you before, Glen Rice made an excellent support player, but when asked to carry a team, he simply could not do it.

Patrick Ewing's Knicks crushed our Finals foe in 1992, sweeping the Hawks 4-0. Ewing conspired with Jay Vincent and Kiki Vandweghe to obliterate the defending East Conference champions. In some ways, I felt for Patrick. Ever since I'd joined the league and for seasons before, he'd pulled the Knicks as far as he could carry them and yet it was never enough to even get to the Finals. I privately hoped that he would make it that year. So, too, did the media, for a matchup of the crafty veteran superstar center versus the young franchise center in Ewing against Shaq meant a sensational storyline to build coverage around.

But first both squads would have to prove themselves worthy.

1993 Conference Finals
East: (4) Chicago vs (2) New York
West: (1) Minnesota vs (3) L.A. Lakers

To be honest, things looked very good for the Knicks. They had three players who'd been playing at All-Star level that postseason and Ewing was of course the Behemoth, the Franchise, in the middle. The Bulls had Michael and Others, lead supporting actor being Glen. The firepower of New York looked too powerful for even Jordan to overcome.

The Purple and Gold. I've mentioned them frequently, I know, and obsessed with their Maurice Martin infatuation that really hurt the franchise. But they'd wisened up late that season and had A.C. Green as the starting C. The series, I felt, would be an interesting one, and likely close. Without Maurice on the starting five, they became that much deadlier a team. Still, we'd beaten them in our first season and we'd only improved since then, while they, like the other teams in the Finals, were in their autumnal period.

We tipped off the series with Game 1 at home. The media billed the contest, and the series as a whole as Glorious Tradition vs. Noveau Riche. They were old, star-laden, ring-studded, and filled with mystique. We were young, with one title, and lacking in iconic status, save for Shaq and maybe Mullin.

The Lakers took advantage of our shooting troubles to be up by 15 at halftime. I was sick up in the booth, but not totally disheartened. We'd bounced back from worse deficits and as it turns out, we did. Buoyed by a frenzied crowd, we tied the score at 87-87 at the end of the third on a last-second shoot by Pooh, then took command in the fourth and never let go, winning 118-113.

Mullin made the brunt of our offense, scoring 25 points and Shaq added a double-double of 18 points and 16 rebounds, as four of our five starters finished with double digits. Only Scottie failed to break 10, and he sat just one behind with 9. Volkov and Sam Mitchell made key contributions from the bench, contributing 14 points, 7 rebounds and 16 points respectively. That win lifted an immense weight from my shoulders. Had we lost that first game, I suspect some of the team may have started buying into the Laker magic after all.

We shattered the Purple and Gold morale with that opening win, and it showed when the Lakers came out flat in Game 2, losing 110-72 in a massive blowout. Scottie led all scorers with 20 points, and each of the starting 5 had 17 points or better, save for Detlef who added just 2. Alexander Volkov continued his sterling play from the bench with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. His stellar support in the playoffs was making my decision about whether to retain him or not more and more difficult.

Down 2-0, Laker Nation was reeling and quite thankful to be going home, where their large and rabid fan base would cheer them on to evening the series. We ruined that party with a 124-80 demolition that put the Lakers on the brink of elimination. Much like Game 2, there was never any doubt as to the outcome.

That contest marked a return to the Timberwolf Way, with every starter getting at least 14 points. Mullin headed the slaughter with 19, Shaq got his usual double-double at 14 points and 15 rebounds, and Pooh came near the double-double waters with 17 points and 8 assists. From the bench, Alexander Volkov slid in 13 points and Sam Mitchell added a workmanlike 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Magic Johnson had a double-double of 31 points and 10 rebounds to go with his 3 steals for the Lakers.Woolridge tried to help with 19 points, but no one else from the Purple and Gold came to play.

Going into Game 4, the Laker faithful wondered on the radio, in the newspapers, and in private conversation if this was the death knell for their glory years. Were we the Wolves who would dethrone the NBA's Western royalty, stealing their crown in their own home for added insult to the egregious injury?

The answer... was no. Not at home would the last sad notes of their swan song be played. The Lakers came out fighting fiercely, showing their first spirit since Game 1. We, in turn, were equally vicious, determined to vanquish the lords here and now, to rake our claws into them and announce that the Purple and Gold were dead, and it was the Blue and Black that now ruled the West in dynasty. But in the end, they were just a little hungrier, and triumphed 112-108.

Magic Johnson scored 34 points and A.C. Green answered the multitude of critics concerning center for the Lakers with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Robert Pack, a rookie, had a small coming-out with 15 points in limited time, a glimpse into the future of what life might be like after Magic. On our side, Chris Mullin again led us, this time with 26 points. Volkov had his most masterful game from the bench yet in that postseason, a beautiful double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds. Sam added 15 points himself.

All in all, it was one of the most beautiful, inspired games I'd ever seen played up until that point and it's one of the only losses I regularly watch on my VCR. It was just that magnificent a game.

Yes, you're right. I should convert to DVD someday. Maybe you can help me with that sometime.

It was with some discouragement that we returned home to Minneapolis. We'd really wanted to close out in L.A. and our failure to do so made more than a few members of the team downhearted. But Gregg reminded them that we still controlled our destiny with the 3-1 series lead and, more importantly, Orlando Woolridge was out with a small injury. This meant Maurice Martin's return to the lineup, a prospect I salivated over.

Energized by their win, the Lakers came out ready to play and it was a dogfight for three quarters. Then, in the fourth, the Purple and Gold simply ran out of gas and we coasted to a 107-95 victory that ended with, of all things, an Alexander Volkov buzzer-beater to get points 106 and 107, his 14th and 15th of the game.

In addition to Volkov's 15, we were spearheaded by Shaq's 25 points and 9 rebounds and Detlef's 19 points and 8 rebounds. On the other side, Magic Johnson had an amazing 42-point game. He played his heart out, determined not to see the dreams of one last championship die there. But die there they did, for the rest of the Purple and Gold was simply too tired, too worn out, to deliver the finishing touches needed to force another game.

And so the sky rained confetti, the fans cheered, and the team and coaches hugged one another. As I walked down for the trophy presentation, I was struck by something that I've remembered and held to ever since.

Championships are not about talent. They are made of the teams who can overcome adversity, who can come together and triumph even when their defeat seems a foregone conclusion.

We banished the Sonics when our fall appeared a fait accompli. The Lakers succumbed to us when we mounted the same type of challenge to them.

Because of that, and for no other reason, we were the new Lords of the West.

Izulde

03-03-2006, 06:02 PM

Here's an article for you to look over.

Ewing East Conference Champion At Last!

The New York Knicks, led by superstar center Patrick Ewing, conquered Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls last night 130-123 to win the Eastern Conference Finals 4-2. They'll be facing the defending champion Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Finals.

Ewing schooled the Bulls, dominating the contest with a mind-boggling 38 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks in taking Player of the Game and Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors.

Despite Jordan's 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals and surprise sub Wayne Turner's breakout performance of 21 points , Chicago just couldn't find the energy to force a Game 7, meaning that Ewing will at long last be making an NBA Finals appearance.

"It's a great feeling. I can't tell you how wonderful it is, all those years of getting so close to this moment and never quite getting there and now it's finally happening. I look forward to going up against Minnesota in the Finals. Shaq is going to be the next great center, Gregg Popovich is a fantastic coach, and they have a fantastic front office. It should be a good series, but I think we've got the talent to be able to bring home the Trophy to New York", said Ewing in a postgame conference.

Indeed, it should make a fascinating Finals. Unlike last year, when the Atlanta Hawks and Minnesota Timberwolves were lacking in true superstar appeal, this year's edition features Ewing vs. Shaq, two dynamite, popular centers who are the faces of their teams. The wily veteran versus the brilliant newcomer should be an exciting show.

***End Article***

Yes, that's right. No mention of me. That doesn't bother me, though. I'd had my articles the year before when we first made the trip to the Finals. I did get a few articles that year against Ewing, too, but you can look at those later. They mostly praised me for my draft-day move to land Shaq and my bold trade to get Chris Mullin on the team, without whom I don't think we would have had a chance to defend our title.

It was a tense week leading up to the Finals. A lot of people considered our championship the year before a fluke win over a team led by a second-tier star in Dominique Wilkins and predicted we would fall flat against a much better and tougher team in the Knicks. Personally, I thought that was utter hogwash. The Lakers were a fine team and we'd trashed them. But I did agree then and now that the Knicks matched up better with us than most teams in the league and we'd have to fight hard if we wanted a repeat.

New York had homecourt advantage in Game 1 and it showed. The crowd was large and loud, blue and orange waving everywhere as the arena shook with ecstacy. The Knicks fed off of that and, save for a 3-point basket by Scottie to open the game, led from start to finish, beating us 117-109.

As expected, Ewing continued his postseason mastery, getting 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Shaq equalled him with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Mullin scored 38 points, and had 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in a stellar showing that still amazes me when I watch it. How did we lose then?

Scottie, Detlef and Pooh weren't able to hit worth anything. Jay Vincent continued his superior starter-style imitation of Volkov, scoring 24 points. Their other starters and bench players had solid games. In short, they played a total team game and we just couldn't muster it in Game 1.

Gregg banned the team from leaving the hotel that night and told them they had to stay there and take the time to think about how they failed in playing defense and sharing the scoring load, the two hallmarks of the Timberwolf Way.

As so often happened in his time coaching us, the team responded, playing hardnosed, gritty defense in Game 2 en route to a 105-83 rout of the Knicks to even up the series. Shaq had a double-double of 33 points and 10 rebounds. Detlef double-doubled too, with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Mullin scored 24. Every one of the starting five was in double-digit scoring except for Pooh, who returned to his catalyst role and dished out 10 assists. Volkov had 14 rebounds to go with a scattering of points from the bench.

The Timberwolf Way was back, at least for one game.

We were so happy to be back in Minneapolis for Game 3 that we went on a 20-4 opening run on our way to a 108-88 trouncing that put us up 2-1. It was a night for double-doubles as Shaq had 23 and 10, Detlef had 21 and 11, and Pooh had 14 points and 10 assists. Rock defense and balance, the way we'd won our title last year. The way we were on our way to winning it that season.

The most noteworthy line in Game 3:
Patrick Ewing: 9 points 4 rebounds, 4 TOs

Game 4 proved to be one of those epic battles that so often happen in the middle of a playoff series. The lead changes were constant and each team was getting into it. I had the feeling though as I watched from the booth that we didn't seem to be playing with the killer instinct we should have, and as it turns out, we didn't, losing 103-100 that only saw us break triple digits because of Scottie's last-second jumper.

Ewing roared back with 26 points and 10 rebounds and the Knicks got double-digit scoring from their starters and solid contributions from their bench. On our part, Shaq had 23 and 16, Mullin had 25 points, and Pooh had 10 points and 10 assists, but Detlef and Volkov both had horrible shooting nights. I was beginning to see just how valuable Alexander was coming off of our bench and I began to lean towards re-signing him, particularly since Randy's terrible contract was finally going to be off our books.

The series now evened at two a piece, I felt it imperative that we win Game 5 in Minneapolis to give ourselves the upper hand. It didn't happen. Down 58-44 at the half, we made a furious rally in the second half, but ran out of steam down the stretch and dropped a heartbreaker 106-102.

We limited Ewing to 15 points, but the other Knicks starters stepped up with balanced scoring and New York got two sensational performances from the bench. Gerald Wilkins scored 20 points from the pine and benchmate Andre Moore came out of nowhere with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. For the Blue and Black, nobody and I mean nobody on the team hit anything but Shaq, who had 33 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 blocks, and Detlef, who contributed 17. Everyone else had shooting woes so terrible that I avoid watching this game whenever I can. That night, the Knicks took us apart using our own methods.

So there we were, down three games to two and headed back to New York.

One more loss.

That was all we needed to have our throne smashed, our dynasty destroyed, and for the world to call us pretenders.

Pretenders who had one lucky season and that was all.

Izulde

03-05-2006, 05:18 PM

Things were tense when we filed into New York for Game 6. None of us wanted to get beaten then. If we had to lose, we wanted to lose in a seventh game, going down to the wire so that we could at least say we gave a good accounting of ourselves.

We opened up a fragile lead in the first quarter, expanded it on the second, and drove it home to a victory that was far closer than the final 108-90 score. Shaq fouled out of the game and our saviours were unlikely heroes. Pooh got the Player of the Game nod with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. Sam scored 19 from the bench, a point total matched by Mullin. I've told you before time and again that Pooh was the most underrated point guard in the league. He quietly had good seasons and guided our offense year after year. With Shaq and Mullin's additions, his scoring had gone down, but he was still our indispensable floor general.

Patrick Ewing's line: 6 points, 4 rebounds. We'd once again held him in check, something that was critical to ensuring our victory. The 2-12 from the field stat particularly impressed me about that game. Defense. We were the best in the league at it two years running and we showed it then.

So there we were, tied 3-3. Many were calling it one of the more exciting Finals in recent memory. I don't know about that. Those Lakers-Celtics clashes were always thrilling in the 1980s, but I have to admit, I secretly enjoyed the white-knuckle tension that Finals induced in me.

Game 7 in New York for everything.

The tension was on both sides now and the place hummed with it. I even imagined that I could see it swirling in the air, given the shape and form of whirling water. Oh, I know that's a silly image. Humour an old man, will you?

Our lead was slender after the first, slightly bigger at half. In the third, they took the lead briefly, but we snatched it back and even built a little more on our margin. The Knicks rallied hard in the fourth, but then the long series and the age of their veterans began to wear down and we took advantage, capturing the fourth as well by two points. The end score: 109-98.

This time, the joy that I felt as I walked down to accept the NBA Championship trophy was even sweeter. This time, I was barely on the court before the players and coaches hoisted me up and carried me over to the comissioner.

"Gabe's #1! Gabe's #1! Gabe's #1!" they chanted as I was transported and set down. I'll admit I blushed at the attention. In most NBA circles, such an action would seem odd, but not in Minneapolis. I maintained a close, personal touch with all the Timberwolf players and coaches, both former and current, and so there was a family culture to it all.

Holding that gleaming trophy in my hands, tears brimmed my eyes as I gave my acceptance speech. I thanked everyone in the organization for all their hard work and belief in us. I told them the truth, that this championship meant even more to me than the first one. We'd played a great franchise, led by a legendary player, and were just good enough to beat them in a battle of equals.

That seventh game itself was one of the most special I've ever seen us play. Here's the lines for the starters. You'll see what I mean.

PG Pooh Richardson: 18 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
SG Scottie Pippen: 13 points, 1 assist, 6 rebounds, 3 steals
SF Chris Mullin: 25 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
PF Detlef Schrempf: 18 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists
C Shaquille O'Neal: 15 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists

The Knicks focused their game plan on stopping Shaq, but we countered that by distributing the scoring. Our defense was solid, holding them to double digits. The Timberwolf Way.

Ewing once more tried to carry New York, playing an impressive game in a losing effort with 27 points, 16 rebounds, an assist, and 3 blocks. Jay Vincent added 23 for the Knicks, but it just wasn't enough. We let them have their games, as we knew they would be the most fired up. Gregg told me afterwards that the plan all along was to try and make Patrick beat us. That way, if we lost, the glory would fall on his shoulders, as would be so richly deserved.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, back-to-back championships. Two-time champions.

The taste is delicious in my mouth even after all these years.

Let's go get ice cream to celebrate the memory.

Izulde

03-20-2006, 04:55 PM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1993RegStats.jpg
Regular Season Stats

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1993PlayoffStats.jpg
Playoff Stats

As you can see here, Shaq and Mullin carried us to that second consecutive title. To this day, the Warriors' fans angrily complain about how Golden State's management allowed them to get fleeced in the trade. The Suns' fans were also disappointed to see Shaq obliterate the league, though to be fair, Alonzo Mourning did exceptionally well himself for a rookie and would be Rookie of the Year in nearly any other season. Rick Fox, too, showed promise and contributed to Phoenix's improvement, far more than the minutes Danny Ferry played for us, so on the balance, it wasn't a bad trade for the Suns.

Now let me tell you the award winners that year.

MVP:
Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
34.8 ppg 3.7 apg 5.8 rpg 0.9 bpg 1.9 spg

Defensive Player of the Year
Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets
21.1 ppg 2.5 apg 11.1 rpg 3.5 bpg 1.5 spg

6th Man of the Year
Kiki Vandeweghe - New York Knicks
16.2 ppg 1.7 apg 3.0 rpg 0.0 bpg 0.9 spg

Rookie of the Year
Shaquille O'Neal - Minnesota Timberwolves
19.7 ppg 2.1 apg 10.4 rpg 1.1 bpg 0.8 spg

Coach of the Year
Lenny Wilkens - Cleveland Cavaliers

All-League First Team
PG Mark Price - Cleveland Cavaliers
SG Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
SF Charles Barkley - Philadelphia 76ers
PF Karl Malone - Utah Jazz
C Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets

All-League Second Team
PG John Stockton - Utah Jazz
SG Jeff Malone - Washington Wizards
SF Larry Bird - Boston Celtics
PF Kevin McHale - Boston Celtics
C Patrick Ewing - New York Knicks

All-League Third Team
PG Gary Payton - Denver Nuggets
SG Jeff Hornacek - New Orleans Hornets
SF Dominique Wilkins - Atlanta Hawks
PF Larry Nance - Cleveland Cavaliers
C David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs

All-Defense First Team
PG Nate McMillan - Seattle Sonics
SG Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
SF Charles Barkley - Philadelphia 76ers
PF Larry Nance - Cleveland Cavaliers
C Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets

All-Defense Second Team
PG John Stockton - Utah Jazz
SG Ron Harper - Denver Nuggets
SF Scottie Pippen - Minnesota Timberwolves
PF Shawn Kemp - Seattle Sonics
C David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs

All-Rookie First Team
PG Robert Pack - L.A. Lakers
SG Latrell Sprewell - Sacramento Kings
SF Todd Day - Memphis Grizzlies
PF Tom Gugliotta - Indiana Pacers
C Shaquille O'Neal - Minnesota Timberwolves

All-Rookie Second Team
PG Randy Woods - Golden State Warriors
SG Doug Lee - Utah Jazz
SF Paul Graham - Atlanta Hawks
PF Christian Laettner - Miami Heat
C Alonzo Mourning - Phoenix Suns

I was greatly surprised at the awards, I have to confess. I felt certain that Chris Mullin would receive at least a Third Team nod, and Gregg's being denied Coach of the Year was scandalous to say the least. Ah, well. Sportswriters are always a fickle lot.

We had no draft lottery excitement waiting for us that year, so I'll just tell you that the Suns had luck on their side again as they leapt from 5th to 3rd and our old and familiar trading partners, the Golden State Warriors, landed the #1 overall selection for the 1994 draft.

Izulde

03-27-2006, 03:03 AM

Before the draft that year, I signed Gregg to a four year contract extension and Larry Riley, the third assistant, to a three year extension. The coaching staff worked extremely well together and I wasn't about to change something that'd won us two consecutive titles. First assistant Bill Fitch was particularly flourishing under Gregg's tutelage and there were rumours that he was being considered for a head coaching job with one of the other teams in the league.

Although we stayed with our same man, other teams changed coaches that offseason.

Milwaukee Bucks: Don Nelson
Miami Heat: Gene Shue
Boston Celtics: Mike Fratello
L.A. Clippers: Ron Rothstein
Detroit Pistons: Jimmy Rodgers
Toronto Raptors: Chuck Daly
Charlotte Bobcats: Douglas Moe
Golden State Warriors: Del Harris
Orlando Magic: Willis Reed
Atlanta Hawks: Bill Musselman

I won't bore you this time with the analysis of the carousel, except to say that Mike Fratello was a hiring I thought was ingenious. He'd led his previous team to three playoff appearances and was sound a coach as I'd ever seen.

Ron Rothstein, though a poor coach in record, was actually a brilliant strategist good at developing young players, and in fact was the perfect fit for the Clippers in my opinion. The rest of the hirings were either mediocre or not very good.

The mock draft that season had us picking SG Calbert Cheaney out of Indiana with the 28th pick. I'll confess he greatly appealed to me when I first looked at him. As we were extremely solid at PG, PF, and C, I was most looking at a young SG or SF to serve as an understudy to Scottie and Chris, who held the starting spots for those positions in our scheme. Tyrone Corbin never did impress me much and Dan Majerle looked like an error in misjudgement in signing after our second title.

PF Chris Webber was considered the consensus top pick in the draft by most analysts, though I personally thought C Shawn Bradley looked like a kid with a lot of talent. Even back in those days when true centers were taller, it was rare to find somebody with a 7'6" height.

As expected, Webber went #1 to Golden State. Our familiar foes and trading partners really needed a franchise type player to build around and he looked like he could be it.

After reviewing the scouting reports, Chalbert didn't seem like the right fit for us. While gifted, his intangibles were terrible and against everything I felt we stood for as an organization. Instead, I started viewing Bryon Russell out of Long Beach State as our most likely pick. He was an excellent fit for our system and had good defensive talent. There were others I was looking at, but only if they fell to us.

1993 Draft 1st Round Selections

1. PF Chris Webber (Golden State)
2. PG Sam Cassell (Toronto)
3. SG Anfernee Hardaway (Phoenix)
4. C Shawn Bradley (Brigham Young)
5. PG Adonis Jordan (Memphis)
6. C Gheorge Muresan (Denver)
7. C Acie Earl (Iowa)
8. SF Jamal Mashburn (San Antonio)
9. PG Nick Van Exel (Boston)
10. C Josh Grant (Orlando)
11. PG Keith Jennings (Dallas)
12. PF Rodney Rogers (L.A. Clippers)
13. SG Isaiah Rider (Charlotte)
14. SG Allan Houston (Milwaukee)
15. SG David Wesley (Utah)
16. SF George Lynch (Philadelphia)
17. SF Scott Burrell (Washington)
18. PF Steven Howard (Indiana)
19. SF Chris Mills (Sacramento)
20. PG Melvin Newbern (L.A. Lakers)
21. SG James Robinson (Atlanta)
22. PF Andres Guibert (New Jersey)
23. PF Andre Spencer (Portland)
24. PG Terry Dehere (New Orleans)
25. PF Vin Baker (Chicago)
26. PF Popeye Jones (Houston)
27. SG Calbert Cheaney (Seattle)
28. SF Bryon Russell (Minnesota)
29. C Eric Riley (New York)
30. PG Chris Whitney (Cleveland)

I'll admit, I was shocked at Orlando. Two 1st round selections and they took centers with both of them. They didn't learn from the Dale Davis trade and the Magic management was one of the worst in my early years in the league. I also found myself surprised that the Heat selected Bradley. While I was personally high on him, I considered Rony a good enough player to build around in the paint, but they didn't see it that way.

I had the player I wanted, so when our next pick came up, the #2 selection in the 2nd round, I let my assistant, James Anderson, make the pick. He took PG Rex Walters out of Kansas. It was the last time I let him decide who we drafted. I won't deny that I spend a good three and a half hours dressing him down after the pick. We didn't need another point guard; we were set with Pooh and Terrell. It's a lesson and lecture he never forgot, I can tell you that much. What made me particularly irate about that pick is that SG Lucious Harris was still on the board and he was a kid I'd half-considered picking up with the selection. Naturally he was taken immediately after us by the Raptors.

With our second selection in the second round, #14, I decided to take one of my own flyers, figuring if my foolish young assistant could do it, I could do the same thing. And so I took C Mike Peplowski out of Michigan State, simply because he was the last seven-footer in the draft. It was a silly way to spend our second round selections I know, but all I can say now upon looking back is that we were in a festive mood that year. We really had nothing we urgently needed. Our starting five was set, we had a good bench, and there were lots of exciting young players on our team already. So why not be a little frivolous? Particularly since we were coming off of two straight NBA titles.

The very first thing I did after the trade was announce our renounciation of Randy's rights. It was a bad contract I'd waited years to get rid of and now that it was finally gone, I felt relieved. Danny Ferry was also shown the door. He'd contributed very little to us since coming over in the famous draft-day trade that allowed us to pick Shaq and Bryon looked much better than he did already as a rookie. Ken Bannisters also got renounced, as I decided in the end to try and keep Alexander Volkov as the primary backup at power forward and center after his amazing playoff appearances. Having his veteran leadership would also help Detlef in schooling Shaq, Horry, and Peplowski, who'd I developed a very strange fondness for.

I also determined that I would do my best to re-sign team captain Sam Mitchell. He was aging and his skills were detoriating, but he was still the man that held our squad together and I considered him the epitome of the Timberwolf Way.

None of our young players lit up the summer league that year and I'm sorry to say that Peplowski regressed against the stiff competition he faced, but on the bright side, Bryon, who a lot of analysts had criticized me on selecting, improved his defense according to Gregg. Still, I signed Peplowski for two years and cut Rex Walters, who had a horrible attitude and acted like he should be the starter. You know me well enough by now to know that Minneapolis under my watch didn't allow that kind of behaviour.

Alexander ended up re-signing with us for 3 years, $13.5 million. He figured out that earning $4.5 million a year for 3 years with a championship calibur team was far better than earning a starting job somewhere else as he initially wanted.

Sam was a little bit tougher to crack. The fact is he wasn't as valuable to us in terms of the court as Volkov, so I only wanted to give him a 3 year, $9 million contract. $3 million a year I felt was fair market value for the lockerroom contributions he brought to the team. Certainly he wouldn't get that kind of money elsewhere. He eventually took it.

The most noteworthy and indeed the only noteworthy change of teams took place when Fat Lever signed with Houston on a one-year deal as he hunted for a championship with Hakeem and the Rockets. Danny did a good job in getting him, I thought at the time. Randy went to Toronto on a one year deal, by the way.

And so with our team intact, we looked forward to the new year. Would we be good enough to capture that coveted third straight title? Only time would tell.

Our starting five remained unchanged from the end of last season at the opening tipoff, except for one thing.

PG Scottie Pippen
SG Pooh Richardson
SF Chris Mullin
PF Detlef Schrempf
C Shaquille O'Neal
6th Alexander Volkov

Yes, that's right. Gregg wanted Scottie playing at the point as an experiment to begin the year. It paid off handsomely in our first game, as we crushed the Knicks 116-75 in a rematch of last year's Finals. Shaq had 19 points and 15 rebounds with 3 blocks, Detlef nearly equalled that double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Sam scored 17 points from the bench, proving to his critics that he still had the ability to contribute on the floor. All of our starters scored in double-digits in that game, which gave hope that we hadn't lost our touch as I privately feared we might.

The Scottie as PG experiment proved to work far better than I'd anticipated as we started the year with a three game win streak before Detlef picked up an injury that took him out of the lineup a few games. The move benefitted the team in the following ways: It allowed Scottie to shut down the other team's point man, as he was our best defender, Pooh exploded with more scoring opportunities, hitting 18, 25, and 21 points in his first three games, and Terrell got more playing time at point guard and displayed capability at the position that was mesmerising to watch.

Even without Detlef, we ran our record to 4-0 by romping over the Chicago Bulls. Shaq was on pace for another double-double year and looked even stronger with the prior season under his belt. Chris Mullin was averaging over 20 points a game. It wasn't until we ran into the Rockets in a matchup of unbeatens that we recorded our first loss. Fat was proving to be their Pooh, a guy who ran their offense and made the Mitch and Hakeem show click. When I had supper with Danny afterwards, he said that Fat's signing was the best move he'd ever made as a GM. Mitch refused to speak with me, as you can imagine. He was still angry about the trade that'd sent him to Houston, especially after our two titles.

I'll be honest with you in saying that the Rockets scared me more that year than they had in any other season to date. While they'd been our frequent rivals and we'd beaten them when it counted, they were still a dangerous team, even more deadly now that Fat was their point guard.

We got back on track with a 112-91 win over the Miami Heat that featured Shaq with a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds, Chris with 19 points, and Pooh with an electric 25 point, 4 rebound, 3 assist, and 5 steal showing for Player of the Game honours. He'd really flourished in terms of scoring and stealing since getting shifted to shooting guard.

A cold shooting streak doomed us in a 107-100 loss to the Pistons, but we rebounded with a winning streak following that, including a cakewalk game against the Mavericks where Alexander scored 13 and Sam added 22 points from the bench. Through our victories, the keys remained the same; Shaq and Detlef with double-doubles, Chris as the key scoring option, lockdown defense from Scottie, who got his first double-double as a point guard in the Mavs game with 10 points and 11 assists, and an abrupt avalanche of points from Pooh now and again. Oh yes, occasional bench support from Volkov, Sam, and Terrell too, but we were a team that relied most heavily on our starters. This was evidenced particularly in a victory against the Suns towards the end of the month, when Shaq scored 40 points, one of the highest totals in Timberwolf history.

At the end of the first month, we were 12-2, just behind the perennial regular season juggernaut Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the NBA. No more could they call us fluke champions or upstarts.

As one paper around that time put it, "The Lakers have been dethroned. No longer is it the Purple and Gold who are the West's royalty and the NBA kings. The title belongs to the Blue and Black. All hail the new Lord of the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves."

And now, let's feast like kings ourselves in memory. I know an excellent steakhouse not far from here. My treat as always.

Izulde

04-13-2006, 07:15 AM

There's nothing more delicious than a nicely made steak and a glass of good wine to wash it down with. I don't eat there as often as I'd like to, because that helps keep the place special. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your meal, too.

Here, have an After Eight mint chocolate or two. They're the best desserts after a supper like that.

Now then, we were 12-2 after the first month in 1994. The team was clicking in all levels and I foresaw no reason to change the makeup at all. We were a talented squad and pretty deep too, with the right balance of youth and veterans.

Oh, yes, the trades. Only one trade occurred during the first month, but it was a blockbuster one in the eyes of many.

Cleveland Cavaliers receive:
PG Kevin Johnson
Phoenix Suns 1995 2nd round pick

Phoenix Suns receive:
SF Billy Owens
SG Craig Ehlo

It's hard to believe that Kevin Johnson is only 27. He's a solid player and been a member of the All-League First or Second Team three times. What he gives the Cavs is not only a splendid guard to put in the starting five, but a much-needed young star. For a team that relies heavily on its veterans, this infusion of youthful blood is critical and provides a franchise face for when the old men such as Larry Nance retire. Furthermore, he's a proven playoff warrior and won a title with Phoenix in 1990, experience the title-hungry Cavs are eager to have. The Suns wanted to get rid of Johnson's major contract, as he's signed for 5 years, making $13 million this year, $21 million in the final year. Ehlo is an adequate replacement at point guard and plays better defense than KJ, but Owens plays more like a late second rounder than the late first rounder he was. All in all, this is a huge coup for Cleveland as they seek to capture that elusive Eastern Conference crown, to say nothing of an NBA title. Phoenix's payroll flexibility won't kick in for another couple years, they lose their biggest star, and their fans are furious.
Winner: Cleveland in one of the biggest steals ever

Our juggernaut continued its rolling in the second month, with a pair of victories over the Kings and Clippers highlighted by Shaq's 20 plus and 10 plus double-doubles. Detlef hit a double double in the Clippers game himself, scoring 23 and grabbing 12 rebounds. Mullin provided consistent, steady scoring at 19 and 18 points.

Not all was rosy, though. Pooh suddenly couldn't hit anything, finishing with just 2 points in both those games. While the team played well enough to win even despite his unexpected icy streak, I started to become a little concerned. Not that there was much I could do, of course. His contract was so massive that no team would take it on.

Gregg solved the problem by telling Pooh not to feel like he had to take any shot that came to him. He reminded our former point guard that we had enough scorers to where Pooh didn't have to be the big man and to just relax. Pooh took that advice and scored 17 points and 9 rebounds in our next game, a 109-105 win over the Mavericks that was a tough contest the entire way. I came away from that game greatly impressed with Toni Kukoc, a fourth-year player for Dallas who harrassed Mullin into 5 turnovers and showed the ability to consistently score double digits season after season. While he wouldn't be a starter on our team, he'd significantly strengthen our bench and was in the last year of his contract to boot. I decided to keep tabs on him and possibly look into acquiring him later in the season or in free agency the next year.

Our next game featured a 116-98 romp over the 76ers that was never in question, but I mention it because Mullin scored 40 points and 10 rebounds, arguably the most impressive single-game showing of his career and one of the best performances in Timberwolf history to that point. His shooting line read: 16-18 from the field, 3-4 from three-point range, 5-5 from the charity stripe. I've still got the tape of that game. It's just an excellent one to watch if you like watching one of the best shooters ever at the absolute pinnacle of his craft.

As the month wore on, we just couldn't stop winning. Shaq was always good for a double-double, Detlef occassionally added one of his own, usually scoring at least 20 points when he did, and Mullin consistently scored 20 or better. Our bench featured three players as the top contributors as well: Volkov, Brandon, and Tyrone. Any given night, at least one of these guys would break 10 points and throw in a handful of assists or rebounds to go with it. Often, it'd be two of them. The other starters and other bench players, while valuable, weren't the core producers in the same way those six were.

Midway through the month, the Scottie Pippen experiment came to close. While we hadn't lost in the second set of thirty days, Gregg became concerned with Pooh's propensity for taking far too many shots and moved him back to the point, restoring Scottie to shooting guard.

The shift paid off well, as our winning continued unabated and I consider the move directly responsible for our greatest victory that month. We beat the then 20-4 Cleveland Cavaliers 102-89 in large part because Pooh kept his shot attempts low as he had since going back to the point and Scottie, free to shoot now that he no longer had to worry about the offense, scored 22 points. The game also featured a vintage Shaq performance of 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

That contest against Cleveland was important for another reason. It marked Robert Horry's move up the bench into the 6th man role. While statistically speaking, he wasn't showing much, he'd actually played extremely well in the limited minutes he'd been given and scored 12 points in that game, following it up with his first career double-double in our next victory, over the Spurs. There he scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Foul trouble by Detlef and Shaq in that win against San Antonio led to not only reliance on Horry, but Alexander, who showed once more that I was right to resign him by scoring 21 from the bench.

The month ended with yet another win and sixty days into the season, we stood on top of the league with a 25-2 record. We went 13-0 for the month, a feat that still amazes me even to this day. The next closest team, as you might expect, was the Cavaliers with a 23-6 mark.

But the biggest story of the early 1994 season wasn't our 13-0 second month record, or our dominance of the league.

It was the surprise leader of a division in the East Conference. A team that held a six game lead at that point and one that nobody predicted would be there, including me.

I'll tell you about it next time.

Izulde

04-18-2006, 07:01 AM

Hello again. Feel free to have a seat and I'll get you some coffee from the kitchen.

Here you go.

When last we met, I told you there was a surprise division leader in the East at the end of month two in 1994 and there was.

Standing atop the Atlantic Division with a 20-9 record, 6 games in front, were none other than the Toronto Raptors, easily the biggest surprise of the young season. How did they manage to do it?

Sam Cassell was a huge part of it. The #2 overall selection in the draft at the time averaged 20.9 points a game with 6.6 assists. Nobody expected the rookie to take off like he did, but there he was, lighting up the league in the same way Shaq did the year before.

Michael Young played a large role, too. Since signing from the Clippers after my first year as GM of the Timberwolves, he'd been a big part of the Raptors offense and was having a career year in 1994, averaging almost 20 points a game himself.

Chris Gatling, the Raptors' #5 overall selection in the 1992 draft, had improved all aspects of his game year by year and by 1994, the third year of his career, developed into an extremely solid all-around player able to score, rebound, and defend. His line read 14.4 ppg/8.2 rpg/1.3 spg at the start of month three and he was without question the team's best all-around player, the Raptors' top rebounder, third-highest scorer, and second-best on the team in terms of steals per game.

Chuck Daly can't be discounted either. The man who'd led the Pistons to three playoff appearances since I entered the league energized Toronto in his first season in Canada and had them believing that this was their year to emerge from the league cellar.

Only one trade occurred during the second month.

Atlanta Hawks receive:
C Bison Dele
Boston Celtics 1995 2nd round pick

Boston Celtics receive:
PG Kenny Anderson

Atlanta's back on top of their division and desperately needed a center. Kevin Willis is 31 and Duane Causwell, a former draftee of mine, just hasn't panned out like the Hawks hoped he would after the trade sent him there. Dele gives them another young center to try out and while he's a turnover machine, he has potential to become an explosive scorer, good rebounder, and fine defender. The Celtics have a glut of young point guards, but none of them are very good. Kenny Anderson is much more polished than they are in all facets of the game and should start. On the other hand, why make this deal when promising but raw rookie Nick Van Exel needs playing time to develop?
Winner: Atlanta as the deal makes more sense for them

After the 13-0 month we had, everyone came gunning for us and as fate would have it, we faced Hubie's Hornets on the first of the new month. They promptly upended us 93-88 behind Jeff Hornacek's 27 points and some extremely ferocious defense that not even Detlef's 20 and 14 could save us from. Still, I wasn't upset about losing. I regarded it as a relief, a break from the pressure in the papers speculating aloud that we might be one of the greatest teams ever assembled.

I didn't believe we were then and I still don't believe that. The only true stars we had were Shaq and Mullin. Everyone else was simply a team guy who knew his role and executed it.

We got back on track with a gritty 92-84 victory over the Kings highlighted by Shaq's 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Scottie chipped in 16 points, Pooh scored 8 points and handed out 8 assists, and Volkov contributed 8 points and 10 rebounds from the bench.

Shaq's dominance continued with our next game, a 117-85 smashing of the Wizards, where he scored 32, got 11 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, and got 4 blocks. Mullin chimed in with 36 points and Brandon scored 10 points and nabbed three steals from the bench. To be honest, I felt a little sorry for Terrell. Here was a kid with the talent to start for most teams in the league right now and the potential to be a franchise player and he was stuck behind a guy that couldn't be moved due to his contract.

That game against Washington really got me thinking. We had the pieces in place for another title certainly, but what about future years? How long could our dynasty run without getting the young phenoms like Terrell more of a chance to develop? Yes, Shaq looked likely to be the most dominant center of his generation, but was I not atrophying Terrell by having Pooh in front of him?

Too, I was concerned that we'd found no future replacement for Mullin. Bryon was a nice bench guy but not the sparkplug scorer we needed out of the position.

Unfortunately, as I feared, I couldn't get anyone to take Pooh's contract. A decision that once seemed such a wise one now had come back to haunt me in the hour when I wanted a chance to stabilize the team's success now and in the future.

Still, I couldn't complain. 29 other GMs in the league would've been ecstatic to be in my position, with two straight rings and a team strong enough to contend for a third.

Our win streak continued and two games after I'd shopped Pooh out, he scored 20 points and had 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a victory against the Bobcats, the same contest Bryon set a new career high with 15 points from the bench. Not bad for a rookie, I admitted to myself afterwards, but I grew a little more concerned when Gregg quietly informed me a few days later that the staff agreed with my assessment that Bryon wasn't showing in practice and games quite the potential they thought he'd exhibited.

Pooh broke 20 again in scoring 21 in our next game, a 99-94 loss to the Lakers that snapped our streak. Scottie got held to a goose egg in scoring, the first time he'd ever been humiliated that way. Shaq scored 23 and took down 16 boards, blocking 5. One thing I'd noticed in the early going of that year was that while Shaq would occasionally have average numbers in points and rebounds, he'd become a monster blocker in his second season, another sign that he was to be The Center in the next generation.

My worry about Bryon grew until I finally traded him the day after the Lakers loss. I shipped him to Dallas for Malik Sealy and the Mavericks' 1996 2nd round pick. Malik looked like he had potential to become a legit scoring threat and a possible replacement for Mullin. In my eyes, it was a low-risk move.

Unfortunately I underestimated the fan reaction. Timberwolves faithful were furious with me for the deal. He'd quickly become a favourite with his hardnosed style of play and one columnist wrote at the time, "Bryon Russell epitomizes the Timberwolf Way that GM Gabriel Arcadia is so fond of calling the foundation of the franchise. He plays tough defense, is loyal, works hard, and integrates himself with his teammates. Malik Sealy is none of these things. Gabriel Arcadia has betrayed the T-Wolf nation and the Way today."

To be honest, I deserved the criticism and after I sent the papers in confirming the swap, I found myself wondering if I'd made the right decision. But it was too late to turn back now. The deal was done.

After Malik went 1-6 in his Minnesota debut, the press became even more vicious, not only calling me to the carpet for the trade, but openly questioning Gregg's decision to put him in the 6th man role as we narrowly beat the Magic 105-102 behind Shaq's 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 blocks and Mullin's 21 points. I understood their fury and told Gregg we'd simply have to weather the storm and that it was his choice what to do about Malik.

We split the next two games and Malik went 0-2 in the loss and 4-7 in the win, showing major foul trouble in both. Still, I felt he'd adjust more fully in time. More curious was that since his arrival, Volkov had gone 2-8, 0-8, and 1-8 in the first three games. Whether this was Alexander just in a cold streak or difficulty with his new teammate I couldn't be certain. But his newfound struggles made me glad I'd only signed him to a three-year deal. That made him tradeable if he had to be, which I hoped he wouldn't. Volkov had been the most unexpected bonus to a trade I'd ever made. While the move'd allowed us to trade up and select Terrell, he'd blossomed with us in a way he never had with the Hawks.

Malik started to show what he could do without foul trouble when his 5-8 shooting with just 1 foul led to a critical 12 bench points in a 103-100 win over the Celtics next game. If I seem to be talking too much about him, it's because even now I'm trying to justify the trade in my mind after all these years. That's how controversial a move it was.

When Malik went 6-8 for another 12 points with 4 rebounds in the next game, a 126-81 rout of the Purple and Gold, I knew he'd be fine. Shaq scored 31, with 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks in that contest, Mullin dropping in 21 points.

At the usual dinner following a win over the Supersonics, Tony Campbell told me he'd be willing to take Malik under his wing in the offseason and give him some advice and pointers for dealing with life in Minnesota.

"Gabriel, the kid's only 24 and he's in his third season. From what I saw him on the floor tonight, he's going to be the scorer you guys will need on down the line. I really think he can break out and be like Chris for you guys when Chris retires", Tony said. And I was grateful for that, relieved that someone who I'd traded away had faith in me for making a move that caused such bitter debate in the papers.

Tony, as I've told you before, loved it in Seattle. There he was one of the team's most popular players and one of the stars along with Shawn Kemp. While he would have liked the rings from playing with us in Minnesota, he was happy as a Supersonic.

I'll tell you more about the effects of some of the other deals I've made through the years later.

Anyway, after the Seattle game, Gregg dropped Malik down to the bottom of the rotation. While he'd been playing pretty well as of late, Gregg was of the opinion that Sealy just wasn't ready to be up that high yet and needed to start off again at the bottom and work his way up. Also, by limiting his minutes, Gregg thought the fans would turn their attention to other players on the team again and forget about heckling Malik.

It worked for the team, as we reeled off another win streak marked by Shaq double-doubles and a return to the balanced scoring and iron defense that marked the Timberwolf Way. This let the Malik controversy die down for the time being.

At month's end, we were 39-5, still the best record in the league by far, good for a 12 game lead over Tony's Sonics. Mitch's Rockets led the Southwest by 4 games and the Phoenix Suns, involved in the fateful deal that landed us Shaq, barely held on to a 2.5 game advantage over the Purple and Gold. Ironically enough, Mourning outplayed Shaq in our 103-101 victory over the Suns on the last day of the month.

In the East, the Raptors' lead in the Atlantic was narrowed to 2.5 over the Celtics, the perpetual regular season giant Cleveland Cavaliers fronted the Central by 3.5 ahead of the Pistons and the Hawks ruled the Southeast roost, the Bobcats 3.5 games back.

Next time I'll let you know how Bryon was settling in with the Mavericks.

JeeberD

04-18-2006, 09:16 AM

Good stuff as usual. :)

Izulde

04-19-2006, 06:23 AM

Thanks, Jeebs. :) Sorry that the Rockets haven't managed to take a conference title yet because we're in their way, though they have a fantastic two person scoring punch in Hakeem and Mitch.

Izulde

04-21-2006, 11:56 AM

In Dallas, Bryon had the misfortune of being undersized relative to his fellow small forwards, most notably Toni Kukoc, who, as I said before, I had considerable admiration for. Thus, he became a bench man just as he was for us and even saw fewer minutes. On the other hand, his production relative to his playing time actually went up, as the Mavericks system seemed suited to him. Or maybe it was just a small sample size. I'm not certain.

In any case, besides the deal we made, one other trade transpired in the third month, a relatively minor one.

Sacramento Kings receive:
PF Larry Krystkowiak

Milwaukee Bucks receive:
C Ralph Sampson

The Kings lack a backup PF who can play decent defense and Krystkowiak gives them that. Sampson is an expiring contract and though a relatively small one at $3.9 mill., he both gives Milwaukee a smaller payroll and a reduction in their cap swamp, as they're bogged down to the tune of $36.6 mill. over the cap even with the trade.
Winner: Kings by a slight margin as they get more value out of the trade

An uncharacteristic defensive meltdown caused us to lose our opening game against the Bucks 112-98. Considerable foul trouble didn't help matters either. Fortunately we rebounded with a win against the Kings, headlined by Shaq's 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks and Mullin's 29 points. Horry grabbed 13 rebounds from the bench, too, a career high.

We followed up that victory with wins over Mitch's Rockets and the Toronto Raptors, the latter a thrilling overtime contest where we prevailed 122-113. Toronto's poise impressed me, particularly Chris Gatling, who scored 31 and grabbed 10 rebounds on us. Sadly for them, that couldn't counter Shaq's 37 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks in combination with Pooh's 24 points and 12 assists, Richardson's second straight game with 20 or more points.

Despite an injury to Brandon, we continued to roll, scoring blowout wins against Hubie's Hornets, the Jazz, Nuggets, and Pacers thanks to Mullin's 20 plus points and Detlef's double-double in all four contests, Shaq's 30 points and 6 blocks in the game versus Denver, and Scottie's 21 points against Indiana.

Detlef and Chris's hot hands continued in a rout of the Nets, with Detlef scoring 24 and Chris scoring 21. Shaq had a quiet double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds and Tyrone Corbin had his most explosive game in a long time in scoring 23 from the bench. While I didn't like Tyrone's $7.5 million per year contract that wasn't due to expire for another three seasons and he was invisible on the floor and to the fans, he still was capable of catching fire now and again.

Cold shooting in the fourth quarter and a major rebounding disadvantage translated into a 107-100 loss to the Cavaliers on the road to end our winning streak. To tell you the truth, it always puzzled me just why Cleveland wasn't more successful in the postseason in those years. They had the talent and the regular season success; for some reason they just couldn't put it together in the playoffs.

Immediately following the Cavs loss, the All-Star Weekend kicked off with the Slam Dunk Contest. Malik, who'd started complaining about lack of playing time, got invited. He made it to the finals with a sensational dunk in the first round before the pressure got to him and he put up a horrendous dunk to lose to Phoenix's Jon Barry. The media had quite a bit of fun with that schizophrenic performance I'm sorry to say.

Chris represented us in the 3-point contest but failed to advance beyond the first round. Mark Price of the Cavs ended up the winner. Funnily enough, Glen Rice was there too and also didn't get out of the first round. I had a good chat with him, though. He'd come to really love playing for Chicago alongside Jordan and only wished he could've been a part of our rings teams. To tell you the truth, I think most of the players I traded over the years became if not happy, at least satisfied in their new homes and bore me no ill will. The biggest exception of course, is Mitch, who to this day hasn't forgiven me for dealing him to the Rockets.

As you might expect, Shaq was the starter at center for the Sophs in the Rookie-Sophomore game. He scored 17 points and 8 rebounds in the 119-100 win for the second-year players, but was outperformed by, ironically enough, Alonzo Mourning, who took home Player of the Game honours with a 16 point, 13 rebound, 3 block showing.

In a pleasant surprise, Shaq also started at center for the West in the actual All-Star game, a 140-95 rout of the East by our conference's stars. Gregg looked masterful in coaching that game. Shaq scored 13 with 8 rebounds, not a bad showing at all considering it was his second game in as many nights. Mullin got in as a reserve, scoring 4 points. David Robinson of the Spurs was the Player of the Game, finishing with a line of 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks in just 19 minutes of play.

I received a shock at the trade deadline. Sam Mitchell, our team captain and the man I considered the quintessential Timberwolf, came into my office and told me he wanted to be traded. He said he wasn't happy with his reduced minutes and that trading Bryon gave him even more doubts about my ability to sustain the team's success.

Unfortunately for Sam, nobody would take his contract on. To them, $3 million a year for 3 years, even for a character guy who'd bolster their bench, was just too much. I tried to fulfill his request, but at the end of the day, I simply couldn't.

In spite of our team captain's disillusionment with me and the coaching staff, we reeled off another pair of wins behind Shaq's 30 and more points and 10 plus rebounds in each game, coinciding with Detlef's double-doubles.

Another 30 point performance by Shaq secured a victory over the Trailblazers that closed out the month with us well on top of the league, the first team to 50 wins on the year.

The closest team to our 50-7 mark was the 40-17 Houston Rockets, leading the Southwest by 5. Phoenix still held sway in the Pacific, expanding the gap to 5.5 games. We led the Northwest by 14 over Tony's Sonics, a team I couldn't help but feel sorry for, being stuck behind us in those years.

In the East, things looked far more interesting, the Raptors keeping the pace at 2.5 games ahead of the Celtics, the Cavaliers just a game above the Pistons, and the Hawks 4.5 ahead of the Bobcats.

The most shocking standing showing?

Jordan and Rice's Bulls looked to be in danger of not making the playoffs.

Izulde

05-23-2006, 12:53 AM

No trades happened in the fourth month, something that mirrored the admittedly dull state of the NBA at the time in terms of fierce competition for the divisions. My one concern about the team was that we would take our 50 win mark and lapse into complancency.

We came out flat in the first quarter of our first two games, but crushed Golden State by 30 behind Shaq's 30 points and 10 rebounds and barely squeaked out a 109-107 win over the Bucks in which Mullin scored 30 to follow his 18 points from the Golden State game and Tyrone Corbin had his second straight double-digit scoring game from the bench.

The next game, against the Raptors, marked our third straight win to open the month and our third straight contest where one of our players broke 30. This time it was Detlef, who had an astonishing 35 points and 19 rebounds against the league's biggest surprise team that year. Shaq contributed 18 points and 14 rebounds himself as he and Detlef conspired to control the boards.

Our 30+ single player streak came to end against a 33 point blowout victory over the Wizards but returned the next game against the 18-44 Miami Heat, who actually led us at halftime, the first time we'd gone into the second half with a deficit. Gregg exploded on the team and Mullin responded by scoring 25 in the second half en route to 33 points and an 11 point Timberwolf victory on the night. We actually needed guys who could step up because Shaq had been bothered all month long with a recurring wrist injury that wasn't enough to keep him out of the lineup, but affected his shot drastically.

Shaq's wrist recovered fully before our next game, as he went out on and dropped 31 points on the Magic for yet another 30+ point night by one of our guys and our streak of victories kept right on rolling. We looked virtually unstoppable.

And we were. We kept right on winning, knocking out the Mavericks two games in a row and winning a back-to-back Dallas/San Antonio Texas road trip, despite the fact that the Mavs gave us all we could handle the first night and the Spurs nearly succeeding in taking advantage of our exhaustion to topple us the second night. Gregg had by that time started telling the team that while having a different guy score 30 or more every night was great, we needed to get back to the Timberwolf Way and we did, readopting our old ways of balanced scoring. As Gregg liked to say, two guys scoring in the 20s or five guys scoring in the 10s is better than one guy scoring in the 30s.

Our 60th victory of the year, 10th straight of the month and our 12th straight overall came at the hands of none other than Hubie's Hornets, a 124-81 dismantling highlighted by Shaq's 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks, Detlef's 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, and Mullin's 26 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. It's one of the sweetest, most complete victories I had in my years as a GM and what made it particularly pleasant was Terrell Brandon's 10 points and 6 assists off the bench. I loved his patience and his willingness to sit behind Pooh for all those years. The one mark on the win was an abdominal injury to Tyrone Corbin that kept one of our important subs out for the next 20 days, but it didn't really matter all that much. Nothing was going to keep us from the #1 seed in the West Conference.

The tendency to slack off in the first quarter showed up in a bad way in our next game against the Hakeem-less Rockets as we were down 32-18 after the first, a margin that held at halftime. I heard later that Gregg screamed at the team in the lockerroom for their poor effort and said that if we lost that game, he'd resign, effective immediately. As they had so many times, the team responded to his tactics and we fought back for a 96-92 win.

A 10 point win against the Grizzlies that was closer than it appeared was thanks to Mullin's 27 points and the balanced scoring that we'd gotten used to. The truth was, after our streak of 30s ended, there were no real dominating performances by anyone. It was just pure and simple team Timberwolf effort all the way. Unfortunately, our depth took a severe hit after the win, as Volkov got hurt and was estimated out for a month and a half. Our run for the NBA record, which the press had been talking about, didn't seem so likely anymore.

Still, despite his broken hand, Alexander insisted on playing and got 10 minutes in our blowout victory over the Nets thanks to Mullin's 33 points, Detlef's 26 points and 13 rebounds, and Scottie's 25 points, with an 11 point, 6 rebound, 5 assist bench performance from Terrell Brandon, who was making the most of the minutes afforded him in the wake of Corbin's injury.

That game marked the worst injury of all in a month of injuries, for none other than Shaq, our stabilizing force in the middle and the key to our inside-centred offense, broke his hand as well. Estimated time out: Two months. It couldn't have happened at a worse possible time for us.

Robert Horry became our starting center and my second round pet project, Mike Peplowski, got taken off the IR and put in the rotation in exchange for Tyrone. We barely squeaked by the Clippers in our second-to-last game of the month, thanks to Scottie and Detlef scoring 24 points a piece. We got slaughtered on the boards, with Detlef having a team high of 8 rebounds.

As fate would have it, our final game of the month was against the Purple and Gold. Normally the team we dethroned would be a fairly easy win for us, as they relied on old veterans and couldn't match our youth or depth. But with Corbin, Volkov, and Shaq out, it was anyone's game. It went back and forth until the very waning minutes of the last quarter, the 122-110 final score we won by a deceitful pair of numbers. Pooh had a monster game, scoring 29 points, grabbing 9 rebounds and 4 steals while dishing out 7 assists. Mullin scored 30, Scottie chipped in 24 points and 8 rebounds, and Detlef double-doubled with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

We'd done it. We ran the month with another perfect record, our second of the year. At 65-7, no team could touch us for that #1 seed in the West. We were 15 games ahead of the #2 seed Houston Rockets, 20 ahead of the Jazz in our division, who in turn led Seattle by just half a game.

The playoff picture as far as we were concerned was more or less set. Barring sudden surges or slides in the last nine to ten games of the season, our first round opponent was going to be Toni Kukoc's Mavericks. They were a team that we could certainly beat even wounded, but behind Kukoc and All-Star guard Michael Adams, they were much more dangerous than their 31-40 record indicated.

Yes, we were on top, but at tremendous cost. Our best bench player would undoubtedly be out for at least the first round after Volkov aggravated his injury in the 10 minute showing after he got hurt. As for Shaq, if he came back at all, it would be deep in the playoffs, if we made it that far. Our chances for a third straight title looked extremely bleak. That year's postseason would prove to be the single greatest challenge to date in my tenure and one of the most difficult and hardest roads we'd have to forge in my entire career.

Izulde

06-07-2006, 01:20 PM

With our primary big men out and the top seed a lock, the focus for Gregg and the team was to adjust our gameplan for the playoffs. We started the last set of 10 with a 26 point win over the Kings, that margin of victory scored both by Scottie and Mullin. Detlef put in 18 points and 7 rebounds and Pooh had a double-double of 12 points and 12 assists. Even my pet project, Peplowski, had a career day, scoring 8 points with 5 rebounds. Though originally regarded as a throwaway pick, the minutes he'd gotten in the last three games indicated that he in fact made for a pretty decent reserve player, though he wasn't likely to ever get much better than what he was. For a mid 2nd-rounder, I'd take that.

In a much tougher test against the playoff-bound Mourning-led Suns, we prevailed 88-85 behind Horry's double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds, both team highs as we returned to our balanced scoring approach. Mourning put in a Shaq-like performance of 32 points, 16 rebounds, an assist, and two blocks, but it wasn't enough for Phoenix to overcome us. The streak prevailed.

Following our next win, against the Nuggets, Tyrone Corbin was ready to come off the IR list. Gregg and I had a lot of discussions about who to put on IR so Tyorne could come back. We both agreed that Peplowski, who'd formerly taken the spot, needed to stay on the active roster. Not only had he proven himself to be a valuable reserve, but from a bodies standpoint, we couldn't lose another big man. So it came down to Dan Majerle or Malik Sealy.

Both players fell into the category of major disappointments. Majerle never did become the top reserve guard we expected when we signed him in free agency and Malik not only failed to crack the rotation very much, he was furious about his lack of playing time and announced his determination to leave as soon as free agency came. Although it pained me to have to admit I'd made a mistake in trading away Bryon Russell, I agreed to put Malik on the IR. Not only did his dissatisfaction risk the team chemistry so fundamental to our franchise's philosophy, he'd been on an icy streak lately.

A 105-87 victory on the road against Utah, highlighted by Mullin's 40 points and Detlef's 19 points and 15 rebounds, signaled without question that even lacking Shaq and Volkov, we were still a dominant team and a powerful force to be reckoned with. Horry and Peplowski were doing remarkably well under the pressure situation they were in and flourishing with their extra minutes. I determined to myself that I would, without question, resign Peplowski in free agency.

Pep had a career game in our 104-83 win over our old friends, the Atlanta Hawks, with 14 points and 7 rebounds from the bench, a point total matched by Tyrone in a contest that featured just solid all-around performances from everyone, with no real standout player. Oh yes, it also marked our 70th win of the year.

We followed up the landmark victory with two more wins, against the Warriors and Nuggets respectively. The triumph over Denver was particularly sweet, as three players had double-doubles: Horry with 11 points and 11 rebounds, Terrell with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists, and Peplowski with 16 points and 10 rebounds, his very first double-double and career highs in both categories. Detlef's 24 points and Mullin's 20 certainly helped as well.

The streak finally came to an end with a 96-92 road loss against Tony's Sonics in a game where the margin of difference was, ironically enough, their bench vastly outplaying ours, which had done so well. At dinner afterwards, Tony, who'd scored 20 points, told me he admired the job Gregg and I did to keep the team together despite the rash of injuries.

"But, Mr. Arcadia", he grinned with that joker's gleam I knew so well in his eye, "I hope we meet again in the playoffs so we can beat you guys there too and end your dynasty."

No doubt Seattle was amped that year, more determined to topple us than they'd ever been and it showed in that single, largely meaningless, late-season game, when they played with heart and fire traditionally reserved for us. It hadn't been easy for them having to play second fiddle year in and year out to us since our rise.

We rebounded with a narrow win over Memphis, thanks to Detlef's 31 points and 10 rebounds, Mullin's 29 points, and a return of quality play from our reserves, highlighted by Peplowski's 14 points and 5 rebounds.

Our last game of the year was against the Spurs, who were an astounding 29-52 and one of the league's most shocking disappointments that year. We destroyed them 112-75, Mullin leading all scorers with 25 points, Detlef double-doubling with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Pooh scoring 20. Terrell scored 16 from the bench, Peplowski, now the 7th man in the rotation, scoring 12 in his debut in the new slot.

Thus, we finished the year with a new NBA regular season record of 74-8. The papers lauded us for our brilliant play down the stretch and Gregg and I in particular were the toast of both Minneapolis and the nation. As one columnist wrote, "On any other team, the loss of their biggest star and most important reserve would doom the squad. Not so with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who, thanks to the fantastic coaching by Gregg Popovich and the uncanny genius of general manager Gabriel Arcadia, have set a new NBA record despite playing much of the final two months without Shaquille O'Neal and Alexander Volkov."

Yes, we'd excelled at a level no one else had and in the face of daunting circumstances. Yet, I did not celebrate our record then. The time for those festivities would have to come later, for a greater task awaited us.

The NBA playoffs and our quest for three straight championships.

Izulde

06-21-2006, 02:31 AM

And so it was with no small amount of trepidation that we headed into the playoffs that year. Volkov was expected out for another week and a half, meaning he'd miss the first round for certain and probably part of the second as well if we made it there. Shaq wouldn't be back for another month, so unless we made it back to the Finals, it didn't look as though we'd see him that postseason.

1994 Eastern Conference First Round
(1) Cleveland vs (8) Charlotte
(4) Detroit vs (5) Indiana
(3) Toronto vs (6) Milwaukee
(2) Atlanta vs (7) Chicago

No New York. Age finally caught up with the Knicks. Instead, a pair of rising teams slid in with Charlotte and Toronto. While both teams had been to the playoffs once before, the Raptors' seeding marked their establishment as a legitimate postseason franchise.

The Cavaliers I figured would steamroll over the Bobcats. Cleveland did win a title in 1991, but for all their promise and all their regular-season dominance, they'd won just the lone title, the only time they'd been to the Finals since I entered the league, in fact. Being prone to playoff upsets had really tarnished a lot of their success.

Detroit looked set to down Indiana. The Pacers had a solid core of veterans and a quietly developing all-around potential franchise player in Tom Gugliotta, but they couldn't match the exceptional veteran leadership or firepower of the Pistons. Motown was eventually going to fall, as their younger players included colossal bust Dale Davis, but for now, they were one of the more potent teams in the East.

The Raptors and the Bucks represented the most intriguing matchup in the first round. Toronto, fueled by phenom Sam Cassell and supplanted by fellow youngsters Chris Gatling and Matt Geiger, looked determined to squash the veteran Bucks. Helping out the league's lone Canadian entry was none other than our own Randy Breuer, who admitted to me in the offseason that the coaching staff relied on his playoff experience and rings to help prepare the young players for the postseason atmosphere.

Finally, the Hawks and the Bulls. Chicago snuck into the playoffs after all, on the strength of a guy named Jordan and Armon Gilliam's excellent all-around play. However, the Bulls didn't really have any legitimate shooters outside of Michael. Glen Rice had a horrible year that season and looked astonishingly unfocused when I managed to see him play. This contrasted with the Hawks, who possessed an excellent blend of veterans and young guys. Dominique Wilkins was the clear offensive leader of the team with his 26.8 points per game. Of particular interest to me were Tyrone Hill and Alaa Abdelnaby. Tyrone had developed into a pretty good all-around player, though he sometimes struggled to find playing time in Atlanta's stellar frontcourt. Abdelnaby, on the other hand, was a 1991 late 1st rounder who'd been quietly developing into a quality starter-type player in much the same way that Gatling did for the Raptors. The Hawks looked set to crush the Bulls in my opinion.

1994 Western Conference First Round
(1) Minnesota vs (8) Dallas
(4) Utah vs (5) Seattle
(3) Phoenix vs (6) New Orleans
(2) Houston vs (7) L.A. Lakers

It still felt strange not seeing the Spurs in the playoffs, but that's the kind of crazy year 1994 was. Nobody could've predicted anything that happened that year, from our record regular season wins mark to Toronto's emergence to San Antonio's bizzare crash.

The Jazz and the Supersonics matchup certainly favoured Utah, who boasted superstar Karl Malone and an extremely balanced, talented supporting cast and bench. Jordan would've given half his salary to have the type of players around him that the Mailman did. More telling: Even despite losing a month to injury, Malone still averaged 28.6 points and 10.2 rebounds and the Jazz took the top wildcard seed. This didn't bode well for Tony's Sonics, whose offense lived and died by him, with a scattering of scoring support from Shawn Kemp and Kevin Duckworth, Seattle's rebounding machines averaging 8.7 and 7.2 boards respectively. They just didn't look to have enough offense to advance.

Anyone who expected Phoenix to miss Kevin Johnson turned out to be sorely mistaken, as the Suns featured arguably the most balanced starting five in the NBA outside of us in Craig Ehlo, Anfernee Hardaway, Eddie Johnson, Tom Chambers, and Alonzo Mourning, all of whom averaged double figures in scoring and had high averages in key position categories to boot. The problem was their bench players were frankly terrible. This wasn't a difficulty for Hubie's Hornets, who boasted Sean Elliott as their top reserve and had a pretty decent set of starters besides, headlined by Jeff Hornacek's 22.7 points per game and a pair of frontcourt players in Lionel Simmons and Anthony Fredrick who were identical twins in much the same way that Kemp and Duckworth were for Seattle. It looked to be a close series, but I had faith enough in Hubie that I gave him the benefit of the doubt and privately tipped him to advance.

The Rockets were a team I couldn't help but liking. Danny'd done a remarkable job in landing Fat Lever, who jumpstarted Houston with his brilliant passing. Between Mitch and Hakeem, they had the topflight scorers, too. The only weak points were a lack of legitimate rebounders outside of Hakeem and Otis Thorpe and a shaky bench, the latter of which would be a huge problem against the Purple and Gold's superior reserves. The Lakers certainly had the offense to challenge Houston, with Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Orlando Woolridge all close to 20 points per game or over the mark. The only question is if their aging bodies had the stamina to play defense for one and last the series for two. If it became a short series, I had to give the edge to the Purple and Gold. Fail to win quickly and it'd be a Dreamworld.

As for our matchup, I've mentioned my admiration for Michael Adams and Toni Kukoc on that Maverick squad, but their key player was actually center Roy Tarpley, one whose presence would particularly critical against Robert Horry and Mike Peplowski if Dallas hoped to beat us. I had no doubt Horry could shut him down, but I secretly worried about Pep's ability to contain Tarp. All told though, I liked our starting five a lot better than theirs, but I'll be the first to admit that their bench was much better than ours. I anticipated a close series thanks to Shaq and Volkov being out.

That was before I got the call two hours before tipoff for Game 1. Tarpley had badly sprained his finger and was questionable for the series. Sure enough, he didn't play the first game and after a neck and neck, we broke it open in the second quarter and coasted the rest of the way to a 112-97 victory. Mullin stepped up with 28 points, Detlef double-doubled with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Pep proved my concerns about his ability to handle playoff pressure wrong with an astonishing 17 point 10 rebound double-double on 8-9 shooting from the bench that the national press called his coming out party.

Our easy victory sent Dallas into early panic mode and so Tarpley started the next night as the Mavericks sought to pull even in Minneapolis before the series moved to Dallas. Or so it was announced, but when the game began, Tarp was on the bench in street clothes. The scare tactic infuriated our team and the psychological backfired on the Mavericks as we raced out to a 9-0 lead and went box to wire in a 107-83 win. Detlef picked up his second straight double-double, this one good for 24 points and 16 rebounds, along with 4 assists, 2 blocks, and steals en route to a player of the game nod. Mullin scored 17 and Tyrone Corbin, the starter at SG while Scottie protected against a minor injury getting worse, scored 20 in a jubiliant performance for one of the few remaining original Timberwolves.

Heading to Dallas with a 2-0 lead in hand, we felt extremely confident in our chances of putting the Mavericks away quite quickly, which would give us valuable time to rest and heal. Game 3 turned out a repeat of Game 1, as the Mavericks played with the desperation they surely felt in the first quarter, but their miniscule lead vanished in the second and never came close to being regained as we crushed them 112-94 behind Detlef's third straight playoff double-double of 28 points and 13 rebounds and Mullin's 20 points. You couldn't help but admire the Mavericks' tenacity though, especially Michael Adams, who scored 31 points in Game 3 in an effort to carry his team to a needed win.

If you had told me before the series started that we'd be looking at the chance of a sweep in Game 4, I'd have bought you a soda for telling me such a great joke, but that was the reality of the situation. All the momentum lay on our side and Dallas looked absolutely deflated after the Game 3 loss. But the Mavericks marshalled together energy and made a spectacular showing in Game 4, showing grittiness and heart in leading at halftime and staying close until the closing minutes of the final quarter, when they just finally ran out of gas and bowed out 111-100. Michael Adams again put in a Herculean performance in scoring 25 points and the rest of the starters scored 19 or 20 as well, save for Tarp replacement Irving Thomas, who contributed just half that. Unfortunately for Dallas, their bench played horribly and in particular had no answer for Mike Peplowski, who scored 20 points and grabbed 8 boards as a sub, filling in the void when the Mavericks focused on shutting down Detlef's hot hand. Dallas did succeed in that goal, as our starting power forward scored just 5 points and took down only 3 boards. But they couldn't stop Pep or Horry, who matched Pep's 20 points and added 13 rebounds for an unexpected double-double. Add on to it Mullin's 31 points and you have the ingredients of our series sweep clinching victory.

In the end, it boiled down to our team simply having too much talent for the Mavericks, even without Shaq and Volkov.

But a more powerful opponent would await us in Round 2.

JeeberD

06-21-2006, 10:33 AM

I must know how badly the Rockets crushed the Lakers!

Izulde

07-08-2006, 05:23 AM

I must know how badly the Rockets crushed the Lakers!

:D Sorry about that, but I just got back from Russia a day or two ago and have been recovering from jet lag.

I'll try and get an update in later today.

Izulde

07-09-2006, 09:16 AM

If an upset keeps happening, does it stop becoming an upset after a while? That's something I still don't know the answer to, even after all these years.

What I do know is that in the 1994 postseason, the number one seed Cleveland Cavaliers once again fell in the first round, as the Charlotte Bobcats officially announced their arrival as a franchise in ousting the Cavs in 7. Dell Curry's 24 points a game average in the first round and Rony Seikaly and Derrick Coleman's excellent all-around series paved the way for yet another heartbreak by the lake.

The other series to go the full seven was the contest between Tony's Sonics and the Jazz. Tony quite simply carried Seattle on his back to the Game 7 win, his 29 points actually lower than the 31.5 points he averaged for the first round, an output of scoring that many fans still talk about. In fact, I still have the line of points he scored in each game:

Game 1: 31 points (L)
Game 2: 32 points (W)
Game 3: 30 points (W)
Game 4: 29 points (W)
Game 5: 39 points (L)
Game 6: 33 points (L)
Game 7: 29 points (W)

The contest was frankly the most exciting one of the first round, for not only did it go the limit, but Tony and Malone put on single-man superstar shows, for the Mailman averaged 30 points himself, including a pair of 39 point games.

In other first-round action, the Hawks took out the Bulls in six games after nobody stepped up to help Jordan out, Hubie's Hornets rode the triangle of Jeff Hornaceck, John Starks, and Lionel Simmons to dispatch the Suns in six, and in the third series to end in six innings the Toronto used a total team effort to blast the Bucks out of the playoffs.

The Pistons proved the value of veteran savvy in squashing the Pacers in five games, as Indiana looked completely lost through much of the round and Houston served notice to the Purple and Gold that Showtime was officially over in trouncing the Lakers in five as well, highlighted by Hakeem's dreamlike series, averaging 23 points and 8 rebounds a game.

On to the second round then.

1994 Eastern Conference Second Round
(8) Charlotte vs (4) Detroit
(3) Toronto vs (2) Atlanta

The Bobcats were high off their triumph over the Cavaliers, but Cleveland were notorious for underachieving. Furthermore, it'd be a case of Charlotte's youthful exuberance versus Detroit's experienced, postseason-tested cunning and I just didn't see a way that the Pistons could lose. In fact, I considered it quite possible that they might manage a Finals appearance.

Toronto and Atlanta made for a fascinating matchup. The Raptors, while young like Charlotte, also were much more talented than the Bobcats, and they seemed a team of some destiny that year. On the other hand, the Hawks featured a team that was solid from top to bottom. I felt the series would be close, but in the end, experience and team completeness would give Atlanta the win.

1994 Western Conference Second Round
(1) Minnesota vs (5) Seattle
(6) New Orleans vs (2) Houston

Hubie's team had done well to get to the second round, but Hakeem and Mitch appeared ready to decimate the Hornets. The best way to describe my hunch that the Rockets would come out on top is to say that while the Hornets were good, the Rockets were great. And greatness always wins.

For our own matchup, against an old friend and a familiar opponent, I felt we could win more readily than I thought we would against the Mavericks before the opening round. Yes, Tony would get his points, but our firepower, like Houston's, was simply going to be too much for the Sonics to overcome, even without Shaq. My beliefs were further confirmed when the team's doctors informed me that Volkov was cleared to play and would be in the starting lineup from the get go.

Then Game 1 happened.

Gregg's plan to shut down Tony worked in its goal of shutting down Seattle's top scorer, but we discounted the rest of the Sonics, who suddenly showed offensive life and showed us how the other half lives when it was they who pulled away down the stretch to stun us 117-106. Shawn Kemp had a coming out game with 19 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. A near triple-double. Even now that amazes me to think that almost happened against of our mid-90s teams. Gerald Glass and Sedale Threatt had double-doubles as well for Seattle and Dale Ellis led all scorers with 24 points.

On our end, nobody scored 20 points and two of our starters were held to 10 or less. Our rebounding efforts were horrendous as well. In fact, Tyrone Corbin's 16 points from the bench was the lone truly noteworthy performance. Despite the closeness of the score going into the fourth quarter, the fact of the matter is that we got whipped and whipped soundly on our own home court.

Yet, as has happened so many times before, we didn't take the loss hard. Gregg reached into his bag of motivational tricks and the end result was a 121-89 trouncing of Seattle in Game 2. Tony was held to 2-11 from the field and Shawn Kemp was the Sonics' high scorer with 18 points, 15 points the next-highest individual total for the away team.

Mullin took over for us as he had time and time again after we landed him, coming through in a big way with his 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. All of our starters broke double-digit scoring this time and Horry and Corbin both hit the 10+ point mark.

With the series tied at a game piece, we trekked to Seattle. The Sonics opened Game 3 with a 6-0 run, but we countered with a streak of our own to capture the lead. From there, it was the same back and forth battle of Game 1 with the same result as the Sonics ran away in the waning minutes of play to win 99-89. Neither Mullin's 25 points, nor Detlef's double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds or Tyrone's third straight 10 point performance from the bench could counter Kevin Duckworth's 21 points and 12 rebounds, Tony's 18 points and 9 rebounds, or the fact that Seattle enjoyed a +15 rebounding edge over us.

Recognizing that a win was imperative, Gregg went directly to Volkov and told him that we needed him to prove his value to the team. Shaq wasn't there to hold down the center spot for us and Horry was still developing, so it was up to Alexander to prove once again his postseason mettle. Volkov responded to the challenge by scoring 25 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, edged in scoring by Mullin by a single bucket, as Chris continued his clutch playoff performance in leading all scorers with 27. Our team defense tightened up as well after Gregg appealed to our pride in our iron tradition, so that we left Seattle with a critical 123-81 win to tie the series up at two.

Game 5 was another dogfight and this time, neither team ran off at the end. A Kevin Duckworth bucket with two seconds remaining proved the differencemaker in a heartbreaking 104-102 loss at home. Scottie's 27 points didn't matter and no one noticed much Detlef's 20 points and 10 rebounds. All that we could see were the red neon numbers announcing our untimely defeat, 21 points by Tony's name, 11 points and 12 rebounds by Kemp's.

Our season and our dynasty were once again on the line against Seattle. Though not a traditional rivalry, the postseason wars between the Sonics and the Timberwolves had, through the years, turned into a playoff rivalry.

When we arrived in Seattle for Game 6, we discovered that Gerald Glass and Sedale Threatt wouldn't be playing for the Sonics after being injured in Game 5. Mullin, upon hearing the news, promptly announced to the rest of the team that we needed to take advantage and hammer home the victory to send the series to Game 7.

We did, none more so than Mullin.

Every single one of his 45 points was a beauty to witness and even a sweat-drenched Tony told reporters after the game, "There was no way Chris Mullin was going to be denied today. Not even Hakeem could've stopped him." No, nothing would stop him in that glorious 21 point win we so desperately needed.

A deafening crowd greeted us at home and the entire team fed off the Game 6 momentum and the energy of our fans in the stands to crush the Sonics 117-66. There were no standout players for the series finale. Befitting the Timberwolf Way, everyone but the injured Shaq played and, more remarkably, every single player on our side scored.

Once again we'd pulled off the miracle against Seattle and once again Sonics fans were left with heartbreak and wondering what might have been.

But as for us, we had no time for the luxury of wonderment. Our most challenging opponent yet lurked ahead in the Western Conference finals.

Here's the scorecard for our team in that incredible, vintage Game 7:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/Game7.jpg

Izulde

07-10-2006, 05:29 PM

Charlotte's shocking run continued with a five game conquest of the Pistons. In a series that largely could have gone either way, if the close scores of each game were any indication, Joe Dumars's 30+ point per game average just wasn't quite enough to topple Dell Curry's continued golden scorer's touch and Rony Seikaly and Derrick Coleman's combined layups and fierce rebounds inside. I've always been a great admirer of Seikaly as you know, so to see him succeed at the highest level pleased me.

The Hawks and Raptors went to six games and was another series of close contests until Sam Cassell's injury in Game 4. That spelled the end for Toronto, as the team looked lost and uncomfortable without their rookie sensation running the show.

What didn't surprise in the least was Houston's sweep of the Hornets. Despite's Jeff Hornacek's masterful series and determination to carry New Orleans, he simply wasn't enough for the three-headed monster of Hakeem, Mitch, and Fat Lever. What fascinated and worried me about the series when I watched the tapes was that Dream wasn't relied on to do the bulk of the scoring. Instead, they utilized him as a second and third option so he could concentrate on grabbing boards and blocking shots, both of which he did extremely well. So well, in fact, that he had a near triple-double one game with 15 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 blocks.

So the conference finals were then set.

1994 Eastern Conference Finals
(8) Charlotte vs (2) Atlanta

The Bobcats showed a lot of pluck to make it that far and as you can imagine, the city of Charlotte was in a tizzy. But I sensed that this would be as far as they go. Our opponents for our first title had learned a lot from our blueprint and largely imitated the Timberwolf Way by having a pair of high-octane scorers in Dominique Wilkins and Kevin Willis with everyone else in a specific role that included an emphasis on defense. The system and level of talent would prove too much for the nascent franchise to handle.

1994 Western Conference Finals
(1) Minnesota vs (2) Houston

What worried me most was that the Rockets were well-rested and hungry. Hakeem hadn't forgotten missing the series a few seasons before on our way to the first title and nor had he forgotten our previous matchups. Mitch, too, was eager to trounce us, for although he was a star in Houston, he'd never forgiven me for trading him away, especially not after the rings we collected.

Even more troublesome, Shaq was still out for another two weeks. If we were to win, we woud have to do it with a severe disadvantage at the most critical position on the floor.

Gregg told me before Game 1 that his plan was to let Hakeem loose to do what damage he would. We would concentrate on limiting Mitch's production and that's exactly what we did, holding him to just 1-12 from the floor as we broke open a game with 25 lead changes and 17 ties in the fourth quarter, running away in vintage Timberwolf fashion to seize a critical first game 102-88.

Our scoring was balanced across the board in our signature manner, with Detlef our top man in points and rebounds after his impressive double-double of 19 points and 15 rebounds. All five starters had double-digit scoring, as did Robert Horry and Tyrone Corbin in a reserve role. Corbin's playoff presence from the bench pleasantly surprised me and our fans. No one expected it out of the original Timberwolf, but there the veteran was, guiding our second team night after night under the bright postseason lights.

Game 2 followed much the same course as Game 1, but with one tragic difference. Preserving a two-point lead, Houston had the ball for the last shot. Derrick Chevious went up for the layin and Mullin stupidly fouled him on the way. Chevious made the bucket as time expired and hit the ensuing free throw. 102-101 Rockets and tied series. In a way though, it was an ending emblematic of the game we'd had, with our starters plagued by foul trouble throughout.

In spite of Chevious's heroics, it was actually Fat Lever who did the most damage to us, scoring 15 points and dishing 12 assists while grabbing 4 rebounds and committing 3 steals. The Rockets held a significant rebounding advantage as well, so that not even Mullin's game-high 22 points could rescue us from a hearbreaking defeat.

Game 3 in Houston proved equally disheartening, for Pooh and Detlef's inspired shooting and our 8 point lead going into the fourth quarter proved all for nothing. Hakeem took over the game in the last period and we found ourselves staring at the wrong end of a 113-107 score. Detlef's 32 points and 9 rebounds and Pooh's 22 points could not make up for Scottie's terrible shooting day, nor Hakeem's 30 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 blocks or the Rockets' equally fired-up bench play.

Genuine fear that we would lose the series started to grip me then and Game 4 opened with my hands clenched into fists and a 11-0 Rockets run. That proved to be the differencemaker in a 110-101 loss. Houston's Big Three of Hakeem, Mitch, and Fat scored 18, 20, and 26 points respectively and the lever who enginereed the Rocket's offense also double-doubled.. with 10 rebounds. A point guard with a 26 point, 10 rebound, 4 assist, 3 steal line. While Fat was a talented player, the fact that we'd allowed that to happen showed to me that the fight had gone out of us after Game 3.

Down 3-1, we returned home praying for a miracle. It would take an extraordinary, Hollywood-scripted bit of magic to get back in the series and actually win it. The first act was written as we eagerly fed off the home crowd and let Detlef and Mullin carry us to a desperate win that was a lot closer than the final 24 point margin indicated. 24 was the number of the night, though, for not only did we win by 24, but Detlef and Mullin both scored 24 points, our most popular German doubling with 15 rebounds and Chris playing inspired defense with 6 very timely steals.

Before Game 6 in Houston, Mullin, who'd come to take over Sam Mitchell's role as captain, went to Scottie Pippen and told him that it was his turn to come through for us. Scottie took the ultimatum to heart, scoring 27 points to go with Mullin's 23 and lead us to a 100-78 victory that, much as in Game 5, did not tell the real tale of the game's competitiveness.

As evidence, I point to Mitch's frenzied 35 point game and Hakeem's 18 points and 15 rebounds. They were determined to knock us off in Houston in front of their rabid fans, but it was not to be, as Gregg had the team focus on Fat, who was held to 1 of 11 from the floor.

Act two of the script had been carried out.

Now it was back to Minneapolis for the final act and Game 7. Would we complete the storybook ending or would our dynasty be dashed on the rocks, our loss of Shaq too much to overcome?

Down by 7 at halftime, we turned to the frantic, sold-out crowd for one last boost of energy and raced out to take the lead in the third quarter. We precariously held on to it going into the fourth.. and then Houston's defense simply shut us down. For the last two minutes and eighteen seconds of the game, we didn't get a single point and fell 97-92.

The dynasty was dead.

As the players sat on the court, stunned and numb, Pooh sobbing after his horrendous 2-13 performance, I stared with equal shocked despair at the screen.

We'd worked so hard and to have it end in so ignoble a fashion hurt, our own sword of defense turned against us, betraying us with its dual-edge and stabbing into our collective hearts.

What hurt most was this.

Shaq would have been cleared to play the next day.

Izulde

07-15-2006, 10:40 AM

For a week, I didn't speak to the reporters. Yes, media-friendly me shunned the press. I couldn't take the questions and the half-hearted consolations. Mrs. Arcadia can tell you I wasn't the easiest man to live with during that stretch, even though she constantly reminded me that we'd had a wonderful run and any GM in the league would be happy to have the two consecutive titles I'd won.

As wives so often are, she was right.

By the time I came out of the blues, the 1994 NBA Finals was underway between the Houston Rockets and... the Charlotte Bobcats.

Yes, a #8 seed made it all the way to the Eastern Conference title. More astoundingly, Charlotte came back from a 0-3 deficit to win the series 4-3. There was no greater playoff upset in the history of the NBA til that time and some might say it remains the biggest upset of all time.

Atlanta simply got overconfident and when that happened, Dell Curry scorched the wings of the high-flying Hawks, sending their title hopes spiraling to the ground. I had no doubt that the man who deserved the playoff MVP, no matter how the championship turned out, was Curry. His explosive shooting, consistently good for 30 points or better, not only carried the Bobcats, but inspired the rest of his team to play fast and play hard.

Derrick Coleman continued his double-double train and while Rony tapered off, the rest of the squad picked up in his stead so that Tobacco Road was in delerium after that Game 7 shocker in Atlanta.

Of course, no one gave Charlotte a chance against Houston. Hakeem and Mitch had been waiting for quite a while to have a shot at a championship and everyone knew they weren't going to let this opportunity pass them by.

They didn't. Mitch scored 35 points in Game 1 and Fat scored 18 while handing out 13 assists as Hakeem had a quiet game playing decoy in a masterful move by head coach John Macleod and his staff.

Game 2 meant Dell Curry's awakening with 27 points after a miserable Game 1, but Hakeem's 32 points and 16 rebounds and Mitch's equal of Curry with 27 meant that not even Coleman's 21 points and 11 rebounds could prevent the Bobcats from a morale-crushing 120-119 loss.

Back to the decoy role for Hakeem in Game 3. End result: Rockets 127 Bobcats 120, despite a dazzling 32 point outpouring by Dell Curry. It seemed that nothing could save Charlotte now.

And nothing could. Not Dell's 31 points or Rony's 14 rebounds. Derrick Coleman's 4 steals did nothing. Fat's sprained ankle? Houston's beloved hired point guard shrugged it off to dish out 10 assists and Hakeem-Mitch-Chievous conspired for a 27-26-23 point hydra that drowned the Bobcats. Dream's 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks also gave him Player of the Game and NBA Finals MVP honours.

At long last, the Houston Rockets could hold aloft the golden, gleaming ball. Mitch and Hakeem had their title.

And Mitch still refused to speak with me.

I'd hoped he would take my call when I phoned to congratulate him on the championship, but he passed it off to his agent instead. It was the bittersweet topping to a bittersweet year.

Here are the standings and statistics for the 1994 season:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1994EastConf.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1994WestConf.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1994Stats.jpg
Regular season statistics.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1994playoffs.jpg
Playoff statistics. The two minutes logged for Shaq are an inside joke from our stats men. No, I never got the joke either and Shaquille never did tell me what it was. Said it was a you had to be there moment.

About a week and a half later, the NBA Season Awards Ceremony was held. I predicted we'd pick up a couple awards, but it was hard telling just who would win what. If the past was any indication, Gregg would be a shoo-in for a long overdue Coach of the Year Award, based on our regular season record.

MVP
Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
33.0 ppg 4.0 apg 6.7 rpg 0.6 bpg 2.1 spg

Defensive Player of the Year
Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets
20.9 ppg 2.2 apg 10.4 rpg 2.9 bpg 1.3 spg

6th Man of the Year
Billy Thompson - Detroit Pistons
11.7 ppg 2.0 apg 4.9 rpg 0.9 bpg 0.8 spg

Rookie of the Year
Sam Cassell - Toronto Raptors
19.4 ppg 6.3 apg 3.2 rpg 0.2 bpg 1.1 spg

Coach of the Year
Gregg Popovich - Minnesota Timberwolves

All-League First Team
PG Mark Price - Cleveland Cavaliers
SG Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
SF Dominique Wilkins - Atlanta Hawks
PF Larry Nance - Cleveland Cavaliers
C Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets

All-League Second Team
PG John Stockton - Utah Jazz
SG Magic Johnson - Los Angeles Lakers
SF Chris Mullin - Minnesota Timberwolves
PF Kevin McHale - Boston Celtics
C Brad Daugherty - Cleveland Cavaliers

All-League Third Team
PG Sam Vincent - Orlando Magic
SG Jeff Malone - Washington Wizards
SF Ricky Pierce - Milwaukee Bucks
PF Detlef Schrempf - Minnesota Timberwolves
C Roy Tarpley - Dallas Mavericks

All-Defense First Team
PG Nate McMillan - Seattle Sonics
SG Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
SF Jerome Kersey - Portland Trailblazers
PF Shawn Kemp - Seattle Sonics
C Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets

All-Defense Second Team
PG John Stockton - Utah Jazz
SG Doc Rivers - Atlanta Hawks
SF Scottie Pippen - Minnesota Timberwolves
PF Larry Nance - Cleveland Cavaliers
C Alonzo Mourning - Phoenix Suns

All-Rookie First Team
PG Sam Cassell - Toronto Raptors
SG Anfernee Hardaway - Phoenix Suns
SF Jamal Mashburn - San Antonio Spurs
PF Chris Webber - Golden State Warriors
C Josh Grant - Orlando Magic

All-Rookie Second Team
PG Adonis Jordan - Memphis Grizzlies
SG Pat Durham - Portland Trailblazers
SF Lloyd Daniels - Orlando Magic
PF Vin Baker - Chicago Bulls
C Shawn Bradley - Miami Heat

The bittersweetness continued with the awards. Gregg, Mullin, and Detlef finally got the recognition they so richly deserved, but in a year when we lost our hold on the NBA Championship. All of them said they would have taken another title over the individual prizes, but as Mullin pointed out after a moment, "At least this way, we have both. We're lucky. There's a lot of players, coaches, and teams in the league who would give anything to have either."

And indeed, he was right. The speech he gave at the press conference after the awards ceremonies reminded me that I needn't be sad. We'd proven that we were still a talented team, taking the mighty Rockets to seven games even without Shaq.

Our nucleus was still relatively young and behind our veteran players, we had recent draftees who were ready to step up at a moment's notice.

We would be back, I swore to myself.

But first, there was the offseason, always the most important phase of a GM's career.

Izulde

07-24-2006, 02:06 AM

The first offseason move I made was to sign 1st assistant Bill Fitch to a four year contract extension. Bill was good enough to be an NBA head coach and he would have gotten a lot of offers for such in the hiring period.

I couldn't have that. Gregg said top quality assistants are the most important thing to have for a head coach, so we told Bill if he agreed to stay with us, whenever Gregg retired, Bill would be named the successor. He agreed and things were looking very good up top.

I did fire second assistant Don Casey, though. As much as I wanted to keep the same winning staff together, Casey got into too many arguments with the rest of the coaches over how to run the offense that I just couldn't keep him. He wanted an up-tempo game, which we didn't play. I'm sorry to say that he also had not a clue about how to pick the good defenders from the bad, a cardinal sin in the Timberwolf Way philosophy.

These moves were made shortly before the draft lottery that year. While we had no genuine interest in it, I always enjoyed seeing how the balls would bounce. Furthermore, we also had two late 1st round picks that we could package together to move up if there was a player we really liked.

1. Washington Wizards (+10)
2. Miami Heat
3. Portland Trailblazers (-2)
4. Memphis Grizzlies (-2)
5. Los Angeles Clippers (-1)
6. Golden State Warriors (-1)
7. Philadelphia 76ers (-1)
8. Sacramento Kings (-1)
9. San Antonio Spurs (-1)
10. New Jersey Nets (-1)
11. Denver Nuggets (-1)
12. Boston Celtics
13. Orlando Magic
14. New York Knicks

The nation's capital exploded with glee as the Wizards shocked the odds like no other team before in leaping 10 places to get the #1 overall selection in the 1994 draft. It was terrific news for a franchise that looked to be in flux, as greybeard superstars Jeff Malone and Bernard King were due to hit free agency that offseason, along with a number of other Washington players.

In news much closer to home, we got a new owner in Chris Stone, a Minneapolis businessman whose main concern was winning. That meant he expect us to get another title, and soon. While I was already determined to win another championship, the change in owner meant that I would have to make absolute certain that I succeeded in this goal.

My first choice for a new 2nd assistant, Leonard Hamilton, joined Pat Riley's staff in Miami as the 1st assistant, so I scooped up my second choice, 23 year old Igor Koskov, to sit in the second chair. Despite his tender young age, Koskov, who was in fact Russian and freshly graduated from Moscow State University, already knew a lot about basketball strategy and was average in other areas. It was my hope that he'd be able to pick Gregg and Bill's brains to grow as a coach and one day take the throne.

As you can see, I was thinking generations ahead. I wanted to ensure the dynasty would continue even after I stepped down, whenever retirement would prove to come.

To be honest, I don't remember who all changed teams on the coaching carousel that year. I was so concerned with finding a quality second assistant that I didn't pay all that much attention, I'm afraid. I'm sorry.

After a championship season at Duke, everyone was talking up Grant Hill as the #1 choice by the Wizards in the mock draft and with very good reason. Not only would he be the immediate heir to Bernard King, but he was the consensus best player in the draft and looked by all accounts to be a franchise type superstar. Making his selection all the more likely was that outside of him, the pool was lean on players who looked like stars.

For us, the major mock draft I always liked to look at picked out SG Eric Piatkowski out of Nebraska at the #28 pick and and SG Aaron McKie from Temple at #30. They were certainly right about our looking for a young shooting guard or small forward. Point guard, power forward, and center were still set for a long while, so it was swingmen I hunted for.

I gave serious consideration to moving up in the first round. With the two late 1sts, we could move up to take somebody in the mid 1st that would have an actual chance at playing for us. If we added two late first rounders, it would likely be a few critical years before they got any significant playing time.

After talking with Gregg, that's what we decided to do. Only we didn't make the move before the draft. Our philosophy has always been to wait until draft day to make movements up or down in a round. It paid off quite well with Shaq and Terrell Brandon, I'd say.

Thus, it was with considerable anticipation that I looked forward to the first round of the draft that year. I had a short list of players that we were looking very closely at and there was one in particular I looked forward to moving up for.

1994 1st Round Draft Selections

1. SF Grant Hill - Washington Wizards
2. PG Darrell Armstrong - Miami Heat
3. PG Jason Kidd - Portland Trailblazers
4. PF Juwan Howard - Memphis Grizzlies
5. SF Glenn Robinson - L.A. Clippers
6. SF Jalen Rose - Golden State Warriors

My old trading partners came back to haunt me. Rose was the guy I wanted to pick up in the middle of the round, but there he was, snatched away at #6 by Golden State. That wasn't nearly as big a headscratcher as the choice of Armstrong by Miami at #2. Darrell wasn't a top 3 talent at all by my lights, and furthermore he was 26. That's not the age of a player you want to build a future with.

That just left one more player I coveted, so I began quietly talking to teams about moving up, as he was due to go soon.

7. PF Brian Grant - Philadelphia 76ers
8. SG Eddie Jones - Sacramento Kings

And he went to the Kings, who I thought for sure wouldn't take him, as they had plenty of shooting guards on their roster, but that's where he went. It was at that point that I began thinking about next year's draft.

9. PG Brooks Thompson - San Antonio Spurs
10. PF Donyell Marshell - New Jersey Nets
11. PG Charlie Ward - Florida State
12. SG Voshon Leonard - Boston Celtics
13. SG Gary Alexander - Orlando Magic
14. SF Harold Ellis - New York Knicks
15. SG Eric Piatkowski - Dallas Mavericks
16. C Zeljko Rebraca - Chicago Bulls
17. C Anthony Miller - Toronto Raptors
18. SG Aaron McKie - Charlotte Bobcats
19. C Dontonio Wingfield - L.A. Lakers
20. SF Lamond Murray - Milwaukee Bucks
21. PG Khalid Reeves - Phoenix Suns
22. PF Carlos Rogers - New Orleans Hornets
23. PF Lawrence Funderburke - Indiana Pacers
24. C Tony Farmer - Atlanta Hawks
25. PG Tony Dumas - Seattle Sonics
26. C Stanley Jackson - Utah Jazz
27. SG Wesley Person - Detroit Pistons

I worked the phones leading up to our pick about getting a deal squared away, but no one wanted to give away a future first rounder for our two firsts and a passel of second rounders.

Around pick 20, our old friends Golden State came calling. It turns out the Warriors GM wasn't much interested in Rose, but one of our staffers had tipped them off how much we liked Jalen so they drafted him in hopes that they could get something out of us for him.

His asking price? Our two first rounders. They were looking to build the team with youth and had some guys they rated about equal to Rose who were projected as late 1st/early 2nd rounders. I told them they'd have to throw in their 1997 2nd rounder and they agreed. It's always been my method never to accept the very first offer and besides, 2nd rounders make excellent trade bait.

So the deal was made and the Warriors happily went about making their picks as the bread around the Cavaliers' sandwich. We had our man from the draft, too.

28. PG Howard Eisley - Golden State Warriors
29. PF Shawnelle Scott - Cleveland Cavaliers
30. C Sharone Wright - Golden State Warriors

Everyone else on our board was gone by the time our second rounder came up, the very last pick in the draft. By that time, all that was left were atrocious centers and a glut of small forwards, so I took a flyer on SF Damon Bailey out of Indiana.

We had no major contract decisions to make, as only Malik Sealy and Mike Peplowski were up for contract. Sealy turned out to be a major bust and I regret to this day trading for him. With Rose around, Malik was definitely out, so I renounced his rights and cut our losses. Pep I knew I would resign. He'd turned out to be a very pleasant surprise for us in his rookie year and stepped up when Shaq went down.

Grant Hill dominated the summer league in a way that reminded many people of Shaq just a couple seasons ago. Jason Kidd, the Trailblazers' top pick, looked like the perfect point guard. Jalen Rose had a nice summer camp in averaging 17 points a game and 4.3 assists and improved significantly according to our coaches. Damon Bailey underwhelmed, but would get a two year deal anyway, just to give us another cheap contract to work with.

It turns out Pep didn't have all that much interest in coming back to Minnesota. His intial demands were $4.4 million for 4 years. Needless to say, that wasn't going to fly. I still wanted to bring him back, though. Still, if his demands continued to be excessive, I had a couple backup options in mind, including former Timberwolves Duane Causwell and Randy Breuer. Randy was looking for relatively big money after his leadership role with the Raptors, whereas Duane was willing to sign for peanuts.

1994 was as equally exciting a free agency as its draft was weak. Big names like Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Hakeem Olajuwon were available. Sterling point guard Mark Price was out there too, along with Magic Johnson and Houston playoff hero Derrick Chievous. Oh and a guy named Isiah Thomas. The biggest young superstar available was Derrick Coleman, but Charlotte would have to be insane not to keep him. Gary Payton also had his contract up that year.

I waited until after the news hit that Jordan resigned with Chicago to check up on our guys, though. I knew that once Jordan decided where he was going, the rest of the market would fly fast and furious. By this time, Pep had only lowered his demands to $3.5 mill, whereas Duane was willing to play for the minimum wage. I'd always felt guilty about trading Duane to the Hawks, so I was certainly interested in returning him to the fold.

A mass of resignings happened the day after Jordan came off the market: Magic Johnson, Hakeem, Chievous, Derrick Coleman, and Lionel Simmons were the standout names in the group. John Stockton resigned with Utah the day after, the same day that we welcomed Duane Causwell home for two years at a combined cost of $1.4 mill and change, just below $700k in year 1, just above $800k in year two.

Duane was the first player to jump teams and the only until Day 19, when shockwaves radiated through the entire league.

The defending NBA Champion Houston Rockets signed Mark Price and Charles Barkley to two year deals at discounted rates. Sir Charles wanted a ring and Price, though he had a ring from Cleveland, was sick of the Cavaliers' postseason ineptitude and wanted more titles.

This led Fat Lever to jump ship from Houston to sign with the rising East Conference power Toronto Raptors, who not only got one of the top point guards, but also re-signed Randy the same day. A day later, the last interesting news of free agency came, informing that Gary Payton had, after all, re-signed with the Nuggets.

The offseason was complete and I thought we'd improved our team significantly, the Rockets looked like the team to beat heading into the new season.

They'd gotten that much better.

But the games are played on the court, not on paper sheets, so the chance for venegance was still ours.

Izulde

07-25-2006, 08:36 PM

The new season was a breath of fresh air and no one epitomized that more than Robert Horry. After a better postseason the previous season than anyone expected out of him and a banner preseason, he started the year in the 6th man role. The starters remained unchanged, as we featured the same lineup of Pooh, Scottie, Mullin, Detlef, and Shaq that we had the previous two years. Much like last year's opening games, Gregg expermented with Pippen at point.

We tipped off at home against another team that had a consistent lineup, our old Finals opponents, the New York Knicks. A close game at the half was broken open in the second half of play and we came away with an easy win to start the year. Mullin and Detlef picked up right where they left off last year with 26 points and 19 points and 13 rebounds respectively. Pooh scored 22 as well.

But there were also things to keep an eye on. Our bench played terribly and Shaq looked largely out of sync. I could only hope that it was rust and not the sign of a growing problem. Yes, it was only one game, but a good GM is always watching for potential spots, especially on a team with championship aspirations.

A lot of people questioned why Gary Payton chose to resign with the Denver Nuggets when he wanted a winner, but after they jumped out to a 22-7 lead and hung on for a 94-92 win over us in our second game, I knew why. Denver was 2-0 and in the infant part of the year, Antoine Carr was having a career start. He tore us apart for 33 points and 14 rebounds, something we couldn't counter, even with Shaq's 23 points and 15 rebounds, or Scottie's 12 points and 10 assists.

We ground out a victory over Hubie's Hornets to go back above .500, thanks to Mullin's 22 points, Shaq's 19 points and 18 rebounds and the first good game from a bench player, as Horry had 15 points and 8 rebounds.

Although I'd started wondering if maybe I shouldn't talk to Gregg about switching Pooh back to the point, his wisdom showed in our come from behind win against the Pacers, in which Scottie had his second double-double on the year with 10 points and 10 assists. Detlef torched Indiana for 33 points, making it a great all-round game with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals besides. Mullin threw in his usual 20 points and Horry had 13 points and 5 rebounds coming off the bench.

The biggest game of the nascent year came up next, against the 5-0 Houston Rockets. They'd gone undefeated to that date not from any one powerhouse performance, but from a balanced scoring format largely borrowed from us. As Danny, my old friend who'd landed in Houston after Memphis fired him said, "I think it's pretty hard to argue with the Timberwolves' success. Two championships in as many years and nearly returning to the Finals even without their top centers tells me that they've got a system worth learning from."

And so a team with matching philosophies battled in a matchup many called the likely Western Conference final rematch in the preseason. In the early going, the Rockets' superior talent showed, but our grit and determination won out as we came from behind to secure a critical win in terms of morale. Both teams had all starters score in double-digits and Sir Charles and Hakeem had double-doubles, but it was our even greater balance and steady defense that won the day. Detlef scored 23 points and Mullin had 15 points and 10 rebounds in an amusing role reversal.

One thing I noticed about the Rockets was that Mark Price had taken to leadership of the squad right away. In fact, he was not only their floor general, but their leading scorer. Houston definitely upgraded when Price came to replace Fat Lever. In fact, I'd say even to this day that he was a more valuable acquisition than the much more hyped Charles Barkley.

We split the next two games, a squash of Miami in which Jalen Rose saw his first action and scored 5 points in 3 minutes, and a dismantling by Detroit, where Scottie fouled out and was limited to just 12 minutes of play. Adding to our woes in that blowout at the hands of the Pistons, Terrell Brandon was having an awful early season and Robert Horry was proving to be maddeningly inconsistent.

Who was consistent was Mullin. Night after night, we were able to count on him for around 20 points, such as when he scored 25 in our next game, a laugher against Hubie's Hornets. While Shaq was averaging a double-double on the year, he didn't seem to be nearly as explosive as he was a season before, leading me to wonder if his injury hadn't had some affect on him. He did score 28 and grab 14 boards against New Orleans, though.

I shared my concerns with Gregg and he told me Shaq's inconsistency was a matter of readjusting to playing night in and night out and getting used to the high-intensity level of NBA basketball. "After all", he pointed out, "It's been months since Shaq's really played against the best basketball players in the world. It's not even been a month. He's still getting back into the flow of the game." He was right, it seemed, after Shaq blitzed the Mavericks for 30 points and 10 rebounds that was the margin of victory against Dallas in our next game.

It was about that time that I also began exploring options to move some of our bench players. Jalen Rose had looked very good in limited action and I wanted to get the rookie more minutes. Yes, that would mean trading an original Timberwolf, most likely former team captain Sam Mitchell, but I felt Jalen to be the future for us. Dan Majerle was another possibility, for he had an expiring contract and just never was able to impress Gregg's staff.

In many ways, 1995 was the year of the Returned Timberwolf. Although Duane sat on the IR during the early going, another old Timberwolf came back to Minnesota when we sent Dan Majerle and Damon Bailey to the Milwaukee Bucks and welcomed home Avery Johnson, who'd had a moderately successful few years as a backup in Milwaukee, the same role he'd play with us. We also harvested the Bucks' 2nd rounders for the next three years in the deal.

Although this had almost no effect on our depth chart, as Avery simply replaced Majerle, it opened up the possibility for Terell Brandon, Tyrone Corbin, and Sam Mitchell being traded later in the year. Yes, I was considering trading the heir apparent to Pooh. Although he was only 25, Terrell simply hadn't broken out like expected. In fact, his game looked to be getting worse, no doubt from his inability to crack the lineup like he wanted.

Speaking of old Timberwolves, we greeted Tony's Sonics the next game and promptly demolished them behind double-doubles from Shaq and Detlef at 25 points and 17 rebounds and 14 points and 12 rebounds a piece. At the traditional dinner after the game, this time at Davanni's Pizzeria, Tony teased me about the possibility of bringing him back to Minneapolis, too. He was only joking, of course, as he was a hero in Seattle and had no intention of leaving the Sonics.

The trade, combined with Shaq's rise in production as he acclimated to being back in the NBA, energized the team and we continued our winning streak with victories over the Pacers and Grizzlies. Shaq and Detlef had double-doubles in both games and Mullin score over 20 points in each contest. Terrell, as if sensing he was playing for his job with Avery's addition, played considerably better in both wins as well.

Alexander Volkov, who'd been having a mediocre season, highlighted a walkover of the hapless Kings by stealing the ball 8 times to go with his 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists and Detlef and Scottie made sure that even without Shaq, who was nursing a sprained toe, that we finished on a high note with an obliteration of our friends, the Golden State Warriors. Detlef scored 33 and took down 16 points, Scottie matching the double-double feat with 16 points and 14 assists.

Thus, at month's end, we stood on top of the division at 12-2, a game and half ahead of Tony's Sonics, the perennial bridesmaids. Houston, as expected, dominated the Southwest, and the Pacific Division was easily the worst in the NBA in the early going, with the 6-10 L.A. Clippers on top.

The former royalty, the Purple and Gold? Last and least at 2-14.

In the Eastern Conference, Toronto was proving themselves no fluke as they stood atop the Atlantic by 1.5 games. The Bucks, who were giving Majerle more minutes than we ever had, were narrowly in the lead of the Central, and the Charlotte Bobcats just barely held on to the Southeast first position in the league's most competitive division. The Washington Wizards were at the bottom of the Southeast after the first month and they were a mere two games back.

Although we were highly successful in the first month of play, we'd already made one move and I suspected that more would be coming. Sam Mitchell was growing angry again at his lack of playing time and Avery Johnson proved to be more consistent and just as productive as Terrell Brandon in limited minutes of play.

Without question, the season was going to be an exciting one for Timberwolves fans and it'd only just begun.

Izulde

07-28-2006, 11:19 PM

There was only one other trade that happened in the first month, but it happened on Opening Day and it was a shocker.

Memphis Grizzlies receive:
SG Reggie Miller

Indiana Pacers receive:
SF Purvis Short
Memphis Grizzlies 1996 2nd round pick

Memphis fans are sick of years of bad teams and so the front office goes and gets Miller, who, while a good player, isn't an All-Star or franchise player. What he does is shoot the three and shoot it very well, as his 1992 Long Distance Championship title proves. That being said, he's being horribly misused in the Grizzlies's system. Ideally designed as a shooting guard, he's forced to play the point for Memphis and is furious about it. Coupled with the Grizz's 5-11 record, it won't be long before Reggie's demanding out of Tennessee. On the converse side, Indiana gets a sizeable expiring contract in the 37 year old Short (immediately put on IR) and a probable high-to-mid 2nd round pick that could turn out to be as good as Miller, while freeing up the starter's role for Chuck Person, who is far better than Miller.
Winner: Indiana as they're still what they were before, a mid-tier playoff team and get a chance to roll the dice. It would be a draw if Miller weren't being miscast in Memphis

I never did like Memphis's ownership group in those years. Even a brilliant mind like Danny Brooklyn's couldn't make a winner out of that terrible franchise and I was happy when Danny won the title with Houston that prior season. It just went to show that it was the owners of the Grizzlies who were at fault, not Danny.

But there were more important things for me to worry about than laughing with Danny about the latest Memphis move. I still had a championship to win back.

I had a lot of discussions with teams in the days leading up to that second month. In fact, I spent so many hours on the phone that Mrs. Arcadia joked it'd end up glued to my ear. Of course it didn't, but I was looking for to make a shakeup. It would be easy to make a deal that would more or less sign and deliver us the title, but I wanted more than that. I wanted another dynasty secured.

It was in many respects the most difficult period of trade negotiations I'd ever been though. Most of my time was spent with the Miami Heat, talking about a way to get Christian Laetnner in a Minnesota uniform. As you know, I'd coveted him ever since I saw his name in the 1993 draft pool. But it was proving difficult for the salaries to match up, and every offer I put at them got thrown in my face, even when it looked like they were going to accept a deal that'd have them getting Terrell Brandon, Robert Horry, Sam Mitchell, and two second rounders for Laettner and Shawn Bradley, who, though I wasn't all that enthused with, provided us an extremely valuable backup in case Shaq got hurt again. I'd lost faith in Duane by that time, you see.

There were a lot of talks with the Indiana Pacers too about bringing Tom Gugliota in to the Timberwolf fold, but those stalled, too. As you can see, I was hellbent on getting Horry's replacement. The problem came that when even salaries did match up, the other teams always wanted something more than I could give them. Since I was looking to give up my young cadre of players, I wanted a first rounder out of any deal I made, but nobody, not even the Golden State Warriors, who I spoke with repeatedly about Chris Webber, was willing to budge.

So many times we got so damn close to making a deal with teams that it made my head hurt.

Finally, I just gave up and decided to wait and roll with what we had. Though it'd risk losing a chance at some players I had my eye on, I couldn't take any gambles of the Malik Sealy variety.

As I watched Shaq and Mullin propel us to a win in the month's first game with double-doubles of 28 points and 15 rebounds and 24 points and 11 rebounds against Mourning's Suns, I couldn't help but feel regret for the long-term contract I'd given Pooh Richardson. Yes, he'd put up respectable numbers, but not ones worth $8 million a year and certainly not worth being tied down for the number of seasons I'd committed to him. What was worse, he'd regressed on defense considerably.

In truth, it was probably only a slight overpay, but at the time, my frustration at being unable to make the shifts I wanted made me a little stir-crazy. I had a different kind of spring fever in the middle of that winter.

The one thing I could take pride in as we kept winning was not only the victories, but our frontcourt. One article I read around then said, "In Chris Mullin, Detlef Schrempf, and Shaquille O'Neal, the Minnesota Timberwolves have an All-Star quality player all along the front line, making for nightmare matchups for any opposing team." Those three were untouchable. No matter how much I liked wheeling and dealing and trying to improve the team, those three were the Timberwolves. Mullin, as I've told you before, had long since supplanted Sam Mitchell as our team captain, and there were many in those days who would have suggested that he in fact was our biggest star, not Shaq.

I disagreed with those who believed that. I knew that our gameplan started and ended with the big man in the middle. Without him, we were still a very good team, but with him, we were a nearly unstoppable force. As evidence, we started the month with three straight wins and in each game, Shaq had over 20 points and 10 rebounds. Even in the agitating 99-97 loss to the 76ers on the road that broke our streak, he still had 22 points and 7 rebounds.

Our bench play still made me unhappy, but Jalen Rose was starting to steal some minutes from Sam Mitchell, which made our former captain even angrier than he'd already been. Once more he came into my office demanding to be traded him. I told him with point-blank honesty that I'd been trying for about a month to do it but nothing had come through yet, and he asked that I try harder. He really wanted the chance to go somewhere and play more often, much like Majerle did in Milwaukee.

But try as I might, once more, no one was willing to make any movement. The fact that the Pacific Division featured four teams under .500 made for a lot of hassle, because everyone there thought if they made the right move, they could get the division, so all four GMs became extremely demanding in negotiations and in this turn set the bar high for the rest of the league.

We rebounded from our loss against the 76ers with a textbook Timberwolf Way win over the Kings, crushing them behind Shaq's 17 points and 14 rebounds and Mullin's 22 points as everyone in the starting five hit double digits in scoring. A new streak jumpstarted with a win the following night against the Rice and Jordan Bulls, highlighted by Tyrone Corbin's scoring 18 from the bench, a pleasant surprise from an original Timberwolf kept around largely due to his defensive prowess.

Sam Mitchell added 12 points in 10 minutes to go with Shaq's 21 points and 17 rebounds and Detlef's 20 points in our next game, a victory over the Portland Trailblazers. Yes, we were winning and winning fairly handily, but I still couldn't feel that something was amiss, that we were due for a Cleveland Cavaliers type fall in the playoffs.

Part of the problem was that Gregg and his staff kept changing the bench's roles around. While the starters were established, the subs all lacked a clear pecking order and it shifted from game to game, so we didn't play as well, including in a fairly grim loss to the Toronto Raptors, who dropped us by 13 in Canada. Sam Cassell matched Shaq's 28 points and their reserves just hammered the heck out of ours.

Detlef picked up the slack for a lackluster rest of the squad in an uninspiring win over the Clippers, scoring 23 points and 11 rebounds. Although Pooh was finally back in his natural point guard spot, the team looked like it was losing focus out there and Gregg was having trouble snapping them back into playing with fire in their bellies.

Mullin scored 28 in our next game and Tyrone had 16 points from the bench, Robert Horry chipping in with 13 points and 9 rebounds in his best showing in a long time, as Shaq battled a sore knee and had a horrendous night in a squeaker of a win over the Priceless 14-10 Cavaliers.

A 103-101 loss to the Spurs was the result of our faltering on offense down the stretch. Shaq played just 10 minutes because of his knee and everybody on the bench except Horry, who scored 14, just went through the motions, negating Mullin's 26 points and Detlef's double-double of 11 points and 16 rebounds. It irritated me and I once more vowed to make a change, only this time I'd wait until the next month. That second month was cursed obviously in terms of my trying to get anything done.

I did get the pleasure of watching Grant Hill play in person the next game in Minneapolis, something I enjoyed immensely. Hill had been tearing up the league, averaging 20 points and 7 rebounds a game in the early going of his rookie year, just as thought he would. Although the Wizards weren't challenging for the division yet, he had his Washington team at .500 coming in to our game, a remarkable feat in my estimation.

We held the sensational rookie to 10 points and 6 rebounds that game, as Shaq scored 20 and yanked down 14 boards, Detlef grabbing the same number of rebounds and putting up 17 in our solid triumph. It was a beauty to watch the two of them work inside together. Though Shaq had only been in the league two years, he and Detlef just harmonized perfectly together in our inside game.

I'll never in my life forget that next game against the Knicks. They were 17-11 and Ewing had been averaging 30 points a game on the season. Our team was shorthanded due to Terrell and Horry being out with injuries. We went into New York, Ewing fouled out early and Shaq had 25 points by halftime. Despite Shaq continuing to be a scoring machine in the second half, the Knicks matched us for point for point and the game went to overtime. There, it was basket traded for basket until we pulled away in the end for the 135-125 victory.

Shaq's line for that game: 54 points, 19 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and 3 blocks.

It was the first time in Timberwolf history that any Minnesota player broke the 50 point mark.

That would prove to be our last game of that turbulent thirty days.

With two months of the season gone, we were 22-5 and 3.5 ahead of the Sonics. The Rockets had boosted their lead to 9.5 games in front of the Spurs and held a game and a half advantage over us for the top seed in the playoffs. A Los Angeles team led the awful Pacific Division and I'm sure you can guess it was the 11-17 Clippers holding a half-game lead over the Sacramento Kings.

In the East, the Atlantic was a deadlock between Ewing's Knicks and my favourite Eastern Conference team, the Toronto Raptors. They both led by 6 over the decripit Boston Celtics. Chicago was enjoying a rebound season and led the Bucks by 3 in the Central and our old Finals foes, the Hawks, temporarily reasserted themselves as the class of the Southeast with a one game lead over Charlotte.

I'll be honest with you. I didn't know then just what to do, whether to stay with the team I had or try and make a move to improve our bench. Horry had gotten hot towards the end of the month and I began to have second thoughts of moving him. Trading away Terrell Brandon was still an option, but I also needed to get Sam somewhere where he could get to play some more.

And in the world of the NBA, where everyone was over cap, that wasn't going to be easy.

To end on a cheerful note, here's Shaq's picture with his statline from the 50 point game I told you about.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/shaqfu.jpg

Izulde

07-29-2006, 02:26 PM

My god, Shaq's a MONSTER.

Good diary, one of the best on Grey Dog forums. Heavily underrated because of the lower amount of TPB diaries.

It's amazing though, I'm dying to see how 2006 turns out.

Thanks for those incredible words, Dwight. :)

And yeah, Shaq can definitely be a beast, but he's also looking like he might be injury-prone.

Since Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O'Neal will always be linked together in this universe, I decided to compare their numbers. Without looking at them, my guess would be that Shaq has the better overall numbers, but 'Zo has been much more durable.

Shaquille O'Neal
1993 19.7 ppg 10.4 rpg 2.1 bpg 0.8 spg 2.1 apg 2.2 topg (82 games/82 starts - Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie 1st Team, Rookie All-Star Starter, All-Star Reserve)
1994 19.7 ppg 10.0 rpg 2.6 bpg 0.8 spg 2.0 apg 1.7 topg (74 games/70 starts - Sophomore All-Star Starter, All-Star Starter)
1995 (so far) 19.4 ppg 10.7 rpg 2.2 bpg 0.6 spg 1.9 apg 2.2 topg (27 games/26 starts)

Alonzo Mourning
1993 16.2 ppg 8.6 rpg 2.8 bpg 0.6 spg 1.9 apg 2.4 topg (79 games/79 starts - Rookie All-Star Reserve, All-Rookie 2nd Team)
1994 17.5 ppg 9.7 rpg 2.8 bpg 0.4 spg 1.7 apg 2.0 topg (82 games/79 starts - Sophomore All-Star Reserve, All-Defense Second Team)
1995 (so far) 16.8 ppg 8.9 rpg 2.6 bpg 0.4 spg 1.2 apg 2.3 topg (29 games/26 starts)

Interestingly enough, it's been Shaq who's been the most consistent in the regular season. Zo's actually a better defender and has slightly better durability, but I'd still take Shaq over him.

Take a look at their playoff numbers and things get a little more interesting.

Shaquille O'Neal
1993 20.5 ppg 10.5 rpg 2.4 bpg 0.7 spg 1.9 apg 2.3 topg (23 games/23 starts)

Alonzo Mourning
1994 19.4 ppg 12.0 rpg 2.5 bpg 0.7 spg 2.2 apg 1.8 topg (6 games/6 starts)

Take a look at those numbers. Yes, you can argue sample size from now until the day the cows come home, but it looks from this that you can make the case that the two are identical in the postseason and that Zo might even be the better player in crunch time.

If that's true, then the deal we made to land Shaq may in fact have cost us our third straight title. We may very well have won our second straight title with Alonzo in the middle and Mourning didn't get knocked out for the 1994 postseason, as you can see, thus giving us a quality big man at center and furthermore, a topnotch defensive one to shut down Hakeem with.

But we'll never know, unless I happen to have a saved game from before that draft lying around.

Funny how things work out in this game, isn't it? You make a move to grab a guy who screams Hall of Famer and sure he's the most talented guy on your team, but the best fit may have been the one we'd have taken with that #2 overall pick, even if his star isn't quite as big and shiny as the one we traded up for.

And since I'm using an out of character post to provide a sneak peek around the league, I'll spotlight Marlon Maxey for Jeeber in an FOFC exclusive. :) Ironically enough, Marlon was also part of that famous 1993 center class and was picked #17 overall by the New Jersey Nets, for those who don't remember.

Marlon Maxey
1993 5.4 ppg 3.4 rpg 0.4 bpg 0.4 spg 0.9 apg 0.8 topg (75 games/2 starts 13.7 mpg)
1994 4.9 ppg 3.2 rpg 0.3 bpg 0.3 spg 0.7 apg 0.8 topg (55 games/0 starts 12.7 mpg)
1995 (so far) 4.3 ppg 2.9 rpg 0.4 bpg 0.2 spg 0.9 apg 0.7 topg (21 games/0 starts 12.2 mpg)

Playoff Stats
1993 4.8 ppg 5.4 rpg 0.4 bpg 0.0 spg 0.4 apg 0.8 topg (5 games/0 starts 1.38 mpg)

Career Bests To Date
Points: 15
Assists: 5
Rebounds: 11
Blocks: 2
Steals: 3

Marlon's seen his minutes go down with each succeeding season and he'll likely never be anything more than an okay reserve guy to have. He's got some scoring ability and is a pretty good rebounder, but he's a gaping hole on defense.

Still, he's managed to stay in the Nets' rotation and with Sam Bowie out for a month and a half with a broken arm, he'll continue to get his minutes in New Jersey. Three of Jersey's frontcourt players are on the wrong side of 30, and Frank Brickowski's $9+ million dollar contract should take a hike at the end of the season. So maybe Marlon can continue to hold down a spot with the Nets as an acceptable bench contributor.

If nothing else, he should last longer in this universe than he did in real life. :D

Izulde

07-30-2006, 10:04 PM

Ironically, during a month that I'd tried so hard to make a deal and failed, there were five trades made around the league, two of which featured a certain perennial underachieving powerhouse in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland Cavaliers receive:
C Mike Brown
Miami Heat 1996 2nd round pick

Miami Heat receive:
C Felton Spencer

Brown gives the Cavaliers a good defender and rebounder on the bench and the 2nd round pick will help bring youth to a team that badly needs it. It's liable to be a high 2nd rounder too, putting it at about the same value as our own 1st round selection. Spencer makes for a younger, decent backup to Shawn Bradley, but the 2nd rounder plus Brown, who was an expiring deal, are too high a cost to pay.
Winner: Cleveland for getting a veteran presence to upgrade their bench, plus a free shot at getting some good youth on the team

Denver Nuggets receive:
PG Robert Pack

Los Angeles Lakers receive:
PF Tim Kempton

Pack is young and has upside, but the Nuggets already have Gary Payton, Steve Henson, and Charlie Ward who are all young as well. Furthermore, Henson and Payton are a cut above the new man in Denver. The trade makes equal lack of sense for the Lakers, who lose their heir apparent to Byron Scott at the point for an average veteran bench player in a year when the Purple and Gold have almost no chance at making the playoffs.
Winner: Denver, only because they did the least damage to their team

Cleveland Cavaliers receive:
C Eric Riley

New York Knicks receive:
SG Harold Miner

The Cavaliers know that Marcus Webb is not their future at center, so they grab the 24 year old Riley, who has potential to be a phenomenal rebounder and shotblocker and NBA starting experience (32 starts last season for the Knicks) to learn from Brad Daugherty and the recently acquired Brown. Miner is an exciting young scorer who's improved with each season he's been in the league and he looks to eventually supplant Gerald Wilkins. For now, he'll serve a bench role. The trade also lets the Knicks give Tom Copa more playing time and an extended look at filling Ewing's shoes when Patrick retires.
Winner: Knicks by the narrowest of margins

Boston Celtics receive:
PF Charles Shackleford

Philadelphia 76ers receive:
SG Reggie Lewis
Boston Celtics 1996 2nd round pick

The Celtics trade away a star guard and a pick for a mediocre bench player. This move in no way, shape, or form makes any sense for Boston, as both players involved are in the last year of their contract, for roughly the same amount of money. Philadelphia picks up a glitzy shooting guard who averages a little over 22 points a game and instantly becomes the 76ers' top option on offense. We could see Philly in the playoffs as a result of this swap. The draft pick only makes this deal all the more incredible for the 76ers.
Winner: Philadelphia in the most lopsided trade since my time in the NBA and I've seen some stunning ones

Utah Jazz receive:
SF Gundars Vetra

Boston Celtics receive:
PG Tony Bennett

Vetra may be 27, but a lot of people, including me, believe he still could turn out to be a supreme scorer and ballhandler, a valuable 6th man at minimum. Playing time will be a fight night in and night out though, as the Jazz have a glut of young swingmen behind veteran Mark Alarie. How much of an overkill? 23, 24, 24, 27. Five small forwards and that isn't even counting the two young shooting guards (24 and 25). Even despite all these kids, Utah is still 17-13 and looking like a playoff team. Bennett is never going to develop into anything more than a fairly bad backup point guard and the Celtics already have Eric Murdock and Nick Van Exel as young, quite talented athletes at point guard. The lone positive for Boston, which is quite a considerable one, is that rookie Voshon Leonard now gets more playing time.
Winner: Slight edge to Boston, for Leonard's development is not only much more likely, he'll probably turn into a better player than anyone in this trade, including a developed Vetra, should that happen

Shaq scored 24 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and posted 6 blocks in an easy win over the Grizzlies to start month three. Contributing were Mullin with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Pippen matching Shaq's 24 points. Horry got the start at power forward over Detlef due to injury and put up a respectable 7 points and 12 rebounds.

Wins over the Suns and Bobcats followed, the latter game notable for Shaq's 35 points and 20 rebounds coupling with Mullin's 33 points and 10 rebounds in a 127-97 route. Avery Johnson scored 11 from the bench in that offense fest as well. He and Jalen Rose'd been getting increased minutes as the season wore on and while Avery looked fantastic, Jalen started struggling, making me thankful after all that I hadn't succeeded in forcing freeing up more time for him.

Mullin and Shaq's talents were on display again in our next game, a 22 point victory at home against the 76ers. Mullin scored 29, Shaq 24 for O'Neal's fourth straight game of 20 points or more, his 9 rebounds breaking his streak of three straight 20+ point, 10+ point rebound lines. Detlef added 20 points and 9 rebounds and Horry put up 12 points in 14 minutes and had lately appeared to be developing some consistency.

Speaking of streaks, we went a 15-0 run to open things in Washington and doused the hot Wizards' five-game win streak. Shaq and Mullin led as you might expect, Shaq with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks and Mullin bombing the Wizards for 35 points. Our dynamic duo topped Washington's terrific two, though Jeff Malone did score 29. Grant Hill reached double digit scoring with 14, 7 below his 20 point average.

Shaq, Mullin, and Pippen all broke 20 points in a stomping of the Purple Gold, Shaq adding 10 rebounds besides. Shaquille kept his new 20 and 10 streak alive with 24 points and 10 rebounds in yet another win in a team string, as we beat the Magic. Mullin fell just short of the 20 point mark with 19, however.

19 was Mullin's point number again in a come from behind win over the Nuggets in Denver and Shaq kept his personal streak alive with 27 points and 15 rebounds, blocking 6 besides. Detlef again proved the universal praise of our front court to be worthy with a double-double of 28 points and 12 rebounds of his own.

One thing I should tell you is that during this period of Shaq's consistent dominance, Terrell Brandon didn't appear in a lot of games and if he did, it was only for a few spot minutes here and there. Gregg and the rest of his staff absolutely loved Avery Johnson's handling of the offense and Tyrone Corbin fit in at the point fairly seamlessly, too.

So I started making calls again, this time with the intent of trading Brandon while I could still get something for him.

This time I was able to make a deal and what went down in the end surprised even me.

I sent Terrell Brandon, Robert Horry, and Jalen Rose to the Los Angeles Clippers for Glenn Robinson, Doug Christie, Rodney Rogers, and the Red and White's 1996 1st round pick.

It was a deal that got talked about for quite a while in the press, on radio shows, in bars, and in offices. Essentially what it involved was a swap of the players regarded as the next generation by both teams, with an extra 1st rounder thrown in there for good measure.

Although it changed absolutely no one's starting five, the effect on the benches were considerable. Doug Christie immediately became of one our top backups at guard, Rodney Rodgers started learning from Volkov and Detlef the intracies of playing power forward in our system, and Glenn slid fairly high up on the bench himself.

Over on the Clippers, Robert Horry became their #2 guy off the bench and Terrell Brandon started off on the bottom, as the coaching staff there put him on IR. Jalen's role was as a backup as well, though where he slotted wasn't known yet, as he was injured at the time of the trade.

How did these three new young Wolves fit our philosophy? Well, Christie was a much better defender than Terrell, though his ball skills and shooting were nowhere near the match of Brandon's. In Glenn, we not only had an upgrade over Jalen in virtually all aspects, but we felt we had the heir to Chris Mullin, the same type of pure scorer and acceptable defender that Mullin was. Rodney was a good defender with some upside, but he was raw and truth be told, we saw his future role more as a backup than a replacement for Detlef.

The real key to the deal, of course, was that 1st rounder. I anticipated that the Clippers wouldn't be able to win the woeful Pacific, thus granting us a lottery pick in a draft sure to be better than the previous year's, but I'll be the first to admit it was a gamble.

Our first game with our new players was against the Trailblazers and we won, thanks to Volkov's 24 points and 13 rebounds off the bench after Shaq cramped up early in the game. Detlef scored 24 and grabbed 12 boards as well. Gregg limited the new guys' minutes, but Doug Christie had a respectable debut with 6 points and 3 assists, and Glenn scored 2 points in as many minutes.

A real test game came against the Raptors, but we blew them out in the second half to take care of Toronto easily. Mullin scored 32 and took down 10 boards and Shaq scored 23, one behind Pooh who had 24. Doug scored 5 points in his second game, dishing out a very nice 5 assists against 1 turnover.

We kept right on rolling with wins over the peasantly Purple and Gold and Tony's Sonics, the last one in Seattle. Just as we had all along, Shaq and Mullin spearheaded our offense, with 30 points and 14 rebounds and 25 points respectively. Avery Johnson played the most of our backup guards in those two games, as he and Doug went at it hard in practice for the playing time in games. Volkov had also been playing a lot better in the early stages after the trade, flourishing in the freedom that came from not having to fight Horry for time on the court.

At the traditional postgame dinner, Tony told me he admired me for the trade I'd made.

"A lot of people were pretty mad about you trading Horry after he'd stepped up for you, but that Robinson kid got game. At worst, he'll turn out to be somebody like me, who'll give you about 18-19-20 points on average a game. And honestly? Horry's not a good enough shooter or rebounder to fit in Detlef's role. Gregg'd have to adjust you guyses offense" opined my favorite former Timberwolf.

I laughed and thanked him for the support. I also said that if Glenn turned out to be a replica of him, I'd be extremely pleased. Tony, after all, had made two All-Star games and was the face of the Sonics franchise, along with Shawn Kemp.

Seattle had an excellent team and they'd recently made a daring move that rocked the entire league when it was announced. While I normally don't tell you about the trades that happened during each month until I start talking about the next month, this one I'm going to give you the story about now.

As you know, for years, the Sonics played bridesmaids to us. Time and time again, they would be rewarded the #4 seed because of having to play in our division and year in and year out, they'd win their first round series and be unable to penetrate any further.

This time, they were going for broke. Here's the deal.

Seattle Supersonics receive:
SG Magic Johnson
L.A. Lakers 1996 2nd round pick

Los Angeles Lakers receive
SG Dale Ellis
SG Mario Elie

There is no greater sign of the Purple and Gold's collapse than this. Earvin "Magic" Johnson, the face, the franchise, Mr. Showtime himself, now dons the Gold and Green. He's 35 years old and his skills have diminished, but he's still averaging 20 points a game, still masterful whenever he has the ball in his hands. Seattle's got a three-headed scoring monster in Tony, Shawn Kemp, and Magic now. The only downside to this deal is that Magic is on a one year contract, so he may only be a rental. But oh what a beautiful rental it is! Dale Ellis was immediately released following the trade, making this Magic Johnson and the Lakers' 2nd rounder next year for Elie, a 26 year old in his third season in the league who isn't a tenth of the player that Magic is even now. In fact, given that the Lakers are likely to finish among the worst records in the league, this would be a win for Seattle even if it were Elie for the 2nd rounder. Showtime is dead and will not revive for many more years.
Winner: Seattle without question. I'll have to call Tony and congratulate him.[/b

Tony, as you can imagine, was ecstactic about the deal and hoped that he'd get a chance at a ring. It wasn't going to be easy by any means. The West, arguably the best conference since our ascendancy, had leapt into the unquestionably superior conference following that offseason, at least from the top-heavy standpoint. In Houston and ourselves, you had the two best teams in the league, bar none. Seattle materialized as a contender after that trade.

Who did the East have? Oh, they had some good teams to be sure, but no team that could be called great. Many predicted it'd be a long time before the East won a title again.

But that was for the future. The current season was my immediate concern.

As if to prove my point about Western superiority, we thumped the Pistons and the Hawks in our next two games, Mullin scoring 35 and 20 points respectively, Shaq and Detlef splitting the double-doubles we got in those two contests.

A nailbiting victory over the Jazz came as a result of 20 points from Mullin, Detlef, and Volkov, but it came at a terrible price.

Shaq broke his wrist. Estimated time out: A month and a half.

This year, he would be back for the playoffs according to the doctors, but there came a growing concern in my mind that Shaquille was brittle and injury-prone.

With considerable discomfort, I recalled Duane from the IR and put Shaq there. Our former 2nd round pick was thrilled to be getting playing time at last, but Gregg warned me that his staff considered the center's skills greatly deteriorated and that I may want to look into free agency or trading to find a replacement backup to Volkov.

We eked out a win against the Kings in the month's finale, but Dikembe Mutombo schooled Volkov and Causwell for 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks. It was Mullin's excellent all round game of 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists that saved us, along with Detlef's 20 points and 10 rebounds. As much as I liked Mutombo, when someone like him scores 20 points on you, you know that you need to plug in a better center and soon.

Still, at month's end, we held a 12 game lead over Tony's Sonics. The Rockets were up by 13.5 and much to my disappointment, the Clippers led the Kings by a game and a half in the Pacific.

The deadlock in the Atlantic between the Raptors and the Knicks broke slightly, with Toronto up by two games. Chicago kept Milwaukee at bay by a game and a half, but the real surprise lay in the Southeast Division.

The Wizards had surged to a 27-16 record and led the Hawks by half a game.

Izulde

08-01-2006, 11:51 PM

For the second month in a row, there were a flurry of trades. Besides our own deal and the stunning Magic trade I told you about, three more player movements went down, one by my favorite franchise in the East during those years.

Atlanta Hawks receive:
SG Anfernee Hardaway
Phoenix Suns 1996 2nd round pick

Phoenix Suns receive
PF Matt Wenstrom

In Hardaway, the Hawks have a younger, better version of Doc Rivers, who has the potential to become a franchise superstar on par with Sam Cassell. He immediately takes over for Rivers in Atlanta's starting lineup and could very well be the key to the Hawks taking the Southeast from the Bobcats. Wenstrom is an unispiring backup forward who brings absolutely nothing to a franchise that features Alonzo Mourning and Isaac Austin in the frontcourt. Simply a Hardaway for Wenstrom deal would be the biggest steal I've yet to see, but the 2nd rounder, a liable high one given the Suns' 14-32 record and their likely continued plunge, takes this into a territory that defies all comprehension.
Winner: This is even more lopsided than the Lewis deal, as Anfernee is already a brilliant defender with scoring touch and has phenomenal potential at just 23 years old. Our 1992 Finals opponents stole all the money in the bank here.

Atlanta Hawks receive:
PG Derek Harper

Memphis Grizzlies receive:
SF Cliff Livingston
Atlanta Hawks 1996 2nd rounder

Harper is a respectable veteran all-around point guard who shores up the Hawks' bench considerably. He also has a $5.7 mill. expiring contract. Livingston has become a mere shadow of his former self and sits on the IR for Memphis, making this deal really a case of Harper for the 2nd rounder, not only a projected late pick, but also expendable after the Hardaway trade. The Grizzlies, in turn, get a chance to take a flyer on somebody.
Winner: Atlanta, as Harper is likely to prove far more valuable to the Hawks than whoever Memphis picks will be to the Grizzlies

Toronto Raptors receive:
PF Chris Webber

Golden State Warriors receive:
PG Ennis Whatley
Toronto Raptors 1996 1st round pick

In a season marked by blockbuster deals, this ranks right up there with them. Webber is another amazing young talent that changes addresses and represents an upgrade over Chris Gatling, who now becomes in my eyes the single best 6th man in the NBA. Ennis Whatley would be a good point guard as a starter or backup on some teams, but not the Warriors, who already have Tim Hardaway and Randy Woods. Former Timberwolf Scott Roth now becomes the starter in California. Is any of this worth a late 1st rounder? No.
Winner: The East Conference franchise I love makes another stellar move and Golden State stabs their chances at developing into a good team in the heart again

Our Shaqless month began with an embarassing 19 point road loss to the Bucks that proved even Mullin scoring his usual 20+ points a night wouldn't be enough to keep us afloat.

A defensive 30 point victory over the inept Suns assured me that we were at least likely to hang on to the divison or stay close at absolute worst. Mullin scored 27 in that game, with Duane Causwell putting up 7 points and 11 rebounds in reserve time as we got our 40th win and actually moved ahead of the Houston Rockets for the #1 overall seed in the West.

We lost that lead when Houston clobbered us at home behind Hakeem's 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks and Mark Price's 24 points. Dream abused Volkov and Causwell all night long, which I anticipated would happen.

Mullin dropped 36 on the Celtics to key a win versus Boston, Tyrone Corbin adding 10 from the bench. Our rebounding was horrendous without Shaq, as Detlef and Mullin were asked to carry the load. Alexander Volkov, despite all that he'd done for us while wearing the Blue and Green, just wasn't fit to be the starting man in the middle for any extended length of time anymore.

That didn't mean he couldn't still reach back and find something still there, as when he scored 10 and grabbed 12 boards in a walkover of the Grizzlies. Pooh had one of his infrequent shooting nights, piling on 33 points to go with Mullin's 20 and Detlef's double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds in our most complete team performance since Shaq got hurt.

Volkov scored 17 and grabbed 7 rebounds in our next game, a win against the Nuggets, joining forces with Detlef's second straight double-double, this one for 22 and 12, and Mullin's 26 points. It reminded me that even without Shaq, we were still a very good playoff team. It's just that with Shaq, we elevated into championship contenders.

A comeback win over the playoff contending Utah Jazz proved that, Mullin once more leading the way with 30 points, Pooh contributing 20 to the cause. The notion was further reaffirmed with a comfortable victory against Jordan and Rice's Bulls, Mullin scoring 36, Volkov 20 to go with Pooh's double-rare double of 12 points and 10 assists and 12 and 10 points respectively from benchmen Glenn Robinson and Tyrone Corbin.

Those who said Mullin was the best player on our team certainly had evidence to point to as both he and we stayed hot, our win streak continuing with the Nets as our next victims. Chris scored 31 and Volkov doubled with 14 in both points and rebounds. Not even the still very good Cleveland Cavaliers could stop us or him, for Mullin scored 28, Detlef had a familiar double-double good for 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Duane Causwell poured in 13 from subland to keep our amazing win streak alive going into the All-Star break.

Our first entry in the festivities was Mullin in the 3-point contest that also featured Glen Rice. Both of them advanced to the Finals, but neither one could topple the sharpshooting Bobcats' star guard, Dell Curry. Dell had gotten to be one of those players I really enjoyed watching play after his 1995 postseason success. Just a great, great one to see, both on the court and off, as he headed a children's charity in his free time.

Even with Grant Hill, the Rookies were expected to have no chance against a Sophomores team led by Sam Cassell, Chris Webber, and Anfernee Hardaway, but the first years came out fired up and stunned the second years 112-105. Harold Ellis, the New Yorks' 1st round pick at #14, scored 20 points with 5 rebounds and 2 steals from the bench to win MVP honors.

As you might expect, Chris Mullin started for the Western Conference All-Stars and in fact scored the game's first two points on his way to 14 for the night. The West asserted firmly its superiority over the East in a 132-110 game not even as close as the scoreline indicated. Charles Barkley, who Gregg told me was absolutely loving playing for Houston, took home the MVP award with 28 points and 10 rebounds.

Our first game after the All-Star Break was against the Clippers, which made it a game we had to win if we wanted to push them closer to the lottery. They'd been playing quite competitively since the trade and that concerned me. We beat them by 20 points in a game that was a lot closer than the score suggested, behind Tyrone Corbin's 28 points, Detlef's 26, and Glenn Robinson's 14 points and 7 rebounds from the bench against his old team.

But the trade deadline win proved extremely costly.

Chris Mullin, our All-Star, our offense, broke his wrist. Like Shaq, he was estimated out a month and a half.

I continued the tradition of post-game dinners from Tony with Horry, since he said he wanted to do that. He said he wasn't happy playing for the Clippers, as they'd sliced his minutes way down from what he'd gotten in Minneapolis. He told me he understood the trade was just business though and expressed hope that maybe one day he'd be able to come back to the Timberwolves.

It was certainly a possibility, in my opinion. But just then, despite the pleasant meal and conversation, I had more pressing worries on my mind.

Namely, where would our offense come from now?

I talked it over with Gregg and the team's medical staff. Shaq would be coming back in a little over two weeks. We decided that since he'd be returning then and we still had a double digit lead over the Sonics in the division, we would ride out the storm and use it as an opportunity to get Glenn Robinson more playing time to increase his development.

Scottie Pippen moved over to his natural position of small forward, the first time he'd started there in years, and Tyrone Corbin came off the bench to take the starting shooting guard spot, with Glenn as our 6th man.

As fate would have it, we played Tony's Sonics in our very next game.. and came from behind to win 105-104 in a heartpounder. Not even Magic Johnson's 28 points and 10 rebounds nor Shawn Kemp's 18 and 10 could beat Scottie's 24 points or the 12 and 13 respective bench points we got from Glenn and Avery Johnson.

Tony, who scored 8 points in limited shooting, ruefully remarked at supper after the game that only a team that I put together could overcome the loss of its two most potent offensive options and still manage to beat really good squads. Or maybe it was what Seattleites liked to glumly call "The Sonic Curse". All those good Supersonic teams of the early-mid 90s, always having to play bridesmaids to the Timberwolves, even when the odds were stacked in their favour. Even when they got a legend in Magic Johnson and put him up against a T-wolves team missing Shaquille O'Neal and Chris Mullin on the Sonics' home court.

Alexander Volkov put up 26 points and Detlef added 24 in a win against the Trailblazers, showing to that world that no matter what happened, we would find a way to get our points from somebody out there and our team's dazzling defense would take care of the rest.

That victory not only gave us our 50th win on the year, but also closed out the month for us.

We were 14 games ahead of the crushed Sonics. Houston ruled the Southwest by 15 and a half over the Spurs. Much to my glee, the Clippers were a half-game behind the Sacramento Kings.

In the East, the Raptors-Knicks battle swung the other way, with New York on top by half a game. Cleveland's resurgance coupled with Chicago's collapse meant the Cavaliers led the Central by a game, the Bulls two and a half back and the Pistons sandwiched in between the two. In the Southeast, the Hawks rode Anfernee Hardaway to a game and a half led over the Grant Hill-led Wizards.

But the best news of the month was in the top seed race.

We led the Rockets for the #1 seed in the West by four games.

Izulde

08-02-2006, 06:22 PM

You might imagine that after the spate of trades and blockbuster ones at that, made in the last two months, that the last month for dealing would prove quiet. Nothing could be further from the truth. Six exchanges went down, and although none of them had the glamour of earlier moves, they are still worth telling about.

Washington Wizards receive:
C Zeljko Rebraca

Chicago Bulls receive:
SF Don Maclean

If there's one area the Wizards needed help in, it was finding frontcourt guys who can play lockdown defense. Rebraca, while not a demon on defense yet, is a tremendous upgrade even as a rookie and the #16 overall pick in the draft has the potential to become a legitimate starting center in the league. Maclean could become a scorer, something the Bulls love to have, but it's doubtful he'll fill out his potential, particularly as he's parked on the IR. Doesn't fill a need at all for Chicago, now or in the future.
Winner: Washington as they fill a big-time need and get an excellent prospect in the same guy

Seattle Sonics receive:
PF Antonio Davis

Memphis Grizzlies receive:
SG LaPhonso Ellis
Seattle Sonics 1996 2nd rounder

With Shawn Kemp playing hurt and absolutely nobody worthy of an NBA uniform behind him, Seattle desperately needed a quality backup and former Timberwolf Davis provides that. He won't score much, but he can rebound and defend fantastically. Ellis is 25 and has pretty much reached his ceiling, which isn't any higher than the average NBA player. Thanks to the Grizzlies' glut of swingmen, he sits on the IR. The second rounder is a flyer kind of pick.
Winner: Seattle fills a gaping hole and gets the win by a fair margin

Cleveland Cavaliers receive:
SF Michael Ansley

Philadelphia 76ers receive:
PG Chris Whitney
Cleveland Cavaliers 1996 1st rounder

Ansley is a scorer and arguably the best rebounding small forward in the entire league. Even better, at 27, some say he's still got upside. He'll always be a cipher on defense, but much like the Davis trade, he fills a tremendous bench void at his position. What's more, the Cavaliers now have the heir apparent to 34 year old Terry Teagle. Chris Whitney is an unremarkable second-year point guard, but he does give the 76ers much needed youth in the backcourt and the probable late 1st rounder will help add to their rebuilding efforts.
Winner: Cleveland, though the trade does benefit both teams

Washington Wizards receive:
PF Andres Guibert
New Jersey Nets 1996 2nd rounder

New Jersey Nets receive:
SF Scott Burrell

The reason this trade happens is because the Wizards resigned legend Bernard King after Grant Hill got knocked up with a wrist injury. Guibert can rebound, but that's it. Burrell is a low ceiling guy that's already been reached, but he plays superb defense and is only 24. Is the high 2nd round pick worth trading him away? In the short term, with King and Hill on the same team, yes. In the long term, New Jersey gets the better end of the deal.
Winner: New Jersey slightly due to projected better long term effects

Houston Rockets receive:
SG Sarunas Marciulionis

Golden State Warriors receive:
PG Sleepy Floyd
Houston Rockets 1996 1st rounder

The Rockets are clearly hunting for a second straight title defense as they go out and bag sharpshooter Marciulonis, reuniting him with Mitch Richmond in Houston. At this point, I'm scared that even with Shaq we won't have the firepower to combat Houston, no matter how clampdown our defense is. There is a major downside for the Rockets, however. In losing Floyd, they lose their security blanket at point guard. 35 year old Mitchell Wiggins turns into the primary backup at point guard now and even Shaq can pass better than he can. On the Warriors' end, Sleepy is 34 and becomes just another point guard on a roster chock full of great young backcourt talent. Getting the #29 or #30 pick is not enough compensation.
Winner: Houston narrowly, as getting Sarunas at far below market value trumps the danger of not having Floyd

Washington Wizards receive:
C Bill Wennington
Golden State Warriors 1996 2nd rounder

Golden State Warriors receive:
C Corie Blount
PF Tony Massenberg

The Warriors released Massenberg after the deal, so it boils down to yet another former Timberwolf and a probable high 2nd rounder for Blount. Wennington gives Washington a solid veteran bench player who can teach fellow new Wizard Rebraca the ropes, particularly on defense. Bill's playoff experience with us, including the ring from 1992, will help the team out as a whole. Blount is young and has potential to become a very good rebounder and defender, but the Warriors are a team that already have three young big men. Thus, another trade that just doesn't make sense for Golden State
Winners: Washington gets another front court defender and a shot at some more youth. Easily the most improved team in the NBA this season

Yes, the Wizards, Raptors, and Hawks all were East teams I really enjoyed. Atlanta as you know had a sustained reputation for good teams. Toronto built itself up into one of the top teams in the conference in a way that was pleasurable to watch and Washington made excellent use of their good fortune rebuilding their team to a fearsome squad in a single season.

We played those foolish Warriors first and beat them by 36, every starter breaking double digits, Volkov in front with 19 points. Avery Johnson had a nice all-around game from the bench with 10 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds and Glenn Robinson went 3-4 for 9 points in 11 minutes on the floor.

Our juggernaut kept right on rolling with a win over the Bucks, Pooh and Scottie scoring 25 a piece, Detlef's double-double good for 15 points and 11 boards. Avery chimed in with 15 points in reserve play and Glenn once more was 3-4, this time for 8 points in 10 minutes. I couldn't wait for the day when Robinson improved enough to get even more playing time. There was little doubt in my mind that he was Mullin's heir.

Pippen hit the 20 point mark again in scoring 28 as we snacked on the Celtics. Avery put up 18 and Glenn was a perfect 3-3 for 9 points in 11 minutes. Rodney Rodgers contributed 8 points himself, continuing his improved play as of late and the coaching staff was beginning to think he might grow to be able to replace Detlef after all.

Dell Curry scored 27 on us and Rony Seikaly double-doubled with 19 points and 12 rebounds, but we still topped the Bobcats as Detlef scored 23, Scottie added 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Avery contributed 11.

As we trounced the Heat in our next game, I couldn't help but be thankful that I hadn't traded for Laettner after all. Christian had struggled through much of the season and he continued to do so against us. For the second consecutive game, all five of our starters broke into double-digit scoring, Detlef and Pooh tops with 19 a piece. Avery's own double digit streak continued with 13 points, Duane Causwell scoring 10 himself as the reserves played well all-around.

Unfortunately, Scottie pulled a hamstring and Detlef picked up a concussion during that game. This led to feature the following lineup against the Magic the next day:

PG Pooh Richardson
SG Tyrone Corbin
SF Glenn Robinson
PF Alexander Volkov
C Duane Causwell

And so at last, our streak ended as we just couldn't come back enough and fell 100-90. Glenn scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, but also had an alarming 8 turnovers. Pooh scored 22 and our bench was abysmal.

We got a big boost when Shaq returned for the next game. Detlef would still be out for this game, but come back after that and Scottie wasn't due back for another week and a half. We vowed to press on.

Although Shaq only had 15 points and 9 rebounds in his first game back and showed signs of rust, just having him in the lineup electrified the rest of the team as we got back on track by throttling the Mavericks. Tyrone Corbin scored 21, Glenn dropped in 18 and took down 8 boards while passing out 5 assists and committing just a single turnover, and Avery returned to supersub form, contributing 16 points. Rodney Rodgers scored 10 himself and nabbed 7 rebounds besides.

Detlef returned to the lineup for our next contest, also against the Mavericks, and Volkov slid over to starting small forward. This time, Dallas got revenge, beating us soundly even despite the following double-doubles: Detlef 11 points, 12 rebounds, Volkov 13 points 11 rebounds, Pooh 14 points 11 assists. Avery dropped in 11 points as well, but the truth was, everyone shot terribly that night and Shaq looked even rustier than he had in the first game.

I wasn't concerned, though. I knew it'd only be a matter of time before Shaq found his sync again, which he did against the Spurs, scoring 26 and taking 13 rebounds with emphatic authority. Glenn had 10 points in the win and Rodney Rodgers suprised even himself with a 14 point, 10 rebound double-double, both career highs.

The deal I'd made with the Clippers was one I felt really great about after we beat the Grizzlies. Glenn and Rodney popped in 12 a piece to go with a litany of double-doubles, Detlef 24 points and 11 rebounds, Shaq 13 points 14 rebounds, Corbin 14 points 11 rebounds, and Pooh with 11 points and 11 assists. While Doug Christie looked more and more like he had no future with us, Robinson and Rodgers were proving to be excellent pickups in the short-term at least and of course I was salivating over the prospect of that possible lottery pick.

Terrell and Jalen were still chained to the IR for the Clippers, Horry still stuck mid-bench. The bright side for Brandon lay in the fact that there were a bunch of old guys ahead of him at point guard, so his chance to finally be an opening day starter would likely come in a couple years.

We faced the Rockets on our turf next and absolutely flattened them. Hakeem was still bothered by a foot injury and Shaq took advantage, double-doubling with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Volkov had a superb all-around game of 17 points, 11 points, and 6 rebounds and Pooh led all scorers with 29 in the points column.

Scottie returned for our game against Hubie's Hornets and they blindsided us with a 99-80 defeat, our 10th loss on the year, that I attributed to a hangover from the euphoria of our Rockets win.

Our 60th win of the season came at the expense of the Nets, thanks to Shaq's 24 points and 14 rebounds and Detlef's 20 points. Volkov scored 11 as well, in bench duty.

Pooh bailed us out of handing the Clippers their 30th win by scoring 27, teaming up with Shaq who scored 18 to go with 13 rebounds and 4 blocks in a game that was critical to our draft hopes.

We ended the month by squashing the toothless Lakers after Shaq put up 23 to go with Corbin's 22 and three of our bench players hit double figures, with 11, 15, and 14 points respectively coming from Volkov, Avery, and Rodney.

Thus as we prepared for the last month of the year, some things had settled themselves out mathematically. We, along with the Houston Rockets, clinched our divisions, ensuring that we would be 1-2 in some combination in the West's seeding. At present, we stood five games ahead the team tipped by virtually all to defend their title from the get go.

In the Pacific, much to my happiness, the Clippers stood a game and a half behind the Kings.

Virtually nothing was certain in the East. The Knicks expanded their lead over the Raptors to a game and a half. The Central was still anyone's game, with the Pistons a game ahead of the Pacers, a mere five games in front of the Bucks and Bulls, tied for last in the NBA's most exciting division. Only the Southeast provided even a glimmer of certainty, as Atlanta commanded the forefront by seven and a half games over the Bobcats. An atrocious road record spelled a record closer to .500 than the division lead for the surprisingly swooning Wizards.

In terms of who got into the playoffs, the West's top 5 seeds were more or less figured out in membership, though the ranking still had yet to be determined. It would be us, the Rockets, the Pacific "champion", the Jazz, and the Sonics in the top 5 in some order in all probability. The remaining three seeds invited something of a race, although the currently standing Hornets, Trailblazers, and Spurs all definitely had the inside edge.

Not so this certainty in the East, where everyone but the Celtics, 76ers, and Nets were poised to make noise to try and either improve their standing in the playoffs or sneak into the postseason. That's how close and competitive the East was that season.

If nothing else, the final month of regular season play would prove extremely exciting for fans of Eastern teams.

Izulde

08-06-2006, 12:11 AM

I'd like to take a break now from telling you about the 1995 season to go back and look at the trades I made my first season in the league and see how they turned out five years after the fact. There were three of them and they formed the foundation for our team in a lot of ways.

A Look Back At 1990

Minnesota Timberwolves received:
SG Mitch Richmond
C Manute Bol
Golden State Warriors 1992 1st round pick

Golden State Warriors received:
C Gary Leonard
PF Scott Roth
Minnesota Timberwolves 1991 2nd rounder

Mitch as you know turned into the offensive star and franchise star we needed in the early years. He played a little over two seasons for us and led us to our first playoff berth in 1991, before he was traded to the Houston Rockets in 1992.

Manute Bol proved a good backup rebounding and blocking center for us for a little while and hung around the league for a bit more before he retired.

That 1st round selection, after a trade to move up, ended up being Terrell Brandon and you know how he turned out... A very finely performing backup point guard who unfortunately could never beat Pooh Richardson out for the starting job and ended up benched his last few games as a Timberwolf after angrily yelling at the coaching staff about his wanting more playing time.

Gary Leonard has been a horrible reserve for the Warriors the past several years.

Scott Roth made for an okay backup and is having a career year now, starting at power forward after the Webber trade. I'm sorry to say that I don't remember just who Golden State drafted with that extra second-rounder. All I know is that he's no longer with the team.

Five Year Winner: Minnesota by a tremendous margin. One of the best deals I ever made

Minnesota Timberwolves received:
PF Derrick McKey
PG Avery Johnson

Seattle Sonics received:
SG Doug West
SF Tony Campbell
Minnesota Timberwolves 1992 2nd round pick

Derrick McKey never did turn out like I hoped. He played for us for a season and a half, putting up disappointing numbers before signing with the Nets the next season and appearing in four games. 1993 proved his best year, when the Kings signed him to a one year deal and he appeared in 72 games as a top reserve, compiling a career best 8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds. Sacramento didn't resign him though, and he's played semi-pro ball since then. His chances of rejoining the NBA sadly look slim.

Avery Johnson didn't last long with us, getting traded to the Bucks the next year, but he played solidly as a reserve during that time and has now been traded back to us, where he's putting up even better minutes and numbers than before.

Doug West appeared in a total of 25 games over 2 and a 1/2 years for the Sonics and has been out of the NBA since 1992, though he's still hoping to get a call.

Tony, as I've told you often, became a star in Seattle, one of their most loved players and a two time All-Star to date. He consistently scores close to 20 points on average a year and will likely be a fixture for the Sonics until he retires, or at least I hope he is.

I'm sorry to note that much like the Warriors, I don't recall who the Sonics drafted with the second rounder, but whomever it was, they're not on the team any longer.

Five Year Winner: Seattle beat me in this deal, hands down. But it's not as bad as it looks here, for Avery Johnson turned out to be a critical piece of another trade, one that entrenched one of our starters for the last few seasons

Minnesota Timberwolves received:
SG Glen Rice
Miami Heat 1991 2nd round pick

Miami Heat received:
PF Donald Royal
SF Adrian Branch

Like Avery Johnson, Glen departed our team the next year in a deal that would prove critical to our future. In that short time, he showed flashes of ability and talent, but never developed into the top-tier guy I was hoping for. He still made the All-Rookie 1st Team in 1990, though and has turned out to be a solid player to have in your lineup, just not the upper echelon kind.

The second round pick we got was used to select Duane Causwell, who, much like Glen, never became the type of player I thought he'd be. He's been a decent backup for us, though, particularly after rejoining us in free agency this past offseason after two years in Atlanta, to whom he was dealt during the 1992 draft.

Adrian Branch had a forgettable half-year with the Heat and hasn't played in the league since the end of 1990. He's still playing semipro ball though and waiting for the phone to ring.

His fellow piece, Donald Royal, lasted much longer, playing three seasons in Miami as a reserve. While his numbers weren't phenomenal, he looked like he might finally be putting it together in 1992, averaging 6.1 points in 18 games from the bench. Unfortunately, the coaching staff didn't like him much by that point, so he wasn't resigned. Like Branch, he hasn't been in the league since that time. He's expected to formally retire soon.

Five Year Winner: Minnesota, as Rice proved a pivotal part of a trade the next season and we'd still have the edge even if Glen hadn't been dealt, because a quality starter is better than two scrub subs

Now that we've finished that little trip down memory lane, let's get back to the closing days of the 1995 regular season.

With 10 games left, we knew we'd get Mullin back right about the time the playoffs started, if not a little before. Gregg wanted him back in time to get a couple tune-up games in before the postseason to take the rust off, but only the doctors and Chris could decide that one for sure.

Pooh scored 30 and Detlef double-doubled with 17 points and 10 rebounds to carry us over the Suns in the first of the last ten. Gregg was furious, though, as we'd let a 22 point halftime lead slip away in the third quarter and we had to rely on some magical clutch shooting by Pooh to pull out the victory.

Detlef started a small double-double streak with 21 points and 12 rebounds in the next game, but nobody else came to play as we continued to struggle with our focus against subpar teams. This time, we lost to the Sacramento Kings. I wasn't too upset with the loss, if you want to know the truth. It ensured that the Clippers couldn't move into the division lead on that day at least.

Gregg, on the other hand, was livid and told the team they'd better get their collective heads out of their posteriors and start playing like a playoff team or we'd go home in the first round looking like the league's biggest donkeys. The boys responded by keeping their composure in a comeback win over the playoff-bound Jazz. Pooh broke the 30 point mark for the second time that month with 33. Shaq scored 28 and Scottie doubled this time, for 15 points and 12 boards. Volkov added 11 from the bench.

The relief proved only temporary as we dropped one against the Nuggets, Volkov's 10 points and 10 rebounds the only high point of the night. Everyone shot for garbage. It seemed to me that we were sorely missing our team captain on the floor. Or maybe it was just the team getting all the bad play out of their system, so as to be primed for the postseason. I silently hoped it'd be one or the other that would be rectified with the return of Mullin and our entry into the playoffs.

Shaq and Detlef combined for 10 points and 17 rebounds and 24 points and 10 rebounds repectively in the next game, but Shaquille couldn't hit anything from the floor that night and the Atlanta Hawks beat us at our own game, winning with solid defense and 28 points from Anfernee Hardaway and 24 from Dominique Wilkins.

For the first time in a long time, we'd lost two games in a row and I worried how it'd affect the team's morale. I began to wonder if maybe the people who considered Mullin our team's best player weren't right after all. What the issue even more critical was the fact that our star small forward was in the last year of his contract and I had some choices to make surrounding him.

And then two things happened all at once.

Our team captain came back and we played the pathetic Golden State Warriors.

Chris Mullin got a standing ovation from the home crowd as his name was announced in the starting lineup. The gleam in his eye told me that he'd come here to kick some serious Warrior tail.

And he did. 26 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and of all things, 2 dynamite blocks to net Player of the Game honors. Shaq found his rhythm again and added 21 points and 14 rebounds. Avery gleefully scored 17 from the bench as we destroyed Golden State by the amazing, new team-record score of 124-59.

A 65 point margin of victory. I don't remember if that record still holds. What I do know is that it was the most exciting, electrifying game we'd played all year and it came at just the right time.

I'd like to say we dominated and went into the playoffs on the momentum of a huge win streak after that, but we didn't. We fell to the Jazz despite Shaq's 31 points and Mullin's 20 the next game.

Then we barely withstood Tony Campbell's 29 points and nearly lost to the Sonics, only avoiding that fate thanks to Detlef's 14 and 14 and Shaq's 27 and 14. Glenn Robinson also got hurt during that game and was projected out a week and half, significantly weakening our bench.

Fortunately we squashed Hubie's Hornets by 30 behind Shaq's 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks and beat the Spurs by nearly as many, San Antonio unable to withstand Shaq's 24 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks or Mullin's 17 points and 10 assists. Volkov looked primed for the playoffs, too, in scoring 15 from the bench.

That small win streak at the end indicated we were getting our form back and starting to peak at the right time. More importantly, we clinched the top seed in the West.

But the sweetest news of all came from the Pacific Coast.

Sacramento won the division over the Clippers.

We had a lottery pick in next year's draft.

Izulde

08-06-2006, 10:52 PM

The 1995 playoffs featured a lot of familiar names, but in some quite peculiar places. There was the sense on the air that anybody at all could advance out of the East, whereas nobody but the most optimistic of fans predicted anyone other than us or Houston from the West.

1995 East Conference First Round
(1) Atlanta vs (8) Chicago
(4) Toronto vs (5) Washington
(3) Detroit vs (6) Cleveland
(2) New York vs (7) Indiana

All the matchups were intriguing to me for one reason or another and in a lot of cases, picking who I thought would win proved difficult.

The Hawks looked primed to beat the Bulls. Anfernee Hardaway really elevated Atlanta to the next level with his all-round play and the Bulls were still relying on the old combination of Jordan and Rice.

It was unfortunate that the Raptors and the Wizards played each other in the first round. Without question, there was no closer pair of teams in the entire first round that season. In the end, I chose Washington. The Wizards had been to the playoffs three straight years before blipping in 1994 and they were hungry to prove themselves as a legitimate postseason team again. With Grant Hill, Jeff Malone, and Bernard King on that squad, they had more than enough firepower to combat the Raptors' trio of Sam Cassell, Chris Gatling, and Chris Webber. What really tipped it in the end was Cassell's probability of missing the first two games due to injury. In a razor-thin differential of talent between two teams in a series, a thing like that is often the difference maker.

Cleveland as underdogs. It was the first time since I'd been in the league that it'd happened that I can remember. And in all honesty, Las Vegas was right in listing them as such. Both ballclubs were veteran franchises, but the Pistons had some talented younger guys in Joe Dumars, Terry Mills and rookie Wesley Person and were a better franchise all around.

Mills was one of those players I'd never noticed much until then. Drafted in 1991 by Philadelphia with the #17 overall pick, he'd developed into a very gifted scorer with an amazing inside shot and good rebounding talents. His defense and ballhandling were passable as well and a lot of the scouts I talked to about him after that series told me that Terry reminded them of a younger Detlef. When I heard that, you can be sure I kept that piece of information tucked away in mind.

My hunch told me that Indiana was going to upset New York. The Knicks were old and had a lot of injury problems, including to their starting power forward Charles Oakley. Ewing was still one of the top 3 to 5 centers in the entire NBA, but Rik Smits would give him a stiff challenge on defense. The Pacers were simply younger and more importantly, healthier. They were hungry to win, too, as few people outside of me gave them a chance to win.

1995 West Conference First Round
(1) Minnesota vs (8) Denver
(4) Utah vs (5) Seattle
(3) Sacramento vs (6) Portland
(2) Houston vs (7) New Orleans

Tony Campbell's team once again appeared to be set for a date with us in the second round. Although the composite talent level of the Jazz and Sonics, like the Wizards and the Raptors, was relatively equal, Seattle's addition of Magic Johnson looked like the knockout punch they needed to send Utah home early.

Everyone picked the Trailblazers to win over the Kings as you can imagine. Everyone, that is, except me. Yes, Sacramento was 37-45 on the year and yes, they were only in the playoffs due to winning a terrible division, but the Kings featured a nice, balanced starting lineup as opposed to the Clyde Drexler-dependant Traiblazers and boasted a better bench than Portland's. The center matchup particularly favored the Kings and I anticipated Dikembe Mutombo was going to have a breakout series.

Concerning Hubie's Hornets and Mitch's Rockets, I'll just say that New Orleans had no chance in the most unfavourable matchup they could have gotten.

As for us, there was no question our talent level far exceeded the Nuggets', with the sole exception of point guard, where Gary Payton was better than Pooh in all honesty. I particularly wanted to win this series because Denver started Ron Harper at shooting guard and I'd never quite forgiven him for taking the ring we gave him in 1992 and refusing to even consider resigning with us.

Of course, the one thing that everyone conveniently forgot in predictions of a Minnesota sweep was that Denver beat us towards the end of the regular season and they did the same thing in Game 1 in Minneapolis. The crowd actually booed the team after the Nuggets went up by 12 in the second quarter. We caught up in the third, but Denver kept coming back themselves, and in the end, we couldn't make one last rally and fell 111-109 in a game we were truthfully dominated in.

Mullin scored 25 and Pooh had 14 points himself to go with 12 assists, but Shaq was invisible and the Nuggets ate us alive. Jerome Lane with 16 points and 17 rebounds, including the game-winning shot. Antoine Carr jumping us for 24 points and 13 rebounds. Gary Payton adding 23. The worst insult of all, Ron Harper, with 14 points and 10 assists.

After the game, Gregg locked the door to the locker room and refused to let any reporters in. I found out afterwards that he screamed at the team for an hour and a half and broke a water cooler besides. He'd gotten mad before, but as Detlef later admitted, "Chris and I'd been around the league for a long time and we'd never seen a coach get so furious as Coach Pop did that night. It was scary, man."

Frightening it may have been, but it worked as we went box-to-wire for a 10 point win in Game 2 to even the series. Mullin put in 25 for the second game in a row, Pooh contributed 14 points and 10 assists and Shaq came alive. The big man scored 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for a performance we needed. Oh yes, Detlef also doubled, with 13 points and 10 boards and Tyrone Corbin scored 14 from the bench.

Antoine Carr continued his masterful series with 28 points and 14 rebounds, but we shut down Gary Payton and to my pleasure, Ron Harper. The game wasn't without cost, though. Volkov injured his calf and was questionable for the rest of the series.

The blow to our bench made me nervous as we traveled to Denver for Game 3, but as he'd so often done before for us in times of crisis, Mullin came through in a big-time way, scoring 37 points as we steamrolled the Nuggets. Shaq double-doubled along with Detlef for 28 points and 12 rebounds and 11 points and 13 boards respectively. Corbin added 10 in reserve play for his second strong game. Gary Payton scored 21, but he was the lone Nugget to really do much of anything.

And then, once more, bad luck struck. Mullin got injured during that sensational performance and was estimated out for two weeks. The doctors told me that he hadn't felt the pain during the game due to an adrenaline high, but that the damage to his wrist was there and considerable.

Fired up by Mullin's absence, Denver came out to take an early lead in Game 4, highlighted by some beautiful shots by Antoine Carr, who would finish with 25 points and 10 rebounds on the night. What the Nuggets didn't count on was Shaq erupting for 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks or Detlef's 20 points and 9 rebounds. All five starters broke double digits in scoring in fact, including Tyrone Corbin with 18. Avery Johnson added 15 points to lead the subs in his first playoff game with double digits. We won going away, 115-103 and took home a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Avery broke that personal playoff points record the very next game as he scored 20 points in one of our finest reserve performances to that time. All of the first five hit the double-digit mark in scoring, led by Shaq's 25 points, 11 rebounds and Detlef's matching point total with one more rebound than our brilliant young center. Our defense destroyed Denver, and at the end buzzer, we stood as the series winners with a dominating 120-74 score to show for it.

We'd leapt over one hurdle in our quest to return to championship gold, but there were greater challenges lurking ahead. Regardless of who won the Utah-Seattle series, we were destined to face a much tougher opponent and the road beyond that looked certain to contain the defending champion Houston Rockets.

But I had faith in us.

Izulde

08-08-2006, 11:48 PM

There were no sweeps in the first round of that 1995 season. In fact, ours was the shortest series at five games.

Detroit and Cleveland, Washington and Toronto, and Houston and New Orleans were the matchups to go for six. I was right in all three series.

Isiah Thomas's silky passing, Joe Dumars's splendid shooting, and Terry Mills's tough all-around scoring and rebounding overwhelmed the Cavaliers, who wasted a fine Curryesque performance from Kevin Johnson, he of the 25 points per game average.

An 0-2 hole proved too much for the Raptors to dig out of and even Sam Cassell's return in Game 3 couldn't save Toronto from losing the series to the Wizards. Washington's deadly one-two punch of Grant Hill and Jeff Malone combined for 50 points a game on average and the Wizards's superior bench, led by none other than former Timberwolf Bill Wennington, who averaged 10 points and 7 rebounds over the series, vastly outplayed the Raptor reserves.

Hubie's coaching wizardry was the only thing that kept the severely talent-deficient Hornets alive for six games against the Rockets. Charles Barkley and Mark Price did the same 50 point average tag-team that Hill and Malone did and Mitch Richmond electrified from the bench, averaging 17 points for the series. Add in that Price also displayed crisp and deadly passing to set up assists and Houston was looking as dangerous as advertised.

Of the four seven game series, the Bulls-Hawks one surprised me the most. Although Atlanta ultimately prevailed, they struggled to find consistency and rhythm on offense and Jordan almost singlehandedly toppled them.

One player who did beat an entire team by himself was Patrick Ewing, who carried the Knicks on his back and turned the 1-3 deficit against the Pacers into a 4-3 series win. Among his highlights were a 48 point, 20 rebound Game 3 performance and a 31 point, 20 rebound, 8 block performance in Game 6.

Ewing's line for the series: 33.9 ppg, 16.3 rpg, 3.6 bpg

It was the absolute most dominating postseason series performance in NBA history to that point and still ranks in everyone's Top 5 list at bare minimum. At 32, it was even more impressive, for many had been speculating over the last year or so that Patrick was losing a step or two. Not so according to that set of games.

I was quite smug after the Kings beat the Trailblazers. Everyone ruefully admitted my surprise pick turned out to be wise after all, as Sacramento dispatched Portland with balanced scoring and tough defense, rather like a certain other team you may have heard of from that era.

Bad luck bit the Sonics once more as they fell to the Jazz. Tony averaged 23 points for the series, including an incredible 43 in Game 2 and Magic came up with 20, but nobody else on Seattle could shoot the ball. Utah, on the other hand, rode Karl Marlone's 27 points and 14 rebounds per game average to victory, with just enough defense and contributions from everyone else to advance and complete the second round bracket.

1995 East Conference Second Round
(1) Atlanta vs (5) Washington
(3) Detroit vs (2) New York

After the first round against the Bulls, a lot of people predicted the Hawks would go down against the Wizards. I had to agree, as Washington looked extremely good and still very hungry, whereas Atlanta just didn't seem to have their focus or their offense in place.

Pistons versus Knicks was a lot tougher to call, but Detroit boasted a stronger team than the Pacers and not even Ewing could save New York in my mind, so the Pistons were my pick.

1995 West Conference Second Round
(1) Minnesota vs (4) Utah
(3) Sacramento vs (2) Houston

A rare thing when all of the top four seeds advanced to the second round, but it happened that year. Nobody thought the Kings stood a ghost of a chance against the Rockets and again, I agreed, although the series would no doubt be closer than the squash match against Hubie's Hornets.

We, on the other hand, did not enjoy such universal support. While most tipped us to advance, some prognosticators did not, pointing to the fact that we'd likely be missing Mullin for two to three games and our tendency to flounder without our team captain.

Gregg pinned some of the negative press up on the bulletin board and casually pointed it out to the team in the days before the game. Shaq and Tyrone in particular got mad and went out to be the differencemakers in Game 1, as Shaq scored 29 and took down 15 boards and rejected 5 shot shots and Corbin broke out a cool 17 points and 10 rebounds to go with some stellar defense. We shut down the Jazz, allowing Karl Malone 22 points, but the Mailman was the only one to deliver that game.

A 20 point halftime lead was all we needed in Game 2 as Shaq put up 30 points and 12 rebounds to counteract Karl Malone's impressive 20 points and 25 boards and get the win. Outside of the two titans, nobody on either team did much, though Avery did score 10 off the bench.

Terrible shooting by everyone but Shaq, who scored 28 along with his 14 rebounds, doomed us to a Game 3 loss in Utah. The Mailman led the Jazz charge with 34 points and 10 rebounds, unheralded reserve Dana Barros breaking out with a greatly unexpected 28 points.

Mullin returned in Game 4, we shot out of the gates with an 11-0 lead, and Karl Malone was the only Jazz with a hot hand. That tells the tale of our critical third win. Chris scored 23, Shaq 21 with 14 boards. While Malone scored 31 and grabbed 11 rebounds, the rest of Utah's team slumped much like we had in Game 3.

The Jazz were singing the blues after that Game 4 defeat. Their morale broken, we beat them soundly in Game 5 in Minneapolis to take the series. Mullin and Shaq led the way with 26 and 25 points respectively, Volkov contributing 10 as a reserve. Once more the Mailman tried valiantly to carry his team, but 23 points and 20 rebounds just wasn't enough to save Utah.

And so for the fourth consecutive year, we advanced to the Western Conference finals.

We were healthy for once and in pretty good form, but our greatest test and a familiar foe awaited us.

For once again, the turbocharged Houston Rockets lay in wait, ready to blast our championship hopes to the moon.

Izulde

08-13-2006, 01:57 PM

As I said earlier, the Rockets were our opponents for the Western Conference crown in a rematch of 1994. They'd downed the Kings in five games behind the four-headed monster of Mark Price, Sarunas Marciulionis, Charles Barkley, and Hakeem. Our defense was going to have a lot of firepower to try and snuff out.

The Hawks beat the Wizards in six despite a masterful 30 point average series from rookie Grant Hill, relying largely on Kevin Willis and Dominique Wilkins's fantastic all-around series. That Atlanta managed to win despite losing Anfernee Hardaway for the series in Game 1 showed that this was a team that continued to be very underrated in terms of how good they were.

Detroit and New York took the full seven games to decide the winner and the Pistons came out on top thanks to their extremely talented backcourt of Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas, who each put up 20+ points on average for the series. Terry Mills, who I liked the more and more I saw of him, averaged a double-double for the round. What became clear to me as I watched the games was that the Knicks lived and died by Ewing. The 30 points and 12 rebounds a game he averaged in the series in too many cases made up the bulk of their offense. Once he retired, New York was going to crash and burn into being one of the league's worst teams.

1995 East Conference Finals
(1) Atlanta vs (3) Detroit

If Anfernee wasn't coming back, I would without question call the Pistons the winners, but his return to the lineup gave me pause for consideration. In the end though, I still couldn't go against Detroit's experienced lineup. In particular, I felt Mills was going to break out, being matched up against Tony Farmer, a late 1st round rookie who'd been having a surprisingly great first year for someone who wasn't expected to do much at all.

1995 West Conference Finals
(1) Minnesota vs (2) Houston

And so here it came again. The league's most explosive offense versus the league's most ironclad defense. Only one would survive. Most of the world, fans, press, what have you, were calling this the real NBA championship series and I couldn't blame them for that line of thinking. As I've said before, the West was clearly dominant to the East in those days.

But then a funny thing happened in Game 1 in Minneapolis. We were the ones who came out with the golden shooting touch. Shaq had 23 points by halftime alone en route to a 32 point, 14 rebound, 7 block night and everything we put up, we made just about, as we rolled to a critical 136-98 opening win. Pooh put in 16 points and 13 assists, Mullin scored 22, and Tyrone Corbin was 8-9 for 23 points from the bench.

On the Houston side, Barkley, Sarunas, and Mark Price all exceeded 20 points, but Hakeem was hampered by foul trouble and Mitch contributed just 10 points in sub time.

The jubiliance of our victory became muted, however, when we received word that Avery Johnson had torn his ACL and was going to be out for more or less the entire 1996 season. Suddenly our security blanket at point guard was gone. Shaq and Mark Price also were injured, putting the series on the Rockets' favour.

In Houston's favor until Shaq announced that he was going to keep playing, regardless of the injury to his hand. Last year's agony wouldn't happen again under his watch.

So we entered Game 2 with a fiercely optimistic spirit, Mitch Richmond taking Mark Price's place in the starting five. Our former star had his revenge, as the Rockets were the one to go box-to-wire, turning a 4-0 lead into a 20 point victory and a tied series.

Mitch had 13 points and 11 assists and Sarunas scored 27, the former Golden State teammates uniting to beat us handily in the low-scoring contest. It gave me pause then and made me wonder just how good that Warriors team might've been if they hadn't dealt away all their good players so often and repeatedly turned themselves into the laughingstocks of the NBA.

We headed to Houston for Game 3 and our offense woke up after being completely dead in Game 2. What resulted was a tense see-saw battle that saw 25 lead changes and 14 ties before we at last broke away in the waning minutes to seize the victory and the all-important 2-1 lead.

Shaq only played 11 minutes, as his hand was really bothering him, but Volkov stepped up as he often did in the postseason to put in 18 points playing the bulk of the center minutes. Detlef contributed 25 and Mullin added 20.

What most fascinated me about the early games of that series was that even when Hakeem didn't have foul trouble, as in Game 3, he still didn't factor in as a major part of the Rockets' plans. Instead, it was Sarunas scoring 20 again and Barkley leading all scorers with 27. I had the distinct sensation if Hakeem ever did snap out of his cold streak, the series would be game, set, match Rockets.

We broke out to a 6-0 lead in Game 4 and never let up, although we did have a serious fright in the second half as Houston repeatedly rallied to shave our 17 point halftime lead into single digits in the third and fourth quarter and nearly tied it several times. Fortunately we withstood their challenge and came out on top to push the Rockets to the brink of elimination.

Detlef again came through in a big way, scoring 21 points. Volkov scored 16 after stepping in at center again for Shaq, who managed to score 8 points in 12 minutes at least. Otherwise, it was a case of our balanced team scoring and solid defense that were the hallmarks of the Timberwolf Way.

That isn't to say the Rockets were totally helpless. Mitch scored 22 to match Sir Charles and Kenny Williams had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Tim McCormick and Steve Smith scored 12 and 10 points respectively as reserves. But Hakeem was once more neutralized, although he did collect double digit rebounds as he had through most of the series. Gregg and his boys really drew up their game plan with the intent of stopping Hakeem, especially with Shaq chained to restricted minutes until his hand healed.

Back home in Minneapolis for Game 5, we really wanted to slam the door on the series in front of the partisan crowds, particularly since the Eastern Conference champion was crowned in the early game that night. No, I'm not going to tell you who it was just yet. You'll have to wait and see.

As for us, our series clincher didn't happen. Sir Charles started the game with a three-pointer and Hakeem woke up. We tried again and again to rally, but we could get no closer than single digits a few times in a cruel mirror image of Game 4. Hakeem finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 7 blocks to be largely responsible for putting us away. Sarunas scored his usual 20 and Mitch added 12 from reserves, for Mark Price once again rejoined the Rockets. Detlef was the lone bright point for us, scoring 24.

With great consternation, we went to Houston for Game 6. After the game started with a 10-0 Rockets run and we were down by 17 at the half, I began thinking of plans for the offseason as we were playing horribly and getting beaten in every facet of the game.

Then the miracle happened.

We came out in the second half and went on a scoring torrent, our defense suddenly coming alive again. We pulled even early in the fourth quarter and blew the doors off of their repeat title dreams the rest of the way, winning going away.

To this day I still call it one of the greatest games in Timberwolves history. Shaq fought through the pain in his hand to play most of the game, scoring 23 points. Detlef doubled with 10 points and 11 rebounds and all five of our starters had at least 10 points in scoring. Tyrone Corbin, our most underrated sub even in the front office, scored 13 from the bench and spearheaded our stalwart second-half defense.

For the stunned Rockets, Sarunas scored 21 and Mitch added 12 in reserve time, but the rest of the squad just fell apart in that second half. They'd put up a valiant effort all series long, but our coaching staff and our players simply outsmarted and outhustled them at the end.

As our players celebrated on court and the coaches did the same in their own fashion on the sidelines, I couldn't help but smile from my seat.

We'd gotten our revenge and returned to our rightful place, the NBA Finals.

Now one team was all that stood between us and our third NBA championship.

Izulde

08-14-2006, 11:59 AM

The Atlanta Hawks stunned the Detroit Pistons in five games, led by Dominique Wilkins, who averaged 23 points in the championship series, Kevin Willis of the 15 point, 13 rebound average and Anfernee Hardaway, who played the major role that I expected he would in contributing 21 points a game on average.

And so we had a rematch of the 1992 NBA Finals on tap. Each team still had a player from the Volkov trade, Alexander on our side and Tyrone Hill, who'd turned into a stopper on the Hawks bench for Atlanta.

We were universally tipped to win back our championship and go two for two against the Hawks in Finals series, but I knew Atlanta was a far more dangerous team than people gave them credit for. Certainly the 1995 Hawks were a lot better squad than the 1992 version and Anfernee made all the difference in that regard.

Game 1 showed just how right I was when the Hawks, despite missing Dominique Wilkins due to an injury, held a 6 point lead at halftime and rallied to take back the lead late in the fourth quarter after we caught them before falling 85-79 in the lowest scoring game in NBA Finals history. That scoreline should come as no real surprise, however. Both teams were built on the same model, for Atlanta had come to rely on the Timberwolf Way as their guiding principle following the 1992 Finals.

Detlef led all scorers with 19 points, including a game-opening 3 pointer. Volkov did us proud against his former team with 11 points and 7 rebounds coming off the bench.

Dominique Wilkins came back in Game 2 and although we recovered a 12 point halftime deficit to go up by four, Atlanta came charging right back and pulled away with the win to even the series, 105-98. Mini-guard Spud Webb guided the Hawks with 21 points and reserve Bison Dele, a former 1993 1st round selection of the Boston Celtics, erupted with an astonishing 21 points and 13 rebounds.

As far as we went, Shaq and Detlef doubled with 15 points and 11 rebounds and 16 points and 10 rebounds respectively. Corbin and Volkov contributed 17 and 11 points as our respective top bench players, but it just wasn't enough to prevent the Hawks from giving air to their own dreams of championship and revenge.

Game 3 in Atlanta featured what was fast becoming a trademark of the Series, namely us going into halftime behind, this time by eight points. We took the lead back midway through the fourth quarter though and this time managed to hang on for the 104-98 win and the crucial 2-1 series lead.

Shaq scored 22 points to go with his 10 rebounds and 4 blocks and Detlef double-doubled again with 16 points and 11 rebounds. One thing that greatly concerned me was that Scottie Pippen continued to struggle with his shooting as he had virtually all postseason. The one good thing about his play and it was a critical one, was that he'd shut down Anfernee Hardaway all series long.

Dominique Wilkins finally broke out for the Hawks, leading his team with 22 points, but there wasn't enough other offense to be able to topple us.

Chris Mullin snapped out of his slump in Game 4 by scoring 28 points and we at last had a halftime lead, albeit a single point. Unfortunately we fell apart in the waning minutes of the game and lost a close one, 98-94. Shaq doubled with 16 points and 14 rebounds and Corbin scored 11 in reserve time, but Detlef couldn't hit anything all night long.

Spud Webb came through for the Hawks again, scoring 22 points. Kevin Willis scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, those two combining with 6th man Doc Rivers, who scored 16, to counteract horrendous shooting nights by Anfernee Hardaway and Dominique Wilkins.

Danger came in Game 5. With the Series tied, we lost Scottie for the game after his injury in Game 4. At least we had another defensive wizard in Tyrone Corbin to put on Anfernee Hardaway. That didn't prevent him from finally busting out with 26 points, however, or from his team preventing us from rallying against a five point halftime deficit. Domique Wilkins scored 28 points as well, and Atlanta trounced us to take the imperative 3-2 series lead.

Now our backs were against the wall. We had to win the next two games or we could say goodbye to our third title.

We returned to Minneapolis for Game 6 and feverently welcomed Scottie back to the lineup. It was a dogfight right to the bitter end, our single-point halftime lead the margin of victory in a 109-108 win that was unquestionably the most thrilling game in an already exciting Finals.

Shaq exploded for 38 points, Detlef contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Pooh doubled himself with 19 points, 11 assists.

Dominique Wilkins countered Shaq with 31 points of his own and Doc Rivers and Bison Dele scored 12 and 13 points respectively in reserve time, but we managed to hold the Hawks off and force a Game 7 to decide it all.

Game 7. Our third title on the line. Playing in our home court. If we won, it would be a fairytale ending.

It was an epic game. Our defense shut the Hawks down the entire first half to go into the first half up by 16. Atlanta came soaring back in the third quarter and at the start of the fourth, it was all tied up, 71-71. We battled back and forth, but in the end, a clutch shot at the buzzer by Detlef, who'd been a hero before, secured the win and we triumphed, 92-89.

The fans deleriously danced in the stands and I rushed down on the court to join the team. At last, we had the third title denied to us last year. This championship felt sweeter than the prior two. We'd beaten a top quality opponent, our mirror image, fought back from a 3-2 deficit, and overcome injuries to our top two players in the regular season.

Shaq, the Finals MVP, scored 31 points with 20 rebounds and 4 blocks that night. Our clutch man, Detlef, finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Dominique Wilkins scored 25 for the Hawks in a terrific effort for Atlanta.

As I made my way onto the court, big Shaq lifted me up, laughing. "Go cut down that net, Mr. Arcadia. It's because of you that I'm here today and not stuck in Phoenix, where I'd have no chance at a championship."

And so, with Shaquille, my franchise center holding me up, I reached out with shaking hands to cut away the strands of the net, the white cords falling on top of my 40 year old shoulders.

I clutched the freed net, held it aloft, and shouted, "Three-time NBA Champion Minnesota Timberwolves!" The crowd, coaches, and players roared their approval and I smiled at this dream come true, blinking back the tears of joy.

The gleaming silver globe handed to me five minutes later was more beautiful and lighter than any of its predecessors.

Three-time NBA champions. All under my watch. 1992, 1993, 1995. Three titles in four years and this with a team that was an expansion franchise in 1990. Could any other GM in the history of sports make such a claim?

Still, as I stood there under the confetti and the celebrations, I began to feel a hunger and wanderlust grow inside of me. I'd built this team from expansion franchise into an annual championship contender. But I'd had the advantage of being under the salary cap when I started, with players that teams were definitely interested in. My fellow GMs weren't as wary of being beaten by me at the negotiating table, taking me for a rookie who didn't know the NBA ropes.

And so it was right then that I first pondered the idea of leaving the Timberwolves.

Izulde

08-21-2006, 10:15 PM

After several discussions with Gregg and the new owner, who was extremely pleased with the ring in his first year with the team, I decided to stay on for one more season. We had an understanding that it was by no means certain that I'd stay beyond then, even if we defended our title.

Although, truth be told, I had the feeling afterwards that if we did defend our title, I'd have to stick around to see if we could claim a third straight championship to make up for the one taken from us by Houston.

The standings and statistics for 1995:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1995EastConf.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1995WestConf.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1995RegStats.jpg
Regular season statistics.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/Izulde/1995PlayoffStats.jpg
Playoff statistics.

The NBA Awards Ceremony likely would be short on Timberwolves, even though we'd won the title. That's how it seemed to go with us. When we were champions, we got robbed of recognition. The year the Rockets beat us, the awards poured in.

MVP
Karl Malone - Utah Jazz
27.0 ppg 3.1 apg 10.6 rpg 0.9 bpg 1.4 spg

Defensive Player of the Year
Patrick Ewing - New York Knicks
25.8 ppg 2.1 apg 11.4 rpg 2.8 bpg 1.0 spg

6th Man of the Year
Harvey Grant - Miami Heat
12.7 ppg 1.7 apg 4.6 rpg 0.5 bpg 1.1 spg

Rookie of the Year
Grant Hill - Washington Wizards
21.6 ppg 3.7 apg 6.5 rpg 0.6 bpg 1.6 spg

Coach of the Year
John Macleod - Houston Rockets

All-League First Team
PG Mark Price - Houston Rockets
SG Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
SF Charles Barkley - Houston Rockets
PF Karl Malone - Utah Jazz
C Patrick Ewing - New York Knicks

All-League Second Team
PG Gary Payton - Denver Nuggets
SG Magic Johnson - Seattle Sonics
SF Ricky Pierce - Milwaukee Bucks
PF Antoine Carr - Denver Nuggets
C David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs

All-League Third Team
PG Terry Porter - Portland Trailblazers
SG Reggie Lewis - Philadelphia 76ers
SF Grant Hill - Washington Wizards
PF Clarence Witherspoon - Indiana Pacers
C Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets

All-Defense First Team
PG Nate McMillan - Seattle Sonics
SG Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls
SF Charles Barkley - Houston Rockets
PF Karl Malone - Utah Jazz
C Patrick Ewing - New York Knicks

All-Defense Second Team
PG Mark Jackson - New York Knicks
SG Clyde Drexler - Portland Trailblazers
SF Scottie Pippen - Minnesota Timberwolves
PF Clarence Weatherspoon - Indiana Pacers
C David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs

All-Rookie First Team
PG B.J. Tyler - Indiana Pacers
SG Eddie Jones - Sacramento Kings
SF Grant Hill - Washington Wizards
PF Carlos Rogers - New Orleans Hornets
C Tony Farmer - Atlanta Hawks

All-Rookie Second Team
PG Gerald Madkins - Cleveland Cavaliers
SG Wesley Person - Detroit Pistons
SF Glenn Robinson - Minnesota Timberwolves
PF Donyell Marshall - New Jersey Nets
C Dontonio Wingfield - L.A. Lakers

A second team defense mention and a second team rookie mention. That was it.

Much of the national press criticized the year's awards, particularly Malone as MVP, Macleod as Coach of the Year, and Grant Hill over Chris Mullin at the NBA Third Team small forward spot.

As one columnist wrote concerning the Coach of the Year controversy, "With all due respect to John Macleod, he had two All-NBA First Teamers in his starting lineup. Gregg Popovich of Minnesota had just one All-NBA player in Chris Mullin and a borderline All-NBA case in Shaquille O'Neal. To diminish the Timberwolves' title by this stunning lack of respect is appalling and if John Macleod has any sense of decency, he'll give up his award to the man who really deserves it, Coach Popovich."

Naturally, Macleod didn't, but there was an overwhelming majority opinion that the awards voters screwed up royally on a lot of things that year and I'm inclined to agree, even now, although in all honesty, a case could be made for Grant's selection over Mullin for the third team that year.

The outrage eventually died down, right about the time of the draft lottery. As always, there was much anticipation over how the balls would fall, particularly in our case.

If things held to form, we would have the 8th pick in the draft. Of course I wanted us to move up, but even staying put with a top 10 selection was fine by me.

There was no change in picks 14-9. Then our turn came up and all was tension in our offices at the Target Arena.

A moment passed, then two... then three...

And the black and blue image of the Timberwolves came up.

We'd stayed at #8.

I certainly didn't mind. It was better than falling and with two first rounders, if we saw a franchise player we wanted, we could very likely trade up to get him.

1996 Lottery Results
1. New Jersey Nets (+2)
2. Phoenix Suns (+2)
3. Philadelphia 76ers (+2)
4. Golden State Warriors (-3)
5. L.A. Lakers (-3)
6. Memphis Grizzlies (+0)
7. Boston Celtics (+0)
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (+0)
9. Dallas Mavericks (+0)
10. Orlando Magic (+0)
11. Charlotte Bobcats (+0)
12. San Antonio Spurs (+0)
13. Milwaukee Bucks (+0)
14. Miami Heat (+0)

I must confess I smiled when I saw the Lakers and the Warriors each drop three places. I've never gotten over my distaste for the Purple and Gold's arrogance or their too-long obsession with Maurice Martin in center. Dontonio Wingfield was no great shakes either, but he was a far sight better than Martin even as a rookie.

As for the Warriors, they were the most poorly run organization in the entire NBA. Every time they started building a promising foundation, they dealt away their young stars in the making for garbage.

To this day I don't feel bad for having been a part of that. Being an NBA GM is like being part of a wolfpack. Power and leadership belongs to the fittest.

And I, along with the Timberwolves, were among the fittest in the mid-90s, with the potential to ensure a level of domination that not even the old alphas, the Celtics and the Lakers, could dream of approaching.

Izulde

08-30-2006, 01:43 AM

Phil Jackson - Phoenix Suns
Rudy Tomjanovich - Orlando Magic
Rex Hughes - L.A. Lakers
Larry Brown - Boston Celtics
Mike Fratello - New Jersey Nets
Willis Reed - Golden State Warriors

It was a relatively stable year as far as head coaching changes went as you can see from that list.

Larry Brown looked like a good fit to restore the Celtics to glory and Willis Reed appeared an excellent choice for the ever-young Warriors. The Magic got a big-time steal in Rudy T, but I was much less enamoured with Phil Jackson in Phoenix. While a talented coach, he needed a veteran team and I didn't really see that in the Suns, particularly not with a potential franchise player at #2 overall. Fratello made a fine coach for the Nets and Rex Hughes fascinated me for the Lakers. A rookie head coach, he looked like he had the skills to make an immediate impact on a fallen franchise.

The consensus top two players in the draft that year were 19 year old Kevin Garnett, a high schooler who had pro ball game, and Antonio McDyess out of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Scouts considered McDyess the safer pick, Garnett the sexier one. Both were power forwards, a position I no longer had my future backup in.

Projections that year indicated we would take SG Michael Finley from the neighboring state Wisconsin Badgers with the #8 pick and PF Alan Henderson, late of the Indiana Hoosiers with the last pick in the first round. They were right about my looking hard at PF and SG at least, particularly PF. I also wanted to find a suitable third PG that could potentially be groomed to replace Pooh, though given the weakness of the point guard crop in that year's draft, I didn't have that as my first priority.

After getting the reports back from the scouting team, it was clear that Kevin Garnett was the best player out of everyone we looked at. Antonio McDyess was so overrated according to our scouts that they had Michael Finley and Brent Barry ahead of him.

I called the Nets and offered them the #8 and #30 selections for the #1 overall pick in hopes of landing Garnett. With three second round picks in the draft, I had ample opportunity to go for the late 1st/early second guys I liked. But New Jersey remembered too well the lessons from the Suns and said no deal, no matter what I tried.

So I decided to sit back and see how the draft played out. There was a very strong possibility that we could end up trading down or out of the first round entirely, as after Garnett and Finley there wasn't anybody that I wanted that high up in the draft.

1996 First Round Draft Picks
1. PF Kevin Garnett - New Jersey Nets
2. PF Antonio McDyess - Phoenix Suns
3. C Greg Ostertag - Philadelphia 76ers

Garnett and McDyess went 1-2 as anticipated, but the Ostertag pick at #3 floored everyone and not in a good way. We'd brought Greg in for a look ourselves and considered him a good 2nd round pick. #3 overall? Not a snowball's chance in you know where.

4. SF Corliss Willamson - Golden State Warriors
5. SG Michael Finley - L.A. Lakers

We now had ourselves a problem. The Purple and Gold stabbed me in the back and gave me even more reason to hate them by drafting the one player I hoped would slot in where the mock draft predicted him. After we all swore and cursed the Lakers in the war room, I informed my staff that we wouldn't panic with trading right away, but instead sit tight and see what developed.

6. PG Damon Stoudamire - Memphis Grizzlies
7. SF Mark Davis - Boston Celtics

There was one guy we really, really liked, but not at #8 in the draft, so I hit the phones to discuss a deal with fellow GMs around the league. In the end, though, no one would trade with me. They didn't want to see the already rich Minnesota Timberwolves become even wealthier.

So I closed my eyes and called in the one guy left we knew we really wanted. I knew I'd be booed, but I was not going to waste a first round selection on someone I didn't want, even if he was worthy of going there talentwise. The Timberwolf Way must be adhered to at all costs.

8. PG Eric Snow - Minnesota Timberwolves

The fans were furious and the analysts called the pick an insane one, but I had faith it would turn out. Snow worked his tail off and had a terrific personality. It didn't seem then that he even had first round talent, let alone a lottery player's ability, but I had faith in him and in Gregg's staff to justify me in the end.

9. SG Jerry Stackhouse - Dallas Mavericks
10. PF Joe Smith - Orlando Magic
11. PG Trevor Ruffin - Charlotte Bobcats
12. SG Lawrence Moten - San Antonio Spurs
13. PF Alan Henderson - Milwaukee Bucks
14. PF Kurt Thomas - Miami Heat
15. PG Ryan Lorthridge - Sacramento Kings
16. PF Rasheed Wallace - Denver Nuggets
17. SF Eric Williams - New Orleans Hornets
18. C Theo Ratliff - Chicago Bulls
19. C Bryant Reeves - Portland Trailblazers
20. PG Tyus Edney - Philadelphia 76ers
21. PG Chris Childs - Indiana Pacers
22. PG Travis Best - Detroit Pistons
23. C Mario Bennett - Seattle Sonics
24. PG Darrick Martin - Washington Wizards
25. PF Reggie Slater - Golden State Warriors
26. PG Askia Jones - New York Knicks
27. PF Gary Trent - Utah Jazz
28. PF Junior Burrough - Atlanta Hawks
29. C Mark Strickland - Golden State Warriors
30. PF Jason Caffey - Minnesota Timberwolves

I knew Caffey wasn't the heir apparent to Detlef by any means, but he was the best option left out of the players we'd scouted. Brent Barry was still on the board, but he had a horrible attitude and a lousy work ethic, or we would've taken him at #8. The fans and the analysts loved the Caffey pick at least.

Barry went to Memphis with the 2nd pick in the 2nd round.

With three second rounders and all of our scouted players taken by the time the first one of ours came along, it was time to throw out three flyers. Just for the fun of it, I let Gregg pick our first second round guy and he chose C Clifford Rozier, even though I personally would have chosen Andrew DeClercq out of Florida.

DeClercq was still available with our second pick of the round, so I went ahead and grabbed him over Gregg's playful objections. The truth was we needed a new backup C anyway, as Causwell was mediocre at best and Volkov was getting up there in years. A little competition never hurt anyone to my mind. I teased Gregg considerably after the talking heads lauded my DeClercq selection after the lukewarm reception they gave to the Rozier nod.

With the last pick in the draft, we took SG Dejan Bodiroga from the Italian club Stefonel-Milan. I liked having foreign players on the team to expose the mostly American squad of ours to other cultures and we'd certainly done well with the German Detlef.

In our post-draft evaluations, Snow looked like a textbook future point guard with regards to our system. Caffey looked okay, but Rodney Rodgers was much more the heir at power forward than Jason was. In the battle between our rookie centers, Rozier was a lot more polished, but DeClercq possessed considerably more upside. Bodiroga appeared what he was, the last pick in the draft.

If we signed all of our second round draft picks, we would have the full 15 on the roster and be unable to sign Mullin, Avery Johnson, or even Doug Christie, who were all free agents. I couldn't have that, so I signed Gregg's beloved Rozier to a two year deal and left the other two unsigned.

Antonio McDyess surprised everyone by taking MVP honors in the Summer League. Of our young contingent, Eric Snow and Jason Caffey both improved tremendously, DeClercq and Rozier were mixed bags and Bodiroga washed out.

Bodiroga and DeClercq were cut following the summer league, leaving us with 13 players and the ability to re-sign Mullin and one other player, but likely not Johnson, who was going to be out for most, if not all of the season with an injury and by the time he returned, we'd hoped Snow would be more than ready to take over.

At the start of free agency, Mullin came and told us he wanted $15.4 mill a year for four years. We countered with $13 million a year for four years. He took some time to think it over, but in the end agreed to sign the contract. It really was fair to both sides in my opinion.

Our biggest signing taken care of, we were now free to pick through the free agent pile and see if anyone else looked interesting. A couple of possible guards caught my eye, but nobody that I thought it imperative to get.

As the days of free agency went by, I came to like Spudd Webb more and more. The lifelong Hawk had always played well against us and he was the perfect veteran replacement for Johnson as our top backup, so I offered him a one year mid-level exemption. He rejected it in favor of a five-year mid-level deal from the Indiana Pacers.

After that deal fell through, I became interested in Greg Anthony, a 26 year old PG who looked to be a good fit for us in terms of his skill set. Yes, he was notorious for being not the most loyal sort and he'd been unhappy in Detroit despite being a fairly integral piece on a winning franchise, but I believed him worth the gamble and so offered him a two year mid-level exemption deal.

He signed the next day.

In other notable free agency news that year, Terrell Brandon resigned with the Clippers and the Houston Rockets picked up another high quality player in PF Clarence Weatherspoon, the former Pacer coming off an All-NBA Third Team, All-Defense Second team season. Kendall Gill also joined our main West Conference rivals.

Fat Lever stayed in Toronto for another year, Magic in Seattle for the same span of time. Terrell Brandon re-upped with the Clippers, much to my surprise, and for six years at that.

Coming out of training camp, for the very first time, none of the rookies broke the rotation, but all ended up on the IR. Gregg didn't think any of them were ready and in truth I agreed with him.

The lineup didn't change at all from the prior years. We were still running the Pooh-Scottie-Chris-Detlef-Shaq starting five, but it's hard to argue with that set when you consider the rings we'd won.

A repeat title didn't seem out of reach at all and many publications predicted we would do just that.

As the season opened, I could only hope that they were right.

Izulde

08-30-2006, 07:29 PM

We began our title defense against the team I loved to hate, the Purple and Gold. I especially wanted to beat them that year after they stole Michael Finley from us. The rookie was starting at shooting guard and while he didn't remind anyone of Magic, he was still a very good player.

Shaq served notice that he was better than he'd ever been in tearing about the Lakers for 24 points at halftime in a 118-75 crushing with us in the triple digits. He finished with 41 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a block. Glenn Robinson scored 13 points in as many minutes and really looked improved from his rookie season. Finley finished with 6 points as the Lakers offense looked absolutely lost, James Worthy their high scorer at 14.

We romped over the Denver Nuggets in the second game, Shaq once again ripping into the offense and posting a final line of 26 points and 14 rebounds, Detlef joining him on the double-double fest with 18 points and 10 boards. All five of our starters broke into double-digit scoring and Greg Anthony added 13 from the floor, a total matched by original Timberwolf Sam Mitchell.

Our first challenge of the year came against the likewise 2-0 Utah Jazz and our overconfidence showed as Stockton and Malone's boys went into the half up by eight. Gregg made the necessary adjustments and we pounded our way back into contention fairly in the third. From that point on, it was a war, with no less than 27 lead changes and 14 ties before Pooh iced a clutch shot in the closing minutes to get us the 109-108 win.

Shaq and Pooh each scored 21 to lead us. Glenn put in 11 and Alexander Volkov 10 from the reserves to counteract the Mailman's 30 and Thurl Bailey's 21.

We'd been winning all along without Mullin's waking up, but he woke up against the next game, also against the Jazz and was one of three T-Wolves starters to hit 20 points in a fairly comfortable win. Chris scored 22 points and displayed some rare rebounding skills in taking down 13 boards. Shaq contributed 23 and Pooh's hot hand continued with 24 to lead our team in points. Volkov put in 10 to be first among our second unit.

The fun thing about that game was Utah's own 20+ point scoring triumvirate, consisting of Malone and Stockton with 24, and Elliott Perry with 25, but it wasn't enough to beat our total team effort.

Tony Campbell's Sonics were the next victims of our juggernaut, losing by 23 as Shaq doubled with 36 points and 14 rebounds, adding 5 assists in the bargain, Mullin put up 28 and Pooh broke 20 points for the third straight game with that exact number. Scottie got in on the festivities with 17 points and 14 assists, for he'd once more assumed point guard duties.

After the game Tony told me the team was struggling out of the gate to start the year. They were 1-3 after the loss and looked largely out of sync. Magic scored 33 against us, but Seattle just couldn't find offensive rhythm outside of him. Complicating matters was the addition of a phenomenal sub via a trade that'd happened the day before. The new player needed to adjust to the system and those things take time of course. No, I won't tell you who it was just yet. You'll have to wait until I review the first month's trades.

Our dazzling play and win streak continued with a blowout of the Pistons. Shaq scored 23 and grabbed 12 rebounds, Pooh second in scoring with 20. Glenn Robinson put up 17 and looked more and more as the season wore on like the at least somewhat consistent scoring threat from the bench we'd lacked for a long time.

The Kings handed us our first loss of the year with exceptional balanced scoring and tremendous rebounding as our second-half rally fell short, 86-82. Shaq's 18 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 blocks, Mullin's 21, and Glenn's 10 weren't enough on a night when everyone else on our side built brickhouses.

Things didn't get any easier when the 6-2 Toronto Raptors came to town, but we treated the home crowd to an exciting dogfight that wasn't decided until the final minutes, when we pulled away for a 105-93 win that was nowhere near to telling how close the game actually was.

All of the starting five recorded double-digit points, led by Shaq who had another monster game with 31 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Detlef and Scottie joined him on the double-double side of things with 16 points and 10 rebounds and 13 points and 10 assists respectively.

If you had told me before the season that Otis Smith would drop 41 points on us, I'd have laughed and bought you a drink for telling such a good joke. But that's exactly what happened when we played the once-mighty Cavaliers. Fortunately, our first five were uniform in double-digit scoring for the second game in a row, highlighted by the double-doubles of Shaq, who had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and Detlef, good for 19 points and 10 boards respectively. Volkov chimed in with 13 from the bench in the heartracing 3-point nipper of a win.

Incidentally, the 32 year old Smith, who'd come close to but never succeeded in breaking the 20 point per game barrier in his nine year career, started off on fire in 1996. Through seven games, he was averaging 25.7 points.

An opening 11-0 run keyed a 42 point demolition of Dallas as our top unit unanimously scored double-digits for the third consecutive game. Mullin led the way with 29 points and Shaq and Detlef conspired for their traditional paired double-doubles, this time good for 23 points a piece, Detlef winning the rebound battle with 15 to Shaq's 13.

The much-maligned Greg Ostertag came in with his Philadelphia 76ers and walked out with 13 points and a blowout loss to his credit. Shaq's 23 points and 10 rebounds found new doubles partners in Pooh's 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Scottie's near triple double of 10 points, 11 assists, and 9 boards. Volkov and Greg Anthony sparkpluged our reserves with 16 and 13 points respectively.

Our biggest game of the young season came up next, pitting our 10-1 record against our flawless archrivals, Danny Brooklyn's team... the 12-0 Houston Rockets.

Their starting lineup:
PG Mark Price (1995 FA)
SG Kendall Gill (1996 FA)
SF Charles Barkley (1995 FA)
PF Clarence Weatherspoon (1996 FA)
C Hakeem Olajuwon (Mr. Rocket)

The brilliance of that starting five just goes to show how fine a GM Danny was in free agency at getting guys, All-NBA Team players no less, at coming to play for Houston. Although the rivalry between our respective teams was a bitter one in terms of our fans, even the casual NBA observer enjoyed our titanic battles and I was thrilled that Danny was having the kind of success that'd eluded him for so long in that miserable pit Memphis.

I was reminded of just how potent that Rockets team was after they began the game with a 7-0 run. We rallied back and closed to within three at the half, then took the lead in the third. Only this wasn't the usual running away. No, the Rockets came charging right back at us and knotted things up in the closing seconds of the game.

Then Detlef was fouled going up for a shot as the buzzer sounded.

Swish.
Swish.

101-99 Timberwolves.

Despite Detlef's heroics, it was Shaq who made the real difference in the game for us with his 18 points and 10 rebounds, a scoring output matched by Mullin and Pooh. In fact, it was just good old textbook Timberwolf Way total team scoring that guided us to the victory.

That isn't to say the Rockets weren't impressive, though. Hakeem, Weatherspoon, and Price all scored 20 points, with Dream and Clarence making it a double-double special on account of their 10 and 15 respective rebounds.

After that emotional victory against the Rockets, we secured a surprisingly easy win over the Spurs, due largely to our bench stepping it up. Volkov and Tyrone Corbin each scored 12 and Greg Anthony added 10 to buttress our starters, led by Shaq's doubling of 18 points and 12 boards.

Hubie Brown, our original coach, had his Hornets at a stunning 10-2 record when we faced off against them near the end of the month, but we ruthlessly gave them loss number three in a yawner. Shaq feasted on New Orleans, scoring 27 points and grabbing 15 boards to go with his lovely 3 assists, 4 steals, and no less than 7 blocks. Add in Mullin's 30 points and Greg's second straight strong bench game with 17 points and you have the recipe for a bigtime blowout.

It was a fitting end to the first month and I felt quite proud of our 13-1 record, but we were not the only ones with just one loss after the first 30 days.

Out in the East, the New York Knicks were also 13-1, three and a half up on my favorite East Conference Team, the Raptors. Patrick Ewing was having another breathtaking start, averaging 26.9 points and 12.4 rebounds a game. Youngster Harold Miner in his first month as a starter was turning heads with his near 19 points a game. It certainly looked like a breakout season for the fourth-year former UTEP Miner and Cavalier.

The Pacers held a game and a half edge over Detroit in the Central and our old friends the Atlanta Hawks held a relatively commanding four and half game lead over the Washington Wizards, who were struggling in the early going.

Closer to home, Houston had lost another game and stood at 14-2, good for a two game advantage over Hubie's Hornets. We led the Jazz by five and the Pacific was a nip-and-tuck affair between the Clippers and the Kings, with the Red and White half a game in front. What's worth noting is that unlike 1995, this year both teams considered in contention were safely above the .500 mark.

Overall, I was ecstatic about the first month. Shaq appeared to have blossomed into the next level, Glenn Robinson was showing flashes of developing into an authentic heir to Mullin, and Greg Anthony looked to have been a great free agent pickup.

Enough talk. I'm thirsty. What do you say we go down to Happy's Diner? I'm in the mood for one of those gourmet sodas they serve there. Probably green apple.

Naturally it'll be my treat. A young man like you listening to an old geezer like me deserves something for it now and then.

Izulde

09-01-2006, 03:08 AM

As I told you yesterday, there was a recent trade with the Sonics that required some getting used to. One thing I had to say for Seattle, they always tried their best to improve enough to beat us in those years and I liked their front office for that.

In fact, it was the first trade of a surprisingly busy first month.

Seattle Sonics receive:
SG Reggie Miller

Memphis Grizzlies receive:
PG Sedale Threatt

The Sonics pick up 30 year old Reggie Miller, who's worthy of being a starter somewhere and his increasing anger about not being one of the first five is certainly justified, particularly with his breathtaking scorer's touch. He's one of the top subs in Seattle and the heir apparent to Magic Johnson. Threatt is 34 and not a bad player, but nowhere near Miller's caliber, as evidenced by his failure to be more than midtier bench guy for the Grizzlies. His role also sharply declined with Tony's team this season compared to prior years.

Winner: Seattle by a good margin, particularly if they sign Miller to an extension and start him after Magic retires

Chicago Bulls receive:
SF James Worthy
L.A. Lakers 1997 2nd round pick

L.A. Lakers receive:
PG Grant Gondrezick
SF Craig Hodges

The dismantling of Showtime continues as the legendary Worthy packs his bags for Chicago. The Bulls have a major new offensive weapon to pair with Jordan and a huge upgrade over Glen Rice, who gets moved down to the 6th man spot. Also, that second rounder is more like a late first rounder, as the Purple and Gold is an awful 4-12 thus far and not likely to get much better. Gondrezick is old and feeble with only his status as an expiring contract of $7 mill his value. Hodges was released by the Lakers, making this a sweet deal for the Bulls.

Winner: Chicago, who gave up very little for some vital pieces and may finally have enough diversity on offense to punch deeper in the playoffs again.

Philadelphia 76ers receive:
PF Vin Baker

Chicago Bulls receive:
PG Chris Whitney

Chicago continues their wheeling and dealing here and pick up Whitney, a 24 year old point guard who is a fine backup and could become a great one with time. He's definitely an improvement over Anthony Goldwire, the second year second rounder who he replaces. Baker didn't really pan out with the Bulls, but has enough upside to become a very quality all-around forward. He's got more playing time with the 76ers, which will help him reach that potential, particularly in pushing Greg Ostertag, the rookie who presently starts.

Winner: Slight edge to Chicago, as Whitney is much more polished right now

New Orleans Hornets receive:
SF Lamond Murray

Milwaukee Bucks receive:
PG Terry Dehere
New Orleans Hornets 1997 2nd rounder

Murray is a lot like Baker. Young and raw with good all-around potential who wasn't getting all that much opportunity with his old team. He's being viewed as the heir to 32 year old Ed Pickney, a recent free agent signing. Dehere is another young guy with not much polish or upside, but he gives the Bucks another greenhorn point guard to fight it out for the eventual replacement to veteran Jay Humphries. The pick is worth more than the Hornets' 11-3 record indicates, as I think it's a smoke and mirrors mark, but it's not going to be more than a mid-late 2nd rounder.

Winner: New Orleans by a fair bit, for Murray holds more promise and shores up the Hornets' weakest position

New Orleans Hornets receive:
PG Nick Van Exel
Boston Celtics 1997 2nd rounder

Boston Celtics receive:
SF Eric Williams
SF Cliff Rozier

The Hornets get the second round pick back and one that's going to be much higher than their original selection. Van Exel is a beautiful pickup as he instantly becomes the legitimate starting point guard of the future, ready to replace John Starks when the combo guard retires. I like Van Exel a lot and I wouldn't mind having him on the Timberwolves myself. Rozier was released following the trade so this makes it a deal for the rookie Williams, who is okay in terms of ability, but he doesn't have much upside and will never be mistaken for Larry Bird. Van Exel was expendable with the C's signing of Robert Pack in free agency, but Boston should have gotten a lot more for him.

Winner: No doubt here that New Orleans just committed highway robbery and win this going away. Hubie's Hornets got a lot better following these deals.

We faced one of the two greatly improved Eastern teams from those trades in our first game that second month, the Chicago Bulls. James Worthy's impact in red and black was immediately noticeable, as he scored 14 points in the first quarter alone to compensate for Jordan's horrible shooting night, but his eventual 28 points wasn't enough when the rest of his new teammates clanged every shot they threw up and we won handily. Shaq doubled with 19 points and 11 boards, all five starters reached the double digit scoring mark, and Greg Anthony exploded for 18 points from the bench.

Our titanic defense dominated again in a demolishing of our two-time Finals foes, the Hawks. Detlef double-doubled with 15 points vs. 16 rebounds, Shaq scored 28, and Mullin added in 21. Glenn Robinson was the leader of the subs that game with 12.

We toppled the Magic next in a game so lopsided, our second units played the entire final quarter and we still won 111-63. Just two Orlando players even broke double digits and none came close to Shaq's game high of 23 points.

Our winning streak finally came to an end against the one East Conference team that had the firepower to break down our defense, the Washington Wizards. Grant Hill sank the buzzer-beater to steal the win, 124-122, for his 35th and 36th points of the night. All ten starters on the court had at least 11 points in an extremely entertaining display of fireworks and offense from both sides. Although we lost, I have to say that's one of the most enjoyable regular season games I've ever watched. Just really exceptional play from everyone on both teams.

In our next game, we beat another Eastern powerhouse in my personal favourites, the Toronto Raptors. A hard-fought defensive battle wasn't decided until the waning minutes of the game when we broke away. Our starters all hit 10 points or more and Shaq doubled his pleasure with 14 points and 18 rebounds. Volkov and Anthony combined for a critical 23 points, 10 and 13 respectively on an evening when we really needed our reserves to combat the 28 and 21 points from Ricky Pierce and Fat Lever, two guys who'd come to Toronto on one year rentals in free agency. I've always admired Fat as you know and although he was in his twilight years those seasons he played in Canada, he gave the young Raptors veteran leadership and playoff tested experience that they really needed.

Our schedule didn't get any lighter as we faced the 17-2 Knicks, but we still beat them soundly in spite of Shaq's foul trouble limiting his minutes. Pooh, Detlef, and Mullin conspired for a three-headed monster of 22, 26, and 24 points a piece that not even the amazing Ewing's 23 points and 20 rebounds, nor sidekick Harold Miner's 19 points could combat. Miner's breakout season was one of my favourite things to keep tabs on in that year. Originally the last pick in the first round by the Cavaliers in the 1993 draft, he wasn't expected to be more than a solid 6th man in his career, and there he was, a stellar starter shooting guard with the Knicks.

Shaq got back into the scoring rhythm with 25 points and 15 rebounds in a squash of the Nets, though Mullin topped him in points with 28. Greg Anthony came off the bench to put in 12 points. His steady contributions from the reserves made him one of my favourite free agent signings to that point that I'd made.

The Celtics received a whipping similiar to that we gave the Magic earlier in the month and once more our subs played all of the last quarter in topping the once mighty Boston franchise 113-63. Shaq did his usual damage with 27 points and 15 rebounds and much to my pleasant suprise, the greybearded original Timberwolves Sam Mitchell and Tyrone Corbin scored 13 and 15 respectively.

Sam still badly wanted out of Minneapolis and he constantly complained to the press that he needed to go somewhere where he'd play more often. Tyrone, on the other hand, knew it was probably his last season in the Blue and Grey and simply decided to go in loving every moment of it.

After Mitchell's tirade to the papers about how he should either play more or be traded following the Celtics win, I finally had enough and began inquiring around the league. The disrepect to myself and the organization had gone on long enough. Since he was in the last year of his contract, he looked much more attractive to other teams than he had in seasons past when I tried to deal him at his request.

I shipped him to Indiana along with our own and Golden State's 1997 2nd rounder for center LaSalle Thompson, a 34 year old high quality rebounder also in the last year of his contract who didn't much care about playing time.

Thompson allowed Gregg to shove Duane further down the depth chart like he wanted to and in return, Sam became the 7th man for a Pacers bench that welcomed him with open arms, so both teams benefitted from the exchange. I privately was also glad to be rid of the glut of 2nd rounders, as the 1996 three second rounders proved a pain when it came to our roster. I've always been of the opinion that second rounders are little more than bargaining chips anyway.

I privately wondered if I'd upset the delicate balance of our team chemistry in trading our old captain away after the Hawks trounced us by 25 in a low-scoring affair and my fears of having made a mistake only grew after the same Orlando Magic we'd lowered the boom on earlier in the month reversed that role in our next contest.

Even worse, we lost our current captain, Chris Mullin, for 6 days following that debacle in Orlando.

My concerns were alleviated somewhat after we sent the Warriors packing, Shaq scoring 33 points to go with his 10 boards and 5 blocks and Tyrone Corbin, Mullin's replacement in the lineup, scored 20, as did Pooh.

Shaq bailed us out the next game as well, with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks to send Tony's Sonics to a .500 record. Rodney Rodgers recorded a rare quality game as well with 16 points from the reserves.

Tony admitted at dinner that the team just couldn't find a rhythm and privately told me it felt like the coaching staff had no idea of how to run the team. Players were starting to get discontent and the playoffs were beginning to look less than the sure thing they'd been in seasons past.

Mullin came back the next game and we celebrated by blowing out the Mavericks 37-10 in the first quarter and coasting from there to have another all-reserves fourth quarter. Detlef scored 20 by halftime alone and finished with 34 points. Shaq doubled as per usual, this time with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Pooh doubled as well, for 14 points and 10 assists and Tyrone Corbin contributed 11 as the fill-in guard.

I realized just how important Shaq was to our team after he missed the next game against the Suns and we had to rely on a furious fourth quarter comback and Scottie's timely 27 point eruption to knock off Phoenix.

You'll be happy to know that Shaq's toe injury healed in time for our last game of the month against the Nets and he led the way in a defensively-charged smackdown of New Jersey with 29 points and 13 rebounds, his partner in doubles Scottie, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

We'd recovered from our mid-month hiccup of two straight losses to stand at 25-4, still the best record in the league and a leisurely seven games in front of the Portland Trailblazers.

Elsewhere in the West, Hubie's Hornets were revealed as not being as good as their record, as I predicted and sat with a 16-12 record, seven and a half games behind the powerhouse Houston Rockets in the Southwest. Sacramento was up on the Red and White by three and a half games.

The Hawks showed they were for real once again, out in front of the Southeast by seven and a half over the Wizards, who'd picked up their play enough to be two games above .500. Patrick Ewing's Knicks led Toronto by five in an Atlantic Division that was all about New York and the Raptors, for the third place team was 14.5 games back of the leaders.

In fact the only genuine race was in the Central, with the Pacers up by one over the Pistons, the Bulls and Cavs five and a half and six back respectively.

As I surveyed Indiana's 21-7 record, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe there wasn't something special about Sam Mitchell after all.

Since acquring him, the Pacers had gone a Timberwolf-like 6-1.

That's a mark that champions like us played for.

Izulde

09-03-2006, 03:16 PM

Just one trade occurred in that second month and involved a team who'd already been quite active in revamping their roster.

New Orleans Hornets receive:
PF Randy White

Boston Celtics receive:
PF Carlos Rogers

A straight-up swap of power forwards breaks down like this: Randy White is a solid bench player and the perfect team guy with a nice all-around skill set, including a fantastic inside shot. He turns into the new 6th man. Rogers is a second-year player who is extremely raw, but has the potential to become a better version of White. For now he'll sit on the IR. Hubie's guys are in the thick of a playoff spot and the Celtics have officially gone into rebuilding mode.

Winner: New Orleans by the tiniest bit as it's uncertain if Rogers will fulfill his potential and White helps out his new employers right away

We trounced the Lakers by 44 in our opening game. Shaq scored 23 and pulled down 10 boards, Scottie chimed in with 24, and Volkov headed up the reserves with 11 points as our starters all broke the double-digit barrier.

Minor injuries to Detlef and Robinson caused them to miss our next game against the Clippers and I almost lifted Eric Snow from the IR to give him some playing time but decided against it for that game. I was rewarded with a hammering of the Red and White as Mullin scored 33, Scottie broke the 20 point mark for the second game in a row, and even with Volkov in the starting lineup, everyone in the first five hit 10 points or better. From the bench, Corbin scored 11 and LaSalle Thompson grabbed 8 rebounds in his best showing since coming to Minneapolis.

When Duane Causwell twisted his ankle bad enough to be held out for two weeks, I put him on the IR until he healed and brought up Eric Snow. Three injured players we could not do without making use of our listed people.

We took on the Rockets next and went box-to-wire in a 95-91 win. Shaq punished Hakeem for 18 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and 5 blocks while limiting Dream Olajuwon to just 8 points. Mullin led all scorers with 24 and Greg Anthony continued to show my brilliance in signing him with 11 points of his own. Eric Snow made his Timberwolves debut and played 5 minutes, scoring 2 points with an assist and a rebound.

One thing I'd noticed was that Rodney Rogers had gone from bad to worse and there was some indication from Gregg and his staff that he shouldn't be resigned after his contract expired that year. I wasn't quite ready to give up on him though and decided to take a wait and see approach.

San Antonio came to town and we flattened them 99-68 behind Shaq's 26 points and 17 rebounds. Scottie scored 20 and LaSalle yanked down 10 boards, a stunning amount for a reserve. We in fact played so much better when he was in that Gregg told me he'd like to see Duane stay on the IR and have us run with Shaq, Detlef, Volkov, and Thompson as our four big men for the rest of the season. I had no problem at all with this and agreed, particularly since it meant Snow would get more playing time.

This especially became important after the early season evaluations on our three rookies came back from the coaches. Snow and Jason Caffey both looked markedly improved in practice, particularly our hopeful future backup point guard. Eric constantly probed Pooh for advice and help on how to improve his game and Pooh quite willingly obliged.

Jason's motivation, on the other hand, primarily centered around individual effort, as he wanted desperately to replace Detlef when the German retired. Not so the good news for Clifford Rozier, however. Gregg was irritated with his pet project's slacking off and constantly harped at him to try and get him to perform better.

Detlef returned the next game and we finally swatted the pesky Kings in the fourth quarter, following it up with a blowout of the Purple and Gold in which Shaq scored an incredible 40 points to go with his 17 rebounds and 5 blocks. Not to be outdone completely, Mullin provided a deadly 1-2 combo with 27 points himself. Volkov contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds in 20 minutes to head up the second unit.

Against Denver, Mullin scored 22 points by halftime alone, finishing with 38 points in a blowout of the Nuggets. Shaq put up 25 and Tyrone added 10 points to the mix from the bench. Pooh had the most curious line ever in his double-doubling affair. He scored just 4 points, but had 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

Our powerhouse rolled on with a wiping out of the Suns before taking down a vastly improved Seattle side in a defensive affair, 94-81. Shaq and Mullin starred in that game with 24 points and 15 rebounds and 19 points and 11 rebounds respectively.

At supper afterwards, Tony said things had gotten a lot better after they'd had a long team meeting. The players aired out their grievances with the coaches and the coaches explained where they were coming from. As a result, the Sonics were now 20-17 after the loss to us and playing much better.

Tenacious defense overcame cold shooting in a walkover of the Grizzlies. Shaq was the one player who was truly on fire for us, scoring 37 points to go along with his ferocious 18 boards. Scottie doubled as well with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

A second-half surge and stellar play from our centers Shaq and Volkov who finished with 23 and 12 and 10 and 7 a piece in points and rebounds keyed a comeback over the Dallas Mavericks.

Shaq again rescued us with his 31 points and 14 rebounds in a narrow win over the Cavaliers. We needed every one of Detlef and Mullin's 24 and 22 points as well after Scottie fouled out early and Otis Smith, a familiar foe, dropped 28 points on us. Although he was now at 19.3 points per game, 20 points a game was certainly still within reach and Smith had the sharpshooting skills to do it.

All five starters scored at least 12 points as we trampled the Pistons in our next game. Shaq was once more the roaring lion in the middle with 29 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks, Mullin his sidekick with a beautiful 23 to the score.

After we manhandled the Bucks and beat a very good Pacers team to close out the month with our starting five all breaking the double-digit mark in both games, championed by Shaq and team captain Chrus Mullin in both instances, the papers began to wonder aloud if this squad might be even better than the record-setting 1994 squad, who finished 74-8 before falling to the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals without Shaq.

It was a good question and one I was inclined at the time to privately agree with, though I didn't say so publicly. There was a high team chemistry between the starters and the staff for having been together so long and our bench was the strongest it'd been since I'd arrived.

At 40-4, we were 13 games ahead of Portland in the Northwest. The Rockets commanded the Southwest by 12.5 games over Hubie's Hornets, who were just a game over .500. New Orleans was the opposite of us. With all the trades they'd made, they were having a hard time coming up with any sort of cohesion. The Kings barely held advantage over the Clippers, only good for half a game.

The Knicks still led the Raptors by five in the Atlantic and the Hawks lorded over the Wizards by six and a half, though it must be said that Washington, like Seattle, finally appeared to have it together after early season struggles.

Without a doubt, the most exciting race still lay in the Central. Detroit had taken the lead by a game over the Pacers and the Bulls had closed the gap, now just a game a half behind the Pistons and Indiana. Cleveland, too, was narrowing in, now just three games back. As you might expect, the one team that looked out of the equation was the Bucks, a full 16 games back.

But the sweetest thing of all in that month for me was this:

Los Angeles Lakers 8-34 (.190)

The Purple and Gold with a 19% winning percentage and the worst record in the league.

Izulde

09-17-2006, 03:10 PM

As in the month before, only one trade broke headlines in that third month.

Chicago Bulls receive:
PG Keith Jennings

Dallas Mavericks receive:
SF Tracy Murray
Chicago Bulls 1997 2nd round pick

Chicago's 27-17 and have rebounded, but they've lacked a passing backup PG for Negele Knight until now. Jennings is the perfect fit here and the 24 year-old third-year player has the potential to become starter quality. Murray would be a good pickup for some teams with his scorer's mentality, but not so on the Mavericks, which has both scorers and a glut of small forwards, including Toni Kukoc and Byron Russell. The second rounder is a throwaway.

Winner: Chicago by a hefty margin. The Bulls improved in a critical area and the Mavericks only got more of what they already had

Our first game was against Greg Anthony's former team, the New York Knicks. He also started that game because Mullin was out with a leg injury, necessitating a shift of Scottie to small forward and Greg inserted at SG. My favorite free agent pickup went on to score 23 points and take player of the game honors in a convincing Timberwolf win.

Greg started again at SG against the Trailblazers and lit Portland up for 21 points, one of three starters to score more than 20 points. Detlef contributed 22 and Shaq led all scorers with 25 as we pulled away in the second half. Unfortunately for us, the German banged up his calf and he wasn't expected to recover fully for almost three weeks.

Mullin returned with a venegance against the Suns, blistering Phoenix for 31 points and 11 rebounds. Shaq revived other aspects of his game in grabbing 15 rebounds and blocking 4 shots on his way to posting 25 points for the cause. Tyrone Corbin led the reserves with 10 points for his second straight double-digit game. Although Greg was limited to 3 points on a 1-5 shooting night, he maintained his beautiful playmaking, with 3 assists and 2 steals versus 0 turnovers. Having him on the team meant I could sleep a lot easier at night about our backup SG position.

We crushed the Jazz behind Shaq's 30 points and 12 rebounds and a particularly nasty Timberwolf defense, as Karl Malone was the lone Utah starter to break double digits in scoring and he finished with 25. Mullin matched up fairly well with the Mailman in adding 23 points before leaving the game late in the fourth with a minor knock to his arm.

Chris was held out of the game against the Nuggets the next night and foul trouble to Shaq limited him to just 8 points as we fell 92-89 to end our winning streak. Greg once again had a marvelous game, scoring 17 points and setting a Minnesota record for steals in a game with 7. LaSalle Thompson woke up to put in 15 points from the bench as Shaq's sub, but it just wasn't enough.

Making things worse, Thompson wounded his foot and expected to be out a week and a half. We were once more having trouble with big man bodies. This led to LaSalle's being placed on the IR and Duane Causwell finding himself on the active roster again.

A two-star show played out in Chicago against the Bulls a few nights later. Michael Jordan torched us for 32 points in a dazzling shooting display, but he was outdone by Shaq. The big man in the middle scored a jaw-dropping 47 points as his large arms grabbed 16 rebounds and denied 4 shots in the most breathtaking display anyone had ever seen from a Timberwolf. The second team Glen R's also provided entertainment, as Rice scored 19 for the Buls and Robinson tallied 13 for us in the win.

Chris Mullin's return was somewhat mitigated by Scottie's injury, the end result of which was that Greg Anthony picked up another start, this time against the 76ers. We overcome a horrendous shooting night from Mullin to escape with a 95-93 nailbiter of a win thanks to Shaq's 23 and 17 and Tyrone Corbin's 18 on a sparkling 8-10 performance from the sub unit. Greg himself fell to injury in that tense game, out about a week with a knee knock.

Thus we had the patchwork lineup of Pooh-Tyrone-Chris-Alexander-Shaq against the Heat. Despite Miami's advantage, they collapsed with barely a whimper as we returned to the old stalwarts of the Timberwolf Way, balanced scoring and titanium defense. Shaq came through in a big way with his 31 points and 13 rebounds, Mullin his second with 21 points as all five starters scored at least 10 points.

The bleeding continued with Pooh Richardson's injury and yet more shuffling had to be done. Scottie, still out for two days, was put on the IR to make way for Jason Caffey, who at 6'8" was best suited for SF anyway. And so the 8-41 Charlotte Bobcats greeted our starting five of Corbin-Snow-Mullin-Volkov-Shaq. I don't mind telling you I was absolutely flabbergasted to see the Bobcats doing so poorly that year after their recent years of success and I was even more stunned when Rodney Rodgers broke out with a career-high 20 points off the bench, just behind Shaq's 22, who also took down 15 boards in the easy win.

After that game, I began to wonder if maybe Rodney couldn't eventually replace Detlef after all. He'd certainly looked good in practice, terrific even. It was just a question of whether he could consistently produce when it counted. When Rodgers put up that 20 points, I started to hope that maybe he'd turned the corner at last.

The All-Star Break came mid-month and we celebrated by watching Glenn Robinson score 8 points for the winning side in the Rookies-Sophomores game. Despite the Rooks' loss, Jerry Stackhouse took player of the game honors in a sensational 21 point, 8 rebound performance. He was a real sparkplug for the Mavericks, scoring 18.7 points to date for Dallas in a torrid rookie campaign.

Shaq started at center for the West in the real All-Star game and Mullin joined him as a reserve. Chris outscored Shaq with 16 points versus 14, though that was due largely to Shaq's amazingly awful 8-18 from the free throw line, which earned him quite a bit of ribbing both in the press and in the locker room. The West demolished the East 135-100, but it was the Eastern Conference All-Star Michael Jordan of the 25 points who took home player of the game honors.

Most of our wounded came back after the All-Star Break, allowing us to start a five of Pippen-Anthony-Mullin-Schrempf-O'Neal in our first game after the vacation. Nobody on the Timberwolves scored 20 that game, but we still steamrolled the Celtics 101-61, Scottie leading our side in points with 18. It was nice to see us show the hallmarks of our team philosophy so repeatedly in that injury-ridden month.

Of course, we were hit with another injury immediately following the game. Glenn Robinson projected to be out two weeks with a knock of his own. We just couldn't field a fully healthy squad that season it seemed.

In spite of our medical difficulties, I refused to make a move at the trade deadline. We were playing extremely well even with the bugs biting us and our team chemistry was as sterling as it'd ever been.

Pooh rejoined us and dished out 10 assists as we squashed the Grizzlies. Shaq doubled with 25 points and 12 rebounds, Mullin emphatically filling the box score with a game high 29 points. Volkov headed the reserves with 10 points of his own. Our most popular blue-collar player was 33 and having the worst statistical year since he came to Minneapolis, but he was still a vital part of the team. His contract expired following the season and I knew I had a tough decision ahead of me with regards to whether or not to resign him.

That victory marked our 50th win of the season and we nearly lost to Hubie's Hornets in our second-to-last game of the month, escaping with a 120-117 OT miracle that we frankly deserved to lose. Horrible shooting and mediocre defense was only bailed out by Mullin's 27 points as the lone sharpshooter of the evening and some fantastic rebounding by Detlef and Shaq, who both double-doubled.

For our final contest that month, we were missing both Mullin and Thompson, who'd picked up small injuries in the New Orleans struggle. Just like before, we manhandled the Heat and just as happened so many times earlier that month, Greg Anthony broke 20 points as a starter, chiming in with 21 points, just behind Shaq's 24 points and 14 rebounds. Detlef also scored 21 and Pooh provided a rare, but beautiful double-double of 18 points and 12 assists.

It'd been a stormy 30 days, but when the clouds cleared, the sun shined on our 52-5 record, 16 games ahead of the Trailblazers. Even the Houston Rockets, they of the 17 game lead in their own division, were five back of us for the #1 overall seed in the West.

The only real division crown excitement in the West lay in the Pacific, where the Clippers barely fended off the Kings, the margin just two and a half games.

In the East Conference, Ewing's Knicks stood five and a half games above the still legitimate Raptors. The Central was exciting, with the Pistons a mere half game in front of the Pacers, the Bulls and Cavs three and five and a half back respectively. Atlanta ruled the Southeast roost by seven and a half over the Wizards.

More than ever I believed that this team was unquestionably the single best one I'd ever had. The press believed it too, calling it one of the greatest teams ever to be assembled and compared it to the Celtics' and Lakers' dynastic squads of earlier decades.

But it would all be much ado about nothing and a whole lot of empty sound and fury if we didn't win the title again.

Izulde

09-21-2006, 12:53 AM

Before I tell you about the trades that occurred near the deadline, I need to inform you of something very important, something that shocked the league and caused no end of woe, particularly to the global conglomerate Nike.

Michael Jordan, the Star, the Legend, the Hero, Mr. Bull and Mr. NBA himself, tore his MCL towards the end of that last month. The damage was so great that doctors gravely announced he'd be out for a full year and probably would not return until the All-Star Break the next year.

The league and fans were absolutely devastated. I felt a pang myself, for although the Bulls were not considered royalty in the NBA, Jordan was without equal as a player. Our greatest icon was gone, and who knew how he would fare when he returned?

The quiet dealing months proved the calm before a storm of trades in the last eligible month of that year. Of the six exchanges that occurred, four of them were at the trade deadline. As always, I'll list things in chronological order.

Denver Nuggets receive:
PF Vin Baker
Philadelphia 76ers 1997 2nd round pick

Philadelphia 76ers receive:
PG Steve Henson

Baker's traded for the second time this season as I anticipated, his numbers drastically improved in Philadelphia. In Denver, he wrestles the starting PF job away from J.R. Reid, as Vin's a better all-around player, one who's improving considerably with the increased time and exposure. The 76ers are a bad team, so the 2nd rounder has some worth. Henson, a former 2nd rounder (2nd round, #6, Golden State 1991 draft), has blossomed into a surprisingly nice backup guard to have. He's a marked upgrade from rookie PG Tyus Edney, who is still quite raw.
Winner: Denver by a fair margin, for they get a starter and a pick. Even were this a straight Baker-Henson deal, the Nuggets would have the slight edge

Chicago Bulls receive
PG Charles Thomas

Charlotte Bobcats receive
PG Anthony Goldwire
Chicago Bulls 1997 1st round pick

Jordan's loss demanded the picking up of another guard, hence Thomas. Unfortunately, according to the Timberwolf Way philosophy, Thomas is even worse than Goldwire and offering next year's #1 pick besides is simply insanity. The Bulls will be lucky to make the playoffs now, so they just traded a potential lottery pick away for someone who isn't worthy of being drafted period. Goldwire gets a few more minutes per game in Charlotte and is better than Thomas, but he's only a minor character to the real story here.
Winner: Charlotte, as Chicago makes the worst trade in the history of the NBA. O, what madness fair Jordan's fall hath wrought in Ophelian Chicago!

Chicago Bulls receive:
SG Gary Grant

Toronto Raptors receive:
C Theo Ratliff

Grant is better suited as a PG than a SG, so he's not going to be mistaken for Jordan's replacement. Even worse, the Bulls now have a glut of essential point guards and they trade away their top backup at C for this inadequate band-aid. Ratliff gives the Raptors a hard-nosed defender and shotblocker, and a player of vast potential for the future, even though he's raw right now in most aspects of his game. He's the heir apparent to minor star C Matt Geiger.
Winner: Toronto plunders weeping Chicago in a big way, securing their future at center for a player that didn't mean all that much to their system

Atlanta Hawks receive:
SF Chris Morris
Dallas Mavericks 1997 2nd round pick

Dallas Mavericks receive:
SF Paul Graham

Morris is a very solid all-around versatile veteran who can play SG, SF, and PF and bolsters the Hawks' bench significantly. Graham is four years younger at 26 and a better scorer, but has maxed out his potential and is weaker than Morris in every other area. The Mavs likely won't make the playoffs this year, making the 2nd round pick a nice bonus.
Winner: Atlanta by a good bit as they improve their bench much more for their anticipated playoff run and get a free pick besides

Houston Rockets receive:
PG Sam Vincent

Orlando Magic receive:
C Tim McCormick
Houston Rockets 1997 1st round pick

Vincent is a fantastic point guard with good offensive skills, textbook floor generalship, and passable defense. The 32 year old gives the Rockets a much-needed partner for Mark Price as he takes over the starting SG slot. Signed to a multi-year deal, Sam also provides Houston a security blanket in case Price goes elsewhere in free agency after this season. Furthermore, although McCormick was a major part of the Rockets' success in recent years, his departure allows Houston to further develop 28 year old Kenny Williams, in his 6th year and with still some unrealized upside, as the backup to Hakeem. Orlando gets a quality veteran for their bench and a mentor for their three promising, but quite young centers and a late 1st round pick to also enhance their youth movement
Winner: Houston, narrowly, as Danny Brooklyn gets more bang for his buck, but the trade greatly benefits both teams' directions and plans

Atlanta Hawks receive:
PF Otis Thorpe

Boston Celtics receive:
SG James Robinson
Atlanta Hawks 1997 2nd rounder

Thorpe was miserable in Boston after the Celtics have imploded this year and demanded out despite signing there just this free agency and so he goes to the Hawks. The 33 year old can do it all. He can score, rebound, and defend and has acceptable ball-handling skills for a big man. Suddenly Atlanta has a new starter at the 4 and their frontcourt just went from being very good with Wilkins and Willis to downright deadly with Wilkins-Thorpe-Willis. Robinson is young, but has no upside to speak of and the 2nd rounder is worthless.
Winner: Atlanta undoubtedly hits the jackpot and the Hawks have brought in precisely the pieces they need to make a run at defending their Eastern Conference title and challenge for the NBA title

It was one of the most eventful and thrilling months the NBA had experienced since I entered the league and it's one that a lot of people still talk about.

As for the Timberwolves, we were feeling extremely comfortable after the trade deadline. Like I said last time, we had a commanding lead in the West, were playing well, and our team chemistry was perhaps the best it'd ever been.

The Pacers came to town to open the month, hoping to knock us off our stride. They crawled out of the building, on the bad end of a 136-89 whipping. Detlef scored 25 points and Volkov played most of the game in Shaq's place, scoring 24 points as our main man played just 9 minutes due to foul trouble. Tyrone Corbin added 12 from the bench and LaSalle Thompson put in a pleasant near-double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds as a reserve.

Greg Anthony bailed us out of a terrible shooting night with 13 points from the reserves as we barely beat the Clippers. All five starters hit double-digit scoring, but it wasn't with any degree of sharpshooting.

A 10-0 opening run in our favor evaporated against the Trailblazers and only some timely shooting by Shaq and Mullin allowed us to escape with a 109-102 victory that was a lot closer than the line indicates. Mullin led all scorers with 31 points and Shaq had 15 points and 15 rebounds, most of his point tally coming in the second half.

Pooh Richardson went down in the Portland game with back spasms so severe, the medical staff said he'd be gone a week and a half. This worried me, for our offense always struggled when Pooh was out and our next game was against our biggest challengers, the 50-11 Houston Rockets.

Scottie started at point guard and Greg Anthony slotted in at shooting guard, faced with the unenviable task of going up against new Rocket Sam Vincent. Just as I feared, we floundered without Pooh and went down hard in an eight point loss.

Even more vexing, Houston beat us at our own game, as all five of their starters had at least 14 points and Mitch Richmond poured salt into the wounds by leading the Rockets with 21 points off the bench. Our bench in contrast played terribly, negating Shaq's 33 points and and 12 rebounds, and the double-digit scoring lines from our own entire first unit.

When he was interviewed by the press after the game, Mitch said he was ecstactic be in Houston and that he looked forward to winning the NBA title back from us. As I watched the session on television, I couldn't help but think that was only partially right. I didn't doubt that he was happy in Houston, but I knew that he never would forgive me for dealing him away, nor would he forgive our multiplicity of rings, when he had only one. It made me quite sad, for I always try to stay on good terms with my former players as you know. But as I've said before concerning Mitch, such is the way that life goes.

Our depth further took a hit when Rodney Rodgers wrecked his back as well, estimated out the same amount of time as Pooh.

Fortunately we played the ever-inept Golden State Warriors next and hammered them behind Shaq's 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks and Mullin's double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds. Volkov made an appearance good for 14 points and 8 rebounds as he appeared determined to prove himself worthy of a new contract.

Alexander continued his strong play with 13 points and 7 rebounds, benchmates Tyrone Corbin and LaSalle Thompson scoring 10 a piece as well in our steamrolling of the Bobcats. Shaq ravaged Charlotte for 38 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 blocks in another of his vintage performances in that 1996 season I considered his year of true arrival.

Pooh returned the next game and Shaq celebrated by ripping the Clips for 35 points. The whole team partied on-court versus the Bucks, with the starting five all scoring 19 points or better, save for Scottie, who doubled his pleasure with a matching 10 points and 10 rebounds. Shaq again led the festivities, this time with 28 points and 14 rebounds, 7 ahead of Pooh on the scoresheet, as our point guard contributed 21.

By the time we played Grant Hill's Wizards, our giddiness had abated, but our winning didn't as Mount Shaq erupted for 35 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 6 blocks and we lava'ed our 60th victory of the season. Pardon the pun. I just couldn't resist it.

It was not all good fortune, however. Pooh again sustained a week and a half injury, requiring Greg Anthony to once more step into the lineup. With as many times as Greg started that year, I became happier than ever that I'd signed him in free agency.

Still, we simply didn't function as well without Pooh, as had been proven time and time again. Another example came against the Purple and Gold, when everyone went cold except for Mullin, he of the 32 points, and Shaq, who muscled his way to 26 points and 11 rebounds in the narrow win. Eric Snow hit double digit scoring for the first time in his NBA career, finishing with 11 points.

Shaq sprained his wrist but insisted on playing versus the Kings anyway. His limited minutes actually disrupted the flow of our offense and Mullin's 27 points, nor Detlef's recovery from double-double drought with 15 points and 13 rebounds could counteract a 15 point halftime deficit in a particularly frustrating defeat.

In search of a cure for our woes, we trekked to California, where Scottie scored 23 points in the first half alone en route to 33, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists for the night in a crushing of the Warriors. Mullin added 26 and our bench played the finest it had in a long time. Tyrone Corbin put up 20 points, Volkov chimed in with 10 points and 7 rebounds, and LaSalle Thompson had his best game since becoming a Timberwolf, amassing 15 points and 9 rebounds.

Our hands turned to ice in the last seconds against Utah, causing us to drop a heartbreaker to the always-dangerous Jazz and render Shaq's 30 point return to form all for naught.

That sour note proved the final chord played in the occasionally jarring song of the month. I hated the taste it left in my mouth and the players and coaching staff were unhappy about it as well.

Still, there were some bright spots in the gloom. We were 62-8 and secure of the division title and at least the #2 seed in the West. For the moment, we were two and a half games ahead of our archrivals, the Houston Rockets, for the top seed in the conference.

Like us, Houston already clinched their division and a bare minimum of the #2 seed. The Kings and the Clippers still battled for the Pacific, with the Red and White owning a game and a half advantage over the Purple and Black, but both looked poised to make the postseason.

The East looked far more interesting, given its rampant uncertainty. In fact, so cloudy was it, that the lone assurance was Atlanta as division champions in the Southeast. Ewing's Knicks were barely holding off my beloved Raptors by a game and a half in the Atlantic.

In the Central, four teams were nominally still in it, though in truth the Pistons and Pacers were the true contenders, with Detroit a game up. The Cavaliers sat 5 back and the Bulls, who'd relied on James Worthy's stellar play and Rice's sufficient enough approximation of Jordan in Michael's absence, were 7 behind and holding a .500 record that for the moment gave them the last seed in the East.

12 games remained and much hung in the balance during those last days. Seedings and division titles were waiting to be claimed and their settlement would dictate the course of the playoffs.

And the road we had to take to defend our title.

Izulde

10-10-2006, 10:39 AM

Our first game of the last set came at home against the Rockets. Scottie, Detlef, and Shaq all got hot early as we went box-to-wire in a commanding 111-99 victory that went a long way towards our goal of the #1 seed. Shaq dominated the contest, scoring 31 points with 17 rebounds and 4 blocks, the leader among our five starters, who all finished in double digit scoring. More importantly, he got Hakeem in foul trouble, as Olajuwon played just 15 minutes and ended up fouling out besides.

The euphoria of that victory vanished immediately after an embarassing defeat at the hands of the Trailblazers. Clyde Drexler scorched us for 31 points and 11 rebounds and Terry Porter reamed us for 25 on the scoreboard. Most nauseating of all, we let rookie Bryant "Big Country" Reeves put up a career high 18 points.

My disgust and Gregg's fury grew when the players' hands turned to ice in the fourth quarter against the Grizzlies and a 20 point third quarter lead evaporated into a 5 point loss. Despite Shaq's 23 points and 11 rebounds, we allowed 31 points from 4th year man Todd Day, one off his career high.

Our losing streak finally ended with a gritty win over Hubie's Hornets. Shaq scored 28 and pulled 10 boards while denying 4 shots, Mullin and Pippen joining him in the 20+ club with 22 and 23 respectively. One thing that concerned me was that Pooh and Detlef's play had both been off lately, to the degree that I was starting to seriously reconsider whether or not I should resign the German who'd been such a big part of our championship rings.

We were playing terribly, our win notwithstanding, and our awful performances continued as we dropped one to the Denver Nuggets, Gary Payton the Wolfslayer with 25 points. I, along with the coaching staff, the media, and the fans were at a loss to explain why we were doing so poorly all of a sudden.

At long last, our offense and defense both came together in the same game as we toppled Tony's Sonics. Shaq scored 31 to go with his 19 rebounds and Mullin and Detlef both broke 20. Greg Anthony led the reserves with 11 points and I hoped our rough patch was over. Tony said over lasagna afterwards that he was surprised as anyone with how we'd struggled, but reminded me that if we were going to have a tough period, the regular season was the time to do it.

Alexander Volkov got his first start in a long time against the Suns, as Detlef missed a few days due to an injury. We beat Phoenix soundly in a molasses game, where neither offense took off, but the teams just played solid, slow-paced games and tough defense. Shaq led us with 27 points and 18 rebounds, but the real surprise came from the bench. No, not Anthony's 11 points, but Jason Caffey's 14.

Caffey had really worked hard on improving his game in his rookie year, so hard that the coaching staff believed he could be another Detlef when he finished developing. Of course, there was a corresponding problem in that Jason felt he deserved more playing time as a result and with just 16 games played in to that point of the season, it hadn't been forthcoming.

In an effort to get Jason more playing time, I put Rodney Rodgers on IR when Detlef came back the next game. Rodney, though disappointed, understood and accepted his relegated role. The end result was that our team played its most complete game all month in smashing Hubie's Hornets. Shaq exploded for 37 points and 11 rebounds and the rest of the squad fell into support behind him.

Shaq took command again in our next game, with 31 points and 14 rebounds in a squash of the Grizzlies. Detlef recorded his first double-double in ages with 15 points and 12 rebounds and Volkov chimed in with 11 points. Alexander and Detlef both knew they were fighting for a new contract, particularly with Jason developing beyond what we'd anticipated.

Detlef doubled again, this time for 16 points and 10 rebounds as we ground out a hard win against the Spurs. Shaq was the real hero of the game though, with 24 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 4 blocks in one of his more complete all-around games of the year.

Pooh missed the next game after injuring his ankle, but I'm sure it won't surprise you when I tell you that Greg Anthony scored 11 points in the first quarter to spark us a start-to-finish victory. He finished with 17, surpassed in that category by Shaq's 24 and Detlef's 18. Our top two scorers also doubled with 14 and 12 rebounds respectively. Glenn Robinson added 12 points from the bench in our 70th win.

We won our last game of the regular season over Portland by a much easier margin than the final score indicated. Detlef rang up his fourth straight double-double for 19 points and 13 rebounds and Volkov contributed 11 points in reserve time, as the veteran power forwards looked determined to prove their worthiness of a new deal.

But the real test of their value would come in the playoffs.

Izulde

10-14-2006, 10:56 AM

The postseason that year felt particularly emotional to me, if only because I knew at the end of it I may have to cut ties with two of the men that I'd come to regard as quintissential Timberwolves. Detlef and Volkov both played hard and had become quite popular with the blue-collar segment of our fans.

But all things must come to an end eventually. If this was to be their final sendoff, then I hoped we could bless them with another ring before they left.

1996 Eastern Conference First Round
(1) New York vs (8) Chicago
(4) Toronto vs (5) Indiana
(3) Detroit vs (6) Washington
(2) Atlanta vs (7) Cleveland

The East hosted four very intriguing matchups in its first round. Upsets were quite possible in each pairing except for one, in my opinion.

Trading for Harold Miner in 1995 had turned out a smarter move on New York's part than the Knicks could have ever realized themselves. Since winning the starting SG spot out of training camp that year, he'd dazzled, averaging 17.9 points a game and giving his team an electrifying young player who made for another offensive weapon to take the pressure off of Ewing.

In contrast, although the Bulls squeaked into the playoffs even without Jordan, they were playing on the fumes of emotion and emotion just wasn't going to be enough to beat the Knicks. New York was bound to win.

Despite Toronto's status as a four seed, they had the talent of a top seed and were certain to take out the Pacers. Sam Cassell-Fat Lever-Ricky Pierce-Chris Webber-Matt Geiger was one of the best starting fives in the entire NBA, the right mix of youth and veterans who all shared the scoring load and played the Timberwolf Way. They had a fearsome bench as well. The only thing that could potentially knock them offstride was Chris Gatling's anger at having been demoted to the middle of the bench. Truthfully, if his contract wasn't so terrible, I'd have considered trading for him myself, for I'd long coveted the former Old Dominion Monarch.

The Detroit Pistons relied on Joe Dumars, Isiah Thomas, and Terry Mills for their offense. Mills had taken his postseason heroics of the previous year and parlayed them into a career high 18.8 point regular season average. He was in the final year of his deal and I salivated at the thought of capturing him on the open market as a potential replacement for Detlef. The Pistons' bench was mediocre at best, however.

Washington more than had the firepower to match Detroit's triangle in Jeff Malone and Grant Hill. The Wizards also featured a tougher, more talented bench than Detroit and were my pick for the upset. I'll admit to a little bias since Bill Wennington played for the Double Ws.

Atlanta, as I've mentioned repeatedly before, copied the Timberwolf Way blueprint and applied it wholesale. The Hawks had a terrific starting five, highlighted by Anfernee Hardaway and the ageless Dominique Wilkins and boasted a deep reserves. By contrast, the Cavs really only went seven deep and needed to win a short series to have any hope. I didn't see that for Cleveland and predicted a win for our old friendly rivals.

1996 Western Conference First Round
(1) Minnesota vs (8) L.A. Clippers
(4) Utah vs (5) Portland
(3) Sacramento vs (6) Seattle
(2) Houston vs (7) New Orleans

The West possessed much less exciting matchups. Nearly everyone predicted squashes by us, the Sonics and the Rockets in the opening round. The lone spot of contention was the Jazz and the Trailblazers, where I favored Portland, who had the much more balanced and deeper team over Utah.

You shouldn't regard the near universal acceptance of the Sonics beating the Kings as an upset. Sacramento played in the weakest division in the league, the Sonics the strongest. Besides which, Seattle was a playoff-tested team, frequent winners of their first round battles and hungry to advance beyond the second round while they still had the players to do so.

As for us, I agreed with the press and the fans that we should beat the Clippers easily. We were just too talented for the Red and White to compete.

When the Clippers arrived in Minneapolis for Game 1, I was pleased to see that Robert Horry had cracked the starting lineup at PF. The media made much of the fact that Horry had once been Detlef's heir apparent and they ran a continuous storyline about the Master versus the former Apprentice in the days leading up to the contest.

Detlef won Game 1 with 14 points and 11 rebounds versus Horry's 9 points and 3 rebounds as we went box-to-wire in a 103-95 victory that was nowhere near as close as the score indicates. Shaq rampaged as he was wont to do, this time for 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks. A minor note of concern was Volkov's 1-7 performance. His main value to us in recent years had been in the postseason and this chilliness boded ill for his future in Minneapolis.

Seeking to gain a psychological advantage, the Clippers started Terrell Brandon, Pooh's once upon a time heir at shooting guard in Game 2. It worked to the extent that we struggled early and often, but our trademark defense proved the difference as we shut them down 81-65 in a game of gritty defenses. Shaq saved us as you might expect with his 25 points and 18 rebounds.

We opened Game 3 with a 15-4 run and Shaq scored 27 points by halftime. That right there tells the tale of the tape in the demolition that we laid on the Clippers on their own court. To be more specific, our star center concluded the game with 34 points and 15 rebounds and 4 blocks besides, Mullin his accomplice with 26 points. The 111-80 victory was so great that supersub Greg Anthony's 15 points would've been the second highest team tally had he played for the Red and White.

The Clippers, desparate to avoid the sweep, came out firing in Game 4 and it looked like we might lose, until Shaq slammed a dunk home just before halftime to put us up by a single point. That single bucket and subsequent loss of lead at the buzzer sucked all the morale and energy out of the best team in L.A. and they went down with barely a sound, 116-81. Mullin ripped through their porous defense for 33 points and all five starters hit double digits in scoring. Glenn Robinson topped the reserves with 10 points himself.

In short, it was a swift, neat, expected sweep. But it was not without its cost.

Chris Mullin, Game's 4 general, wounded his toe and was out a week and a half.

We would be missing a major component for part of our next series, against a much more capable opponent.

Izulde

10-15-2006, 02:25 PM

Three series went down to the final game in that first round: Atlanta/Cleveland, Washington/Detroit, and Indiana/Toronto.

The Hawks used their duo of Anfernee Hardaway and Dominique Wilkins to put away the pesky Cavaliers and the Pistons rode Joe Dumars' 31 points to knock off the Wizards. Dumars averaged 33.3 points in that first round and gave Detroit a flickering hope that the old team might not be done yet. Balanced scoring in the Minnesota style enabled the Raptors to dispatch the Pacers. The key to the series to me was PF Chris Webber, who averaged a double-double for the round.

1996 East Conference Second Round
(1) New York vs (4) Toronto
(2) Atlanta vs (3) Detroit

The Bulls actually won a couple games off of the Knicks but New York was still very much on fire and the Raptors' struggle to beat Indiana, coupled with Matt Geiger's injury meant that Ewing's boys were my pick to move on to the conference finals.

In the Hawks versus the Pistons, you had two very solid teams, but Atlanta was younger and better and much more likely to rebound faster from the grueling seven game series than Detroit.

1996 West Conference Second Round
(1) Minnesota vs (4) Utah
(2) Houston vs (6) Seattle

The Jazz pounded the Trailblazers, taking them down in five games behind their usual magic of Stockton to Malone. It was going to be a rougher series than the Clippers, but we were still expected to win.

As I said last time, nobody imagined a Sonics victory in round one over the Kings to be an upset, so the six game didn't set off any shockwaves. Houston swept Hubie's Hornets as I figured and they looked ready to do close to the same to Tony's Seattle squad.

We played Game 1 Mullinless and it showed as we had trouble getting shots to fall. Only our defense kept us in the thick of things. Shaq started out 2-9 and so Gregg ordered the team to start feeding it to Greg Anthony, who'd been so clutch before. The stalwart shooting guard responded by sinking four buckets in a row to put us down by just one at the half. Then in the second, Shaq and Detlef took over when they rediscovered their scoring touches and we won going away, 112-103.

Shaq scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and all five of our first unit wound up in double-digit scoring. Volkov woke up to provide 10 points from the bench.

The Jazz were extremely frustrated that Mark Alarie's 21 points and Karl Malone's 28 points and 11 rebounds weren't enough to give them the crucial opening game victory and we took advantage by starting Game 2 with a 16-8 run, keyed by Scottie Pippen's three buckets. Utah bounced back to tie it up at the half and it was a dogfight throughout the entire third quarter. Then we broke them open in the fourth as Shaq abused Barry Stevens and Dan Godfread in the paint and we once more pulled away, winning 99-85.

Shaq proved the key again with 27 points and 14 rebounds and Pooh assisted him with a very quiet 23 points of his own. Karl Malone was the big man for the Jazz again, scoring 26 and yanking down an incredible 20 boards. So often the Mailman had brought his best against us and so often it just wasn't enough.

Gregg stressed to the team that each win in this series was important, for it not only brought us closer to advancing, but it bought us precious time for Mullin to come back. This worked for the first two games, but in Game 3, our defense took the night off and we lost 111-105 in a game that wasn't even that close. This despite the fact that all five starters reached double-digit points, three of them hitting 20. Malone was the hero of the day for the Jazz again, with 31 points and 14 rebounds.

The letdown made Gregg angry and he lambasted the players in the locker room after the game and sternly reminded them of the importance of defense before Game 4. He pointed out that the Timberwolf Way was built with defense as its founding principle and they needed to stick to that if they wanted to win.

The players listened and Chris Mullin returned to the lineup.

End result, we won 102-95. Mullin raced us out to an early lead with a quick 8 points and finished with 31 on the night, the equal to the Mailman's repeat performance of 31. There was no answer for Shaq's 24 points and 10 rebounds from the Jazz and just like that, we held a commanding 3-1 series lead.

We returned home to Minneapolis for Game 5, confident we would win. This assurance turned into overconfidence as we dug ourselves into an 11 point hole by halftime. I found out later that Gregg ripped into the men so viciously during the intermission that Detlef's cheeks were still burning three hours afterwards. The tactic worked though as we made up the deficit and put them away in the final quarter to win game and series 97-88.

Shaq and Mullin scored 25 a piece, with O'Neal adding 13 rebounds and 5 blocks to his line, finally outdueling Karl Malone, who finished the game with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Another series, another fairly easy win for us all things considered. We were coasting through the postseason and the repeat title looked very much assured.

But of course, nothing is a certainty in life and the occasional lapses we'd had against the Jazz worried me.

We could not lose. I wanted that fourth ring and the repeat, if not for me, then for Detlef and Volkov. I was still undecided on our German, but I'd already decided on one thing.

Alexander Volkov would not return next season.