Garnett is NBA’s MVP!

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 05/06/2004

 

 

Kevin Garnett joined an elite group of NBA stars when he was officially named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player this week. Garnett, now in his ninth season with Minnesota, is a seven-time All-Star; he received a near-unanimous selection, receiving 120 of a possible 123 first-place votes. Jermaine O’Neal of Indiana received two first place votes; Tim Duncan of San Antonio was runner-up.

Garnett has become the first player ever to win NBA player of the month honors four times. 

“I have to give my thanks and respect to the Bill Russells, Moses Malones and Magics for showing us how to really enjoy the game. And to Michael Jordan for taking the game to another level. I have to give respect to those guys because without them there would not be a Kevin Garnett,” Garnett said.

Garnett averaged a career-best 24.2 points per game while shooting 49 percent and leading all rebounders with 13.9, in addition to posting 5.0 assists, 2.17 blocks, 1.46 steals and 39.4 minutes per game, and starting all 82 regular season games.

It’s the fifth time Garnett has averaged at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists per game, joining Larry Bird as the only other player ever to achieve that feat. Garnett set 11 single-season franchise records, and in 71 games recorded double-digit points and rebounds.

Garnett is the first Timberwolves player in 15 years to earn league MVP honors. He led the Timberwolves to a team-record 58 wins, the best record in the rugged Western Conference and the team’s first-ever Midwest Division Title.

Kings vs. Timberwolves: Something has to give!

No other team in the league has been under the pressure and scrutiny to win an NBA Championship over the last four years like the Sacramento Kings have. Lakers star Shaquille O’Neal has no respect for them at all; he calls them the Sacramento Queens. Ouch, that hurts.

It was two years ago that the Kings had the Los Angeles Lakers on the ropes leading the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals three games to two with the home court advantage, only to wilt like a flower in the desert heat to the Lakers in seven.

Last year they lost in the playoffs in the first round to Dallas, like the Timberwolves have often done until 2004. They are the highest scoring and deepest team in the league; the heat is on the Kings to finally get it done in the playoffs.

They flat out blew the Pacific Division Crown this year after leading the Lakers by as many as eight games. But just when you’re ready to write them off again as an also-ran, they take out Dallas four games to one. 

This series against the Timberwolves will tell it all for the Kings, because anything short of an NBA Crown and heads will certainly role in Sacramento. 

However, a strange thing has happened out west while the Kings were sizing up the Lakers again, and potentially the defending champion Spurs. Minnesota has emerged as the NBA’s top dog. Buckle up your seat belts, folks, it does not get any better than this. The winner of this series gets a ticket to the Western Conference Finals.

Minnesota was 3-1 against the Kings during the regular season. In fact, the home team has prevailed in this match-up over the last six years. Now that the Timberwolves have advanced deep into the playoffs -- winners of 13 of their last 14 games -- the lost Troy Hudson and Wally Szczerbiak, with cracked bones in his back, could be the difference in a close series.

This series will be decided on the defensive end. The team that gets after the other on the defensive end, in my view, will prevail. Advantage Timberwolves.