Kevin Garnett: ‘Big Fish’ or Timberwolves patsy?

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 2/28/2007

There is little doubt that Timberwolves superstar Kevin Garnett is one of the game’s great established stars.

 Drafted fifth overall in 1995 by Minnesota , he was the first high school basketball player drafted straight into the NBA in over 20 years.

 This is now Garnett’s 12th NBA season in Minnesota , and he has gone from the Kid to the Big Ticket. He is a 10-time All-Star and one of the game’s truly versatile and talented forwards.

 He has been the league’s MVP in 2003-04 and the MVP of the 2003 NBA All-Star game. He has led the NBA in rebounding three times and leads again this year at 12.8 per game, while scoring 22.7 points per game.

 Three times Garnett has been All-NBA First team; five times he has been All-NBA Defensive First team — he is just a remarkable talent dedicated to his profession.

 At the All-Star game in Las Vegas two weeks ago, Garnett was pounded with questions from media about whether he wanted to be traded. Obviously, most NBA experts see that the Timberwolves are going nowhere; they are spinning their wheels. Two years in a row they have missed the playoffs — if the season ended today, it would be three years in a row.

 Over that period, they have had four coaches: Flip Saunders, Kevin McHale, Dwane Casey, and now Randy Wittman. Casey was dumped just 40 games into his second season with the team in the eighth playoff spot at 20-20. Since Wittman took over, the Timberwolves have slipped to 26-29 and out of the eighth playoff spot. Wittman is 6-9 since replacing Casey.

 Casey was fired after a terrible home loss to Atlanta in January, and just about everyone could see the writing on the wall when Wittman was brought back this year by owner Glen Taylor. Taylor just happens to be the only NBA owner convicted of fraud by NBA Commissioner David Stern. If Casey was fired for losing to Atlanta , then Wittman is on the clock after blowing a 17-point lead February 21 at home to Charlotte , losing 100-95.

 Wittman would replace Casey despite the fact that he had a lousy 62-102 record after two years as a head coach in Cleveland . Everybody deserves a second chance, right? Let’s face it: Taylor basically has a seat on the team’s bench during home games, which I believe undermined Casey’s ability to lead. I think the owner is more comfortable with someone coaching his team who looks more like him.

 You can’t squeeze juice out of a turnip, and the Timberwolves are, in my view, going nowhere. Playoffs? Not with players like Ricky Davis, who walks off the court when he wants to.

 That’s why I was certain that Garnett was going to tell McHale and fraud king Taylor that he wanted out of Minnesota after the All-Star break and before the trade deadline.

 Everybody can see that Garnett is wasting his greatness putting up super numbers with this team of misfits. Which brings up the question, is Garnett a patsy for Taylor and McHale? The definition of a patsy is “a person who is easily duped or victimized.” Which one is it with Garnett?

 Garnett has to see that the only reason fans go to Target Center is to see him play. He is money in the bank; because of him the lights are still on. He plays 40 minutes and gives you everything he has. Minnesota fans are suckers for players who play with conviction and heart. The fans know the Timberwolves have no chance in the Western Conference long term, but because of Garnett they have hope every night.

 This team is going nowhere with McHale and Taylor — can’t you see that? OK, they did end Phoenix ’s 17-game winning streak. When is the regular season parade? Even if they sneak in and grab the eighth spot in the West, they are doomed because Dallas will be waiting.

 Bottom line: Garnett makes $21 million this year — the highest paid player in the NBA — to match his number on his Timberwolves jersey. He will make $22 million next year, and $23 million in 2009. Taylor and McHale will use Garnett’s contract — and have before — as the reason the franchise can’t get better. They will not mention letting guard Chauncey Billups go to Detroit , or all those wasted McHale draft picks, or picks lost to Taylor being hit with the fraud penalty.

 Garnett loves Minnesota — maybe that’s it: He’s the biggest fish in a small pond.

He’s headed to the Hall of Fame. He’s content because he’s loyal — after all, he had nothing before he met McHale. Unfortunately, you don’t play basketball by yourself, and the truly great players would be pulling their hair out losing night after night in Minnesota . But that’s what makes Garnett special; his loyalty is blind to these guys because he’s here, and being here he allows them to get away with it.

So you be the judge: Is Garnett the victim or is he being duped?