It’s been a long rebuild for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have endured 10 straight losing seasons, and 11 without making the NBA playoffs. But thanks to a pair of young stars, long-suffering basketball fans in the North Star State may finally have reason to cheer again.
It took 14 games and over a month for the Timberwolves to earn four wins last season, a campaign in which they endured a pair of double-digit losing streaks before finishing with an NBA-worst 16 wins.
The Wolves have burst out to a much faster start this season, taking just six games to tally wins, at times dominating opponents in a way not seen by fans since the team’s last trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2004.
Leading the way for the rejuvenated Timberwolves is the NBA’s 2015 Rookie of the Year, Andrew Wiggins.
The 20 year-old was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2014 NBA Draft, who would quickly move him to Minnesota, along with fellow Canadian Anthony Bennett, in a deal that saw all-star power forward Kevin Love go to the Cavs.
College basketball’s national player of the year in 2013 took the NBA by storm in his first pro season, winning Rookie of the Month honors in October, November and December, while also dominating the Rising Stars Challenge at the NBA All-Star Game.
Wiggins has picked up where he left off last season, exploding for 31 and 33 points in early dates with the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks, manhandling the Eastern Conference powers in games where they were pegged as heavy underdogs. He has not had to do it alone.
By virtue of their last place finish, the Timberwolves enjoyed the privilege of picking first overall at the 2015 NBA Draft, adding big man Karl-Anthony Towns.
The seven-footer spent last season with the Kentucky Wildcats, leading the team on a 38-game winning streak that brought them to within one game of the national championship.
Towns has also had an immediate impact in Minnesota, averaging 16 points per game over his first seven contests, while leading the team with a 48.9% field goal percentage.
To help mentor the quiet Wiggins, who tends to spend his time away from the limelight, playing his favorite video games, and the exuberant Towns, the Wolves brought one of its former stars back into the fold.
Kevin Garnett was draft fifth overall by the Timberwolves in 1995, approximately five months before Towns was born. The player is renowned for his love of video games and online poker, and his overall gaming experience could be a major help for the team. Wolves fans can of course follow in Garnett’s footsteps by visiting Red Stag Casino and seeing how a few games of online poker have helped the 15-time all-star make such an impressive career out of reading opponents on the court.
Teamed with 10-time all-star Paul Pierce, Garnett led the Celtics to the NBA Finals twice, winning in 2008, while also claiming Defensive Player of the Year honors.
His two decades of experience on the court will be a massive benefit to the young T-Wolves as they embark on their career, while Wiggins can also give the 29 year-old future hall-of-famer a few playing tips of his own.
But the big winners of all will be Minnesota fans, who can soon look forward to enjoying their side’s success in basketball in May and June once again.