If anyone has read the new Bill Simmons Encyclopedia The Book of Basketball, you know there is a chapter discussing several "What if?" scenarios in NBA history. While that chapter serves as loose inspiration for this write-up, a Wolves-themed "What if" article is something I have been considering for quite awhile. As it turns out, "What if" scenarios are really all we've got, sadly. Every situation we have endured in our time following this team has ended with us on the brown side of a 100% green pasture including, arguably, the tenure of Kevin Garnett. I'll start with 8 in detail and try to keep these fresh as new ones cross my mind, starting with a few obvious ones
A good list of "what ifs" via Mike at TWolvesBlog.
2 months ago
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If we didn't do the Mark Blount for Antoine Walker trade, we still would've had Quentin Richardson.
by KGMN on Nov 30, 2009 10:59 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
if we hadn't lost all of those games...
…then we would have won them.
haha
sorry.
by davechisholm on Nov 30, 2009 11:25 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
It's tough to say
because the TWolves luck is just so bad that this probably wouldn’t have held true.
But what if the Wolves had lost the coin flip to Portland in 2007. Would we have Greg Oden or Kevin Durant on our team today?
What if Malik Sealy and Eddie Griffin hadn’t died while in tenure here? RIP
by Mplax on Dec 1, 2009 12:31 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Sealy
That’s the big what if. We were ready to explode that next season, but Sealy’s death really shook KG and this organization. He (Sealy) was my favorite TWolf ever.
"Come on Eddie, let's get serious."
by biggity2bit on Dec 1, 2009 8:42 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Poor Eddie had all of the size and talent needed, but his head got in the way.
by levi_mn on Dec 1, 2009 11:36 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
It's a good effort, but I think the list goes like this:
1. What if the Wolves get #1 or #2 instead of #3 in the Shaq/Zo draft when they had the worst record?
2. What if the Wolves either keep Ray Allen or Stephon doesn’t melt down?
3. What if Terrell Brandon doesn’t get a microfracture in his knee?
4. What if Malik doesn’t die?
5. Resigning Chauncey (Though it was his decision, my understanding is the $ were even and Detroit guaranteed the starting job. It wouldn’t have been appropriate to do that for the Wolves with Brandon’s performance history.)
6. Roy/Foye
7. Joe Smith contract/penalties (I think the Googs part is beside the point, he ended up having health/injury issues as well and would have had a bad contract.)
8. What if Wally doesn’t have foot injuries leading to decreased mobility (if you see games from his first few years, he was quick and explosive)?
9. Cassell misses WCF due to injury
10. Taylor panic contract extensions (Wally, Hassell, Hudson)
by Punisher#8 on Dec 1, 2009 9:44 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Wally...quick?
I’m not sure I’d ever use the word quick to describe World, but I do agree that he was definitely more mobile earlier in his career than later.
I think point 9 is an excellent one-I believe to this day that we would have gone all the way had Cassell not been hurt. We almost made it as it was.
"Come on Eddie, let's get serious."
by biggity2bit on Dec 1, 2009 10:02 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Point 9
Both our first and our second-team PG were injured, leaving the Wolves with journeyman Derrick Martin as their point guard for the most important games in their history.
Martin’s just joined up as a coach with the team. Guy saw everything the league could throw at him.
"It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission."
by feral on Dec 1, 2009 10:07 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Don’t want to overstate the quickness, but if you see old games from the Brandon-Sealy-Wally-KG-Rasho/Garrett team (w/Sam, Peeler coming off the bench) – Wally is doing things like driving and dunking in traffic that is totally out of line with the way we remember him towards the end here. He didn’t belong in the All-Star game, but was a better player before the injuries.
I’m not the first person to bring up the Cassell injury affecting the Finals chances, but running out Darrick Martin as the starter and Freddie as the backup PG was rough and needs to be in the pantheon. Getting past half court was tough that series.
by Punisher#8 on Dec 1, 2009 10:09 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for posting my write-up SnP
Wanted to avoid injuries because I didn’t feel they were as “controllable” as the other scenarios I outlined.
Not promise Billups a starting role was idiotic. TB was coming off of a 30 game season and never played an NBA game after that.
The Sealy death was on my mind but I thought writing an extensive few paragraphs on the impact it would have had basketball-wise was disrespectful, so I left it alone.
Shaq/Zo draft is again outside of anyones’ control. We did the best we could to get the top pick. If it came down to a specific game or shot like the Mike Miller game winner affected the Rubio pick, then it would make more sense to include it. Otherwise its a bit too far fetched unless it actually COULD have been different.
by WallyW0rld on Dec 1, 2009 11:37 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I see where you are coming from with criteria for inclusion/lack of inclusion on your list.
With the TB/Billups thing, I am curious as to what the FO was told by the medical staff. If they tell you Brandon is coming back, that’s who you rely on. Brandon was a great PG pre-injury and the flip side is Chauncey had only had 50 games as a productive starter. I obviously wish he would have been here.
by Punisher#8 on Dec 1, 2009 12:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
8a: Paying Wally
What if McHale had not paid Wally the big bucks? At least KG delivered. Wally did not, but his contract hampered the Wolves options for many years.
by levi_mn on Dec 1, 2009 11:35 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
A few others
What if…
1. KG had accepted the initial 6 year, $103 million offer that was rejected?
2. The Wolves had accepted either the Bulls’ (Chandler/Knicks pick in ‘07/Gordon or Deng) or Warriors’ (Biedrins/Ellis/#8 pick in ‘07) offers for KG?
3. The Wolves had accepted the Nets’ offer (Harris and the #11) for Jefferson?
4. The Wolves hadn’t fired Dwane Casey?
5. The Wolves hadn’t fired Flip Saunders?
6. Glen Taylor hadn’t forced McHale to give up his front-office position and coach?
7. Juwan Howard had signed with the Wolves in ‘03 instead of the Magic?
8. The Wolves had just traded ’Kandi straight-up for Mark Blount, which was the original deal?
9. The Wolves had kept their two expirings (’Kandi and Cassell) in ‘05 instead of moving them in the deals they did?
10. The Wolves hadn’t matched Trenton Hassell’s offer sheet or re-signed T-Hud?
11. The Wolves had hired their PoBO in January or February instead of May?
12. The Wolves hadn’t traded Pooh and Sam Mitchell for Micheal Williams and Chuck Person?
13. Howard or Perkins instead of Ebi?
14. Granger instead of McCants?
15. Hamilton/Marion/Miller instead of Wally?
16. Artest/Kirilenko instead of Avery?
by pagingstanleyroberts on Dec 1, 2009 12:26 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Excellent ideas! Curious how Juwan Howard wouldn’t fared as a Wolf back then. That probablty would have been a disaster.
by WallyW0rld on Dec 1, 2009 3:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
The Timberwolves never had KG
I forget the story, but wasn’t McHale intending to draft somebody else and was basically “forced” to take KG? I’ll bet most of us wouldn’t be here on a blog about the Wolves. Unless we lived in OKC or Charlotte, or maybe even New Orleans.
by levi_mn on Dec 1, 2009 7:56 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Yep. McHale wanted Rasheed Wallace
but he was taken, so then they went with KG instead. True story.
by College Wolf on Dec 2, 2009 8:06 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
one more I've been thinking about
What if the Wolves had “won” the 2006 Iverson sweestakes?
The story goes that Philly was willing to talk trade with us, but they absolutely wanted Foye in return for AI, which we balked at.
by losDelFuego on Dec 2, 2009 3:32 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Man I wish we would have done that trade.
That would have been great for us.
by College Wolf on Dec 3, 2009 8:27 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
maybe...
Short term, we do something like Foye + Jaric + Hudson + Madsen + 1st Rounder for Iverson. We start a lineup of Iverson, Ricky Davis, Hassel, KG, Blount, with Mike James, Rashad McCants, Eddie Griffin, and Craig Smith as key reserves. (Was this Rashad’s microfracture year? If so, who backs up Davis?)
We make the playoffs in 07, out by the end of 2nd round. Dwane Casey is never thrown under the bus, we don’t make the KG trade.
But what happens after that? We don’t get a first round pick in 07, we perform ourselves out of a Love-caliber player in 08, and our “promising” young players are McCants and Craig Smith.
We still end up having to rebuild circa 2010, still starting pretty much from scratch, but this time without all the future cap flexibility and young talent.
It coulda been a fun ride for a couple years, but even knowing that Foye never pans out, I’m not sure I go back and make that trade.
by losDelFuego on Dec 3, 2009 12:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
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