The subject of this installment of "Timberwolves by minutes played" wore his MN jersey long before the team's current pigmentation became fodder for discussion. That his name is an anagram for "racism avenue" means nada.

And unlike some of the guys just below him on the list, his story is a happy one. An undrafted SG, he eventually carved out an NBA career which, to date, has seen him play for seven franchises in the past decade. Three of those teams were coached by none other than Phillip D. Saunders, better known as "Flip."

I found this while looking for a pic of Flip - it's the Gophers @ 1900

Who is this "racism avenue" guy? Mo' answers and mo' anagrams after the jump.

Maurice Evans, also known as "Mo," was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Timberwolves in 2001. He ended up playing in ten games for a total of 45 minutes. After a couple of years in Greece and Italy, Evans made it back to the bigs, averaging 19 minutes a game for Sacramento in 2005. The following season, he was on a very good Pistons team. Traded to the Lakers, he backed up Kobe before getting moved with Brian Cook to Orlando for Trevor Ariza. Mo had his best year with the Magic, starting at SG as the team earned the #3 seed in the East.

This paid off in the form of a 3-year deal with Atlanta for $7.5 million. In 2010, the Hawks sent him in a multi-player trade to Washington, where he played the last season and a half.

Mo is currently a free agent, so at age 33 his career may soon be over. I hope he gets picked up; he's done work for charity, hung on at the NBA level despite bouncing around, and sounds like a good guy. According to a recent article in USA Today:

... it's his locker room presence that made an impact in Washington. Last season, Evans filled that leadership role as a mentor to guards John Wall and Jordan Crawford. One person with knowledge of the Wizards' season said Crawford would have been late to the airport for a handful of road trips had Evans not picked him up. The person, who requested anonymity because Evans is still trying to reach a deal, also said almost every player credited Evans for his leadership and advice during their exit interviews.

Good luck, Mo!

A few other anagrams for "Maurice Evans"

• Naive Mac user.
• Use "amen," Vicar.
• Suaver cinema.