The Minnesota Timberwolves' 2008-09 season is mercifully over, with a 24-58 record to show for it. They weren't the worst team in the NBA--that honor, if you can call it that, goes to the Sacramento Kings--but sometimes they played like they were. Blowing huge leads to the Dallas Mavericks. Losing at home to bad teams like the Kings, Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors before the Team of 5000. You know, things that can get a coach fired. Which is what happened to Randy Wittman.
Kevin McHale, who as general manager was responsible for putting together the current roster of youngsters and castoffs in the post-Kevin Garnett era, was kicked out of the front office and onto the bench in December. After a few more losses, the Wolves rattled off a post-holiday winning streak, mostly against teams with injury-depleted rosters. Suddenly, people put down their remotes and started watching pro basketball again. That is, until star player Al Jefferson wrecked his knee in the final seconds of a game at New Orleans, knocking him out for the rest of the season. At that point, it was time to go back to channel surfing.
Now that the season's over, the focus shifts to what will happen to McHale. From what we hear, he likes to coach but doesn't like the travel involved, and the more the Wolves lost, the less he liked it. But he has also done as much to damage the franchise (in concert with owner Glen Taylor) as well as improving it, Garnett notwithstanding.
The Wolves need to start with a new general manager who should be able to hire his own coach. That, and getting the talent required to back up Jefferson and Kevin Love in order to become more competitive in the tough Western Conference. If these changes click, the Wolves might someday be must-see TV again.
While the Wolves prepare once again to be passed over by the ping-pong balls in determining who gets the top pick in the NBA draft, it should be the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers in the championship finals. LeBron versus Kobe, in other words. The NBA and ESPN on ABC can't wait.
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