Timberwolves: Pressure's on in time of transition
Steve Aschburner, Star Tribune
October 4, 2005


Kevin Garnett had just wrapped up a visit with some Minneapolis
Washburn High School students Friday, hanging with and encouraging
them in a glowing, new computer lab donated by Garnett's 4XL
foundation and Best Buy. At that moment, the disappointments of the
hardwood and the frustrations from last winter and spring were long
ago and far away.

Until someone forced the issue and asked Garnett about the
Timberwolves' outlook for 2005-06.

"A lotta, lotta changes," he said, speaking softly. "I know that
everybody who's going to be in that locker room respects me. Some of
the structure [of coach Dwane Casey's system] is going to help bring
it together. But as far as responsibility on me, this is going to be
the most challenging season yet."

Faces come, faces go. The Wolves, in Garnett's time with them, have
had more cast changes than "Law & Order" and its spinoffs combined.

Man, this is going to be like my rookie year all over again," he
said, chuckling a little at the thought. "My sixth rookie year."

The last time the Timberwolves fired the head coach and missed the
NBA playoffs, it actually was Garnett's rookie season. Bill Blair
got gassed 20 games into the 1995-96 schedule, Flip Saunders dropped
in from the general manager's office and a 20-42 record the rest of
that season was good enough only to land them a lottery pick, and
Stephon Marbury, on draft night.

Garnett was an NBA innocent then, straight out of high school,
taking it all in as one boss left, another arrived and a pair of
players (Christian Laettner and Isaiah Rider) whose comments or
behavior fouled the air eventually were dispatched. Nine years
later, older, wiser, one of the game's elite and still in search of
a championship ring, Garnett saw it happen again: Saunders, who had
helped the Wolves to eight consecutive playoff appearances, got
bounced Feb. 12 after the team dawdled its way to a 25-26 record.

Kevin McHale, vice president of basketball operations, took over on
the bench and guided them to a 19-12 finish -- just good enough to
fall two victories shy of a Western Conference playoff berth. And
two hard-headed veterans, Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, were
shown the door.

* * *

It's fair to say, as the Wolves begin two-a-day workouts today at
Target Center, that they have something of a split personality.
Management is quick to remind you that this team, for all of its
problems last season, still won 44 games. Yet, of the 15 players
likely to still be standing when the preseason ends, six never have
worn a Minnesota uniform.

The same holds true up top: With a superstar player (Garnett) in his
prime, eager to win now, the Wolves will be guided by one of the two
true rookie head coaches in the NBA this season. Dwane Casey,
longtime assistant with the Seattle SuperSonics, will sit, pace and
holler in Saunders' spot this season.

Casey showed himself, during summer league workouts, to be a hands-
on teacher on the court. He is said to work long hours, has been
liked well enough by players and refuses to be caught unprepared.

Like a lot of coaches whose rosters are a little thin in talent,
Casey comes in determined to preach and teach defense, stressing the
concept of "help" to the Wolves and stopping the dribble penetration
that made Cassell and Troy Hudson too often look like turnstiles
near the top of the key.