Vecsey: GARNETT TO BLAME FOR WOLVES' WOES

[George O'Brien]

GARNETT TO BLAME FOR WOLVES' WOES

January 7, 2005 -- COMING off last sea son's breakthrough, third-round playoff indentation, in addition to the relatively costly retention of free agents Troy Hudson, Trenton Hassell and Fred Hoiberg, the Timberwolves were considered legitimate contenders for this year's NBA title.
Wednesday night, the expansion Bobcats drilled them by 18 in Charlotte. It was the T'wolves' fourth straight defeat, including three in a row at home. Overall, they've dropped eight of 11 since starting 13-6. Only two games above low tide at 16-14, they're flashing all the warning signs of a leaderless team in utter disorder.

Because I care about keeping the T'wolves off Desolation Row, these are the biggest problems Kevin McHale and Flip Saunders cannot continue to ignore:

Defending MVP Kevin Garnett must no longer be permitted to do whatever he pleases whenever he pleases and as often as he pleases. Enough of Saunders indulging the Big Ticket as if he's his own private Ticket and habitually coaching to benefit Garnett first and foremost!

Enough catering to Garnett every half-court possession and not demanding he play intelligently! Enough of him having to touch the ball every time downcourt unless it's a fast break! Enough of the gaudy numbers that aren't translating lately into victories, or transforming his supporting cast into a championship team any time soon!

Nobody's saying Garnett hasn't earned preferential treatment; clearly he's one of the league's elite players. He boasts gobs of talent, but has yet to learn how to be one of its greatest players. Too frequently ego overrides brain waves.

Faced with authentic challenges from the likes of Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki and now Amare Stoudemire, Garnett almost always falls into the trap of taking the matchup personally.



What's more, when things get tough you can count on Garnett to force the issue almost every time. With the game in the balance and the defense swarming around him, you can depend on him to hoist up an unsavory shot, or put the ball down in traffic and get it stolen.

Who knows; maybe because people have such lofty expectations of him, Garnett feels pressured to produce. He wants to win, sure, but I'm not convinced he wants any of his teammates to creep into his spotlight, or abduct his glory on any kind of consistent basis.

When Michael Jordan learned to take advantage of open teammates, the Bulls began their assembly of six titles. When Shaquille O'Neal learned to tolerate sharing the floodlights and the ball with Kobe Bryant, the Lakers captured three consecutive crowns.

Meanwhile, look what's going on in Miami. It's easy to see why the 26-8 Heat are dominating the East. Shaq is deferring to Dwyane Wade — allowing him to emerge unrestrained or unresented into a simonized superstar — and regularly downplaying his offensive repertoire so less artistic teammates can get off without a hand in their face.

Being Wilt doesn't get it. Being MJ does. Until Garnett grasps the above winning recipe, it's not going to happen for Minny Ha-Ha.

Two games ago against the Suns, the T'wolves lucked out midway through the fourth period when Stoudemire (15-for-19 FGs) got ejected for taunting; it was his second technical.

Until that time, the third-year pro had played Garnett to a standstill and the Phoenix rout was nearly complete. K.G. finished strong and so did the T'wolves. He notched 14 points in the quarter for a grand total of 47 and they cut the deficit to five with under a minute to go.

Yet not one word, disparaging or otherwise, was articulated about Garrett's two woefully weak misses in the final moments.

The second backfire substantiates all of the above: Again, down five with under a minute, so what does Garnett do? With nobody of any consequence underneath to rebound, he lofts up an unnecessary, low percentage (stupid) 3-pointer that barely grazed the front rim. End of comeback!

Three losses ago against the Grizzlies, the T'wolves are on a third-quarter break when Sam Cassell looks off a wide-open Wally Szczerbiak on the right, a 50 percent shooter, and dishes left to Ervin Johnson, a non-shooter, 15 feet away from the basket.

It doesn't get any dumber, more sinister, or more selfish; you be the judge. Cassell may have figured Johnson had no other choice but to give it back to him. Instead he threw it cross-court to Szczerbiak for the score.

More money (Latrell Sprewell and Cassell), more playing time (Hudson), more shots (all three), no center (Michael Olowokandi is clueless) and no defense; it's all bad!

By now, I suspect, everybody is aware of just how bad things are: The T'wolves

 

[elindholm]

The funny thing is that now Garnett will probably try to beat Vecsey up.

 

[jibikao]

GREAT article!!

Thank god that somebody finally stood up and criticize KG.

I think KG is a great player but he is overrated for the amount of LOVE he receives from the media. His team just got out of the 1st round in 7 freaking years last year and the attention and love he received is like what MJ used to get.


KG has beautiful stats because he demands the ball 90% of the time. He can create for his teammates but in critical moments he may pass to the wrong person or like what the article said, he shot a 3 that is unnecessary.

I just think people should be fair. The fact that his team has never been to WCF should be considered as his weakness. Mavs went to WCF and so did Kings. And please don't say that ONLY KG contributes because basketball is a team sport. If KG is all that GOOD, he should be able to shine all the players around him like what MJ and Shaq did.

No offense but I think KG is really a bit overrated.

Jimmy

 

[Kolo]

GREAT article!!

Thank god that somebody finally stood up and criticize KG.

I think KG is a great player but he is overrated for the amount of LOVE he receives from the media. His team just got out of the 1st round in 7 freaking years last year and the attention and love he received is like what MJ used to get.


KG has beautiful stats because he demands the ball 90% of the time. He can create for his teammates but in critical moments he may pass to the wrong person or like what the article said, he shot a 3 that is unnecessary.

I just think people should be fair. The fact that his team has never been to WCF should be considered as his weakness. Mavs went to WCF and so did Kings. And please don't say that ONLY KG contributes because basketball is a team sport. If KG is all that GOOD, he should be able to shine all the players around him like what MJ and Shaq did.

No offense but I think KG is really a bit overrated.

Jimmy

I couldn't disagree more. Respectfully, of course.

 

[jibikao]

You can disagree with me but let's see how KG's team would last.

Now Spree and Cassel are the center of blame.

Who is next? The coach.

Ok, so they get rid of Spree, Cassel and the coach. Wolves are still going nowhere.

Maybe they should start questiong KG.... just maybe.

Jimmy

 

[MigratingOsprey]

KG definitely has his problems, but I think Vescey is way off target here

right now garnett seems to be damned if he does or damned if he doesn't

if he passes off to teamates he's not being assertive enough .... if he takes over he is forcing the issue

what he needs to do is just play basketball ... don't worry about what people write

dont' get caught up in stupid head games and macho BS

if you are playing a team that can't gaurd you in the post, kill them all night long

when they collapse 3 move it to your teamate (who will probably also need to have the responsibility of moving it QUICKLY for the the open shot)

when there is a strong defensive team you have to work harder and work w/the team more

it's a delicate balance and one that I don't think he is close to figuring out

 

[SweetD]

Here is another one... Self-inflicted wounds

Timberwolves' struggle to overcome egos, effort sinking season

Posted: Thursday January 6, 2005 6:11PM; Updated: Thursday January 6, 2005 6:11PM

Minnesota's malaise has gotten out of hand; they've lost six of seven and are currently 11 games out of the top seed in the West, a spot it owned when the 2003-04 regular season ended.

Though the team's makeup has changed little since that triumphant 58-24 run, it has wilted under the weight of similar expectations and the lure of the filthy lucre. Outside of the masterful Kevin Garnett, who is sustaining his MVP play from last season, this team has gotten fat and sassy, with merely a Western Conference finals appearance to show for it.

Since taking over the reins of the Timberwolves in '95, VP Kevin McHale and coach Flip Saunders have shied away from doing anything more than tinkering with the team's foundation. Year in and year out, players such as LaPhonso Ellis, Terry Porter, Chauncey Billups and Kendall Gill would come in for a season-long tryout, only to move on after the playoffs as the Wolves brought in another mid-priced veteran. McHale didn't act any differently last summer; he matched Portland's moderate contract offer for Trenton Hassell, and watched as injured scorers Wally Szczerbiak and Troy Hudson returned to the fold.

Because Hudson and Wally World were used to playing in Saunders' exacting system, the thinking was that theirs would be a seamless transition; Flip wouldn't have to run an 8-man rotation, and greybeards Latrell Sprewell and (especially) Sam Cassell wouldn't be forced into many 40-minute nights before April Fool's Day.

Turns out the T'wolves were the ones fooled. Cassell followed up his career-year by carping for a contract extension, a practice he's maintained even following the worst years of his career, and Sprewell made us all retch with his comment about feeding Tiny Tim and the rest of his family. Hudson is about as reliable as Sly Stone circa 1971, Szczerbiak still hurts this team more than he helps and the Wolves are stuck at 16-14 after a pathetic road loss to the expansion Charlotte Bobcats.

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Despite picking up where he left off last season, the rest of Kevin Garnett's T'wolves haven't, making for a long season.
AP
This isn't far off the 20-10 mark Minnesota established after 30 games last season, but that's about the only thing the Timberwolves have going for them. These guys act like they don't want to be there. Cassell seems distracted, failing to read defenses or even his opponents' scouting report (Damon Stoudamire is still left-handed, Sam), and Sprewell seems content to stand on the weak side of his team's offense, hands clutching his shorts.

Couple that with the overaggressive play of Hudson, World, center Michael Olowokandi and new addition Eddie Griffin, and you've got problems. These four consistently mistake activity for achievement, which would seem welcome along Cassell and Spree's indifferent play, but their inconsistent productivity isn't. Hudson is anything but a pure shooter, but he continually tries to nail the mid-range jumpers that Cassell and Terrell Brandon shot with great success in Saunders' offense. And though Kandi appears to be trying this season, the results are just as ugly as in the past when he'd barely make it past the half court line. Still, the team seems intent on seeing what it can get from Olowokandi. Too often they force feed Kandi the ball and wait for him to earn his contract, oftentimes on the wrong block. His plus/minus on the floor has improved but he's better off as a rebounder and a taller version of Mark Madsen.

Griffin and Szczerbiak just make mistakes that no professional basketball player should make. They try to force the action and prove their own worth as contributors in an insipid fashion that suggests they've spent the last twelve months of their life either in a half-way house, or endorsing hair product. It's all left KG trying to compensate for two players hurting the team with listless play and four players destroying the flow with overanxious play. But last we checked Garnett has yet to clone himself.

In addition to -- or because of -- the haphazard effort, the T'wolves' defense has taken a beating. The Wolves outscored opponents by an average of 5.4 points last year while holding them to 89.1 points a game. This season they're still outscoring teams -- by 3.4 points -- but now teams are scoring 96.5 points a game, on 45 percent shooting (compared to 41 percent in '03-04).

Defensive assignment after defensive assignment is continually missed. The same screen-and-roll three will be defended three different ways during a single quarter -- and not to show the offense different looks. In other words, there is a startling lack of communication on this squad.

On the plus side, the Wolves are still outrebounding opponents but they're not causing enough turnovers. It's hard to see this team turning it around. There have been calls for Saunders to return to the starting five that engineered last season's run; Szczerbiak has already offered to give up his starting slot to Trenton Hassell.

But the griping veterans are a challenge that can't be schemed away. Cassell is still this team's most important player, and he isn't playing poorly because he's lost a step, as he's never been the fastest cat around. The Florida State product is falling short because he only brings it for half a game, as does Sprewell. Teams lay off Sprewell for entire contests because he doesn't show interest for the great majority of possessions and can't flip the proverbial switch at his age and get the same results he accrued in years past.

McHale's never been the scorched-earth type, so don't expect many changes before February, but do expect this to be the last go-round for the Garnett-Cassell-Sprewell troika. Apparently, the warranty expired after 90 games.

Champs

Gotta go with the "new look" Pacers here. They've won four straight against inferior opponents with a style of team-ball that suggests one Rick Carlisle could coach an AAU squad to the playoffs. Though the production from Reggie Miller, Jamaal Tinsley and James Jones has tapered off significantly since his return, Jermaine O'Neal's comeback was essential for this team to maintain its hopes of winning the East.

O'Neal scored an NBA season-high 55 points against the Bucks on Tuesday night, pulling down 11 rebounds and hitting 19 of a Wilt-like 25 free throw attempts. He hit 19-of-28 shots, and appeared refreshed and focused. It was like he took five weeks off.

The team still has a lot to figure out. They still start Michael "but he makes the extra pass!" Curry at small forward, but in the East, that's just fine.

Dallas' Jason Terry had himself quite a night in a win against the Lakers, hitting nine-of-10 shots en route to scoring 28 points. He also added six rebounds, two steals and five assists. Dallas won't do much, if anything, by next June -- but they look aiight right now. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant dropped a superhuman 32 points -- on 30 shots. With five turnovers.

Chumps

The best center in the league should get you to the conference finals. The best power forward gets you to the semis. The best small forward or off guard should at least guarantee 45 wins.

The best point guard? He gets you a .500 record in the worst division in American sport, with three straight losses, two coming at home. Stephon Marbury and his Knicks better look out for the 76ers, who held off the Jazz for an impressive road win on Wednesday night.

Ruminations

With the return of Sir Toni Kukoc and the impending comeback of Keith Van Horn, Milwaukee decided to waive Kendall Gill before his contract became guaranteed for the entire season. The Bucks are pretty much done, but the Miami Heat aren't, and Gill might fill a big role on their roster. In spite of the signing of Shandon Anderson, the team still needs a wing defender with size to slow the game down for opponents. This was unmistakably apparent in the Heat's loss to the SuperSonics on Tuesday. Kendall has said that he doesn't want to leave his Midwest home, but sheesh, it's Miami.

Speaking of Seattle, it lost its focus against Orlando the next night. The Sonics went up 14 early, lost the lead and were down by 15, then roared back to get within three, before losing by 18. They spent most of the game toying with the Magic, and it is obvious that they're not talented enough to get away with that yet. For some reason, the SuperSonics ran a 1-3-1 zone for a healthy chunk of the third quarter.

Dikembe Mutombo? Still alive! Fourteen points and six rebounds in Houston's loss to the Phoenix Suns. I think the Rockets have found their third offensive option.

OK, we know what happened last June in San Antonio, but Golden State Warriors coach Mike Montgomery needs to be spanked with his dry-erase board for drawing up a fadeaway jumper for Derek Fisher with 5.4 seconds left in Golden State's one-point loss to the Celtics. Off of the other bench, Al Jefferson recorded the first of what should be many double-doubles in his career in the Boston win.

Even when he was grasping for minutes off the bench in Orlando, or early in his tenure in L.A., Corey Maggette had always shown an ability to turn it on late in the game. Now that's he's a borderline All-Star, people are noticing. Of Maggette's 33 points against the Trail Blazers, 15 came in the fourth quarter, as the Clippers held off a goofy Portland team.

Quoted, Unfortunately

"He's the best man in the NBA because no one demands as much attention as he does. I love Tim Duncan and all the other big guys, but whenever you're the most dominant player in the game, you're by far the best player in the game.''
-- Stephon Marbury, arbiter of "best," on Shaquille O'Neal. Stephon's "best" albums of 2004 list should be out soon enough, and apparently he liked the new Geraint Watkins disc as much as I did.

 

[F-Dog]

Vecsey is just piling on here--Garnett is the last player I'd blame for the Wolves' struggles. (And honestly, I thought his late 3-point try against the Suns was a good shot under the circumstances--it just didn't go down for him.)

The Wolves' problem is that most of their players are playing like crap, and part of that is that Kevin McHale has filled the team with head-cases, with the idea that KG will play den-mother to all of them. If it were my team, I'd be looking to unload Sprewell and Kandi (good luck with the last one) and add a player or two who can be relied on to play with consistent effort.

Actually, dumping Sprewell and Kandi might be all it takes.

 

[George O'Brien]

KG is such a dominant player that he can overcome almost all critiicism, but the one thing that should have been mentioned wasn't. There is always a chemistry problem with the Timberwolves. The list of guys who played with him and didn't get along with him is lengthy.

Amare may not be the total superstar KG is, but he is a great guy and is a real leader. He's the kind of guy that free agents want to play with.

 

[goldseraph]

Why blame Garnett? Spree is playing like utter crap, and Cassell is nowhere near what he was last year. Throw in that they still have no answer at center, as well as all the team drama and you get a mediocre ball club. Their defense which was superb last year, is not even close - they just aren't putting in the same team defense and effort. Garnett is a great player, but he is a tweener - he's not really a dump it in the post, intimidating big man. I also find him a very strange individual and I doubt he is a great leader in the locker room. One smart move the Wolves have made is not resigning Spree or Cassell - I found it ludicrous that two over the hill 3rd tier players were asking for these big extensions. I would question even giving Sprewell the mid-level at this point.

 

[Joe Mama]

Every once in awhile Peter Vescey gets it right. This isn't one of those rare times. The mess in Minnesota is because they have accumulated a bunch of bad characters/selfish players. If I remember correctly last year's starting lineup looked like this.

Ervin Johnson
Kevin Garnett
Trenton Hassel
Sam Cassell
Latrell Sprewell

This year it's...

Wally Szczerbiak
Michael Olowokandi
Kevin Garnett
Sam Cassell
Latrell Sprewell

They have too many scorers in that starting lineup. The Phoenix Suns are able to make that work because the other players in their starting lineup (everyone other than Amare Stoudemire) are far less selfish and the Timberwolves other players (everyone other than KG). The Suns also have Steve Nash distributing the ball and pushing the ball at every opportunity.

The Timberwolves were much better last year when they had the big three (KG, Cassell, and Sprewell) along with a bunch of blue-collar players. They were much better defensively. and it's not the losses to teams like Phoenix that are the problem. Its losses to teams like Memphis, New York, and Charlotte that are bad.

I think KG is pretty much a jerk, but he is one of the two best players in the NBA today. I think he and Tim Duncan are neck and neck. They both are complete players. The surrounding casts are the difference.

Joe Mama

 

[coloradosun]

Garnett has become this generation's Charles Barkley. Charles created the playing angry for motivation technique but it was understandable for the Chuckster. A 6'4" power forward had to play with more wreckless abandon, a 6'11" small forward does not have to have the same mentality. The transition in Philadelphia from Dr. J to Charles is microcosm of the change in the way African Americans play the game. Dr. J was class, Charles was crass.

Barkley is right, he is no role model, not only for fans but also for the players that represent the league. Now Kevin Garnett is no role model. I hope that Amare follow's Duncan lead and by becoming a student of TD at the Olympics gives me the impression that is the direction he is going take.

 

[devilalum]

Garnett has become this generation's Charles Barkley. Charles created the playing angry for motivation technique but it was understandable for the Chuckster. A 6'4" power forward had to play with more wreckless abandon, a 6'11" small forward does not have to have the same mentality. The transition in Philadelphia from Dr. J to Charles is microcosm of the change in the way African Americans play the game. Dr. J was class, Charles was crass.

Barkley is right, he is no role model, not only for fans but also for the players that represent the league. Now Kevin Garnett is no role model. I hope that Amare follow's Duncan lead and by becoming a student of TD at the Olympics gives me the impression that is the direction he is going take.

The sad thing is KG seems to be getting a lot more press, endorsements, etc...than Duncan by being a total *****. And TD actually has a couple of rings.

 

[jibikao]

I posted this KG bashing article in many places and some of the criticisms I've read are:

1.) KG is the most versatile player but he really doesn't excel in any category except in Defensive rebound (because of his long arms). KG can pass, can shoot well sometimes and has some inside games but he is not SUPERB on any of them. This makes him almost like Pippen but Pippen plays a supporting cast, not a dominant cast. So is KG the right leader? It's questionable.

Duncan has better inside games than KG
Dirk has better outside game than KG

When you watch KG's game, it's almost like he is supporting the whole team. He isn't the go-to guy kind of player. I know KG has been more aggressive this year but the results aren't too promising. So what's wrong? While KG is enjoying his career-high stats, his team is losing. That doesn't correlate, does it?

2.) KG's temper and ego will always get in his way. One thing that separate Duncan and KG is the temper. Duncan rarely acts like he was out of control. When you are out of control, you make bad decisions. KG is also known for being very competitive and almost TOO competitive. Every time he plays against Duncan, Dirk or any other big guys, he wants to PROVE something. He wants to personally guard Dirk and what does this lead to?? KG was out of position for rebound and blocking out for his team and Mavs out rebounded them a lot. KG's ego will get in his way. Duncan doesn't do that. In fact, Spurs didn't even want Duncan to guard J O'Neal the other night because they can't afford Duncan to be in foul trouble. This is another KG's weakness.

3.) KG is doing TOO MUCH. Last night against the 76er without AI, I saw him trying to dribble like a guard to pass the half court in the 4th quarter. I was like... dude, why are you wasting your energy on this? You have a GUARD and that's his job! Why does KG want to do everything? That is just not smart. You waste your energy on something that could have been easily avoided. Let your guard dribble the ball and let your teammates control more! This is considered a weakness because Spurs will never waste Duncan's energy like that. In fact, the most common argument between Duncan and KG is that KG is more versatile and that he can do almost anything. Well, that is ALSO KG's weakness because Spurs only wants Duncan to focus on the few things he does BEST - score and defense. You never see Duncan trying to act like a guard and try to run the whole team's offense. That's just not smart. Duncan is a very "efficient" player, meaning that for the amount of mins he plays, he actually contributes more to his team than KG does.


I think KG is a brillant player but I don't think he'll ever bring his team to a Ring. Let's see how long it takes him to get to WCF first.

Jimmy

 

[coloradosun]

The sad thing is KG seems to be getting a lot more press, endorsements, etc...than Duncan by being a total *****. And TD actually has a couple of rings.

So did Barkley and Garnett will have just as many championships as Barkley and maybe never get to finals. Selfishness never wins titles.