The New Timberwolves
October 23, 2007

In the autumn of 1976, Minnesota sports fans were introduced to the “New Fighting Saints,” a World Hockey Association team based in St. Paul. The “new” Saints replaced the Minnesota Fighting Saints, a team that had folded in February, 1976. On October 23, an announced crowd of 8,050 spectators viewed the Target Center debut of the new Minnesota Timberwolves. The Indiana Pacers defeated the Wolves by the score of 106 to 95 in a lackluster game that met the usual casual standards for NBA exhibition contests.

The New Fighting Saints employed several players that formerly were members of the WHA Cleveland Crusaders. The new Timberwolves featured a roster dominated by former Boston Celtics. On July 31, the Wolves and the Celtics completed a historic trade which saw the organization obtain forwards Al Jefferson and Ryan Gomes, guards Gerald Green and Sebastian Telfair, center Theo Ratliff, and two first-round draft picks for perennial All-Pro Kevin Garnett, who averaged 22.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 76 games last season.

Garnett, 31, currently is competing as a Celtic in his 13th season in the league. He was the NBA MVP in the 2003-04 campaign. A 10-time All-Star, he has averaged more than 20 points per game and more than 11 rebounds per game in nine straight seasons. Known in Minnesota as the “Big Ticket,” Garnett led the Timberwolves to the 2004 Western Conference finals, the high water mark for a franchise which has been in business since 1989. Drafted by the Wolves out of Farragut Academy High School in the first round (the fifth selection overall) of the 1995 NBA draft, Garnett has registered career averages of 20.5 points and 11.4 rebounds in 927 games. He has played in 47 postseason games, but the Timberwolves won only two playoff series.

What did Minnesota get in exchange for this future Hall of Famer? Jefferson, 22, had a noteworthy campaign in 2006-07, as he averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds in 69 contests for Boston. There is little doubt that the 6-10 Jefferson was the key player in the deal for the Timberwolves. Against Indiana in Tuesday’s exhibition game, Jefferson showed flashes of brilliance in scoring 27 points and pulling down 17 rebounds (including nine offensive boards).

Ratliff is a 12-year NBA veteran out of Wyoming who averaged 2.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocked shots last season before undergoing lower back surgery on January 23. To date, he has impressed Minnesota coach Randy Wittman with his steady post play. Against the Pacers, Ratliff saw 21 minutes of action. “He will be good for us as long as he stays healthy,” observed Wittman after the Indiana game. The Wolves are in desperate need of a center, and plans are to alternate Jefferson and Ratliff. As for the other three former Celtics, Gomes, Green, and Telfair, players such as these can be found on the rosters of most NBA teams. They show promise but not enough to place them in starting roles.

The game against Indiana began in an inauspicious manner when the scoreboard operator posted the news that No. 35, Mike “Mad Dog” Madsen, was to start the contest. This came as quite a surprise to Mad Dog, as he was standing courtside dressed in street clothes.

Immediately after the tip-off, it was apparent that both teams were playing the game with all the enthusiasm of death row inmates, causing many spectators to nod off. The Wolves displayed a tendency to blow easy lay-ups, which elicited the occasional groan from fans. By halftime, Minnesota had fallen behind by the score of 58 to 45, despite 14 points and eight rebounds by Jefferson.

Apparently complacent, the Pacers allowed their lead to slip in the third quarter. Minnesota went off on a 15-1 run that tied the score at 63. By then, it was observed that the Timberwolves actually were running a few set plays, a technique that eluded them in the previous season.

Unfortunately for Minnesota, the effort expended in achieving the tie score apparently exhausted the team, and the score became Indiana 83, Minnesota 70 with the third quarter drawing to a close. The Timberwolves closed to within 91-85 of the Pacers with six minutes left to play but could draw no closer.

“We don’t understand everything we’re trying to do,” Wittman observed. “In the second half we got back into the game, but we didn’t have enough in the tank to finish. We’re not a good enough team yet.”

Danny Granger led the Pacers in scoring with 25 points, followed by Ike Diogu and Mike Dunleavy, each with 20. Indiana All-Star Jermaine O’Neal had a hyper-extended left knee and did not play.