CONTINUATION OF THE “WHAT IF” WOLVES SERIES. IN THIS SERIES, I PLAY THE ROLE OF TIMBERWOLVES OVERLORD AND GO BACK IN TIME AND RIGHT SOME OF THE WRONGS OF OUR FAVORITE FRANCHISE. SINCE THIS IS THE TIMBERWOLVES, THERE ARE A LOT OF WRONGS. THIS SERIES MAY GO ON FOREVER.
“What If” Wolves Volume 6: “Khan, you bloodsucker!” – Captain James T. Kirk or JetAllen
When the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired LaMelo Ball this offseason, I found myself asking a simple question: did the Wolves finally solve their point guard problem? Early returns are optimistic at this point. Some good games, some not so. But based on history, what else should we expect from this franchise?
The Timberwolves have been through point guard after point guard. None of them seem to last long, if at all.
This team has been going through PGs like Spinal Tap goes through drummers. RIP Peter James Bond.
The Timberwolves started off by taking what they thought was a franchise cornerstone in Pooh Richardson, their first-ever draft pick. We have previously discussed why that didn’t work out in the first “What If” Wolves article. Since picking Pooh, the Wolves have struggled to find a franchise player at the one. There have been some solid players, even All-Stars, but they were always short stints. The point guard problem should have been solved by now, and hopefully it finally is with Ball, but repeated mistakes have left this position in a constant state of flux.
I had originally planned to write an article focusing only on the reign of terror brought to this franchise by former General Manager David Kahn. But my liquor cabinet was only half-stocked at the time, and I would need copious amounts of booze to relive that whole ordeal. Instead, we will focus on one issue. One teeny, tiny issue that I consider the biggest mistake in franchise history.
David Kahn was on the job for exactly 33 days (trust me, I counted) when he made quite possibly the greatest trade in Timberwolves history.
Kahn traded former Rookie of the Year Mike Miller and guard Randy Foye to the Washington Wizards for Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila, Oleksiy Pecherov, and the fifth pick in the upcoming 2009 NBA Draft. Only Pecherov would ever play for the Wolves (44 games), but the prize of the trade was the pick. With the addition of the fifth overall pick, MN would now draft back-to-back with the fifth and sixth picks.
With the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Timberwolves selected my (and Leo’s) favorite player of all time, Ricky Rubio.
Rubio was a dynamic PG from Spain. His list of accomplishments overseas was incredible: he turned pro at 14 years old, won the Rising Star Award, FIBA Young Player of the Year Award, was named Spanish ACB League’s best point guard, Defensive Player of the Year, and won a EuroLeague Championship. Quite the trophy room.
But I believe what put Ricky at the top of the draft class was his final performance of the 2006 Europe Under-16 Championship, where he scored 51 points, grabbed 24 rebounds, had 12 assists, and stole the ball 7 times. One of the greatest games ever played. Rubio also held his own in the 2008 Olympic Finals against the USA, where Ricky went up against the likes of Jason Kidd, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant.
To me, Rubio was a lock with the 5th pick in the draft. But man, did Kahn ever mess up the next pick. This is where the “What If” Wolves will take over, fire Kahn immediately, and take the player that I was begging the Timberwolves to take.
I remember the draft like it was yesterday. I was sitting on the couch at my in-laws’ house. My son was born a few months prior, so we were at the grandparents’ house to get some baby relief. And I was yelling at the television.
David Kahn was on the job for exactly 34 days (trust me, I counted again) when he made the biggest mistake in Timberwolves history.
Kahn had drafted Jonny Flynn.
With Ricky Rubio in the fold, my thoughts were to get him a lights out shooter that can pair with him in the backcourt. Rubio had already proven that he could lock down defensively (yes, bigger guards would have been a problem, but only a few teams had elite big guards that operated out of the post), so the other guard could take on the smaller matchup. So who was the best shooter in the draft? Not Jonny Flynn, I can tell you that.
With the 6th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the “What If” Wolves selected Wardell Stephen Curry II from Davidson College.
Steph Curry was the best story coming out of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Curry owned March Madness that year by beating larger schools Gonzaga (40 points), Georgetown (30 points), and Wisconsin (32 points) before eventually losing in the Elite Eight to Kansas (25 points). Curry would leave tiny Davidson College the following year after being named to the All-American First Team, leading the nation in scoring (28.6 ppg), and shooting 41% on three-pointers for his college career. In my eyes, Curry was the perfect complement to Ricky Rubio (Watch how effortless Curry’s game is in the video below).
So why did Kahn select Flynn over Curry?
David Kahn compared Flynn and Rubio to Hall of Famers Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier of the New York Knicks. I can sort of see the familiarities with the flash of Rubio and Monroe along with the defense of Flynn and Frazier. But both Pearl and Clyde could score. Flynn couldn’t shoot a lick, finishing his career shooting 33% from three and 40% overall from the field. Don’t get me wrong, Rubio shot just as bad for his career, but he found a way to average double digits in scoring for his career, plus he was an elite set-up man.
According to NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin, even the Wolves players and coaches were baffled by the draft. This is why Curry was the right pick from the get-go.
There were also some issues with good ol’ dad when it came to drafting Steph Curry. Dell Curry was a great shooter with the Charlotte Hornets in the 90s (40% career three-point shooter) and taught his boys how to let it fly. He also was trying to force his eldest son to get drafted by the Knicks, who owned the 8th overall pick.
That’s right. Dell didn’t want his kid to go to the Golden State Warriors either. So why did they not listen to the father’s threats? Well, they didn’t have David Kahn as a GM, and since the “What If” Wolves fired Kahn, neither do we. We ignore Dell’s wishes and take Curry right after Rubio.
Now, if this fantasy scenario plays out according to my plan, the Timberwolves don’t have to wait two years for Rubio’s arrival like in reality. Ricky comes over as an 18-year-old PG prodigy with impervious knees. Steph plays at the shooting guard position offensively. Being off-ball saves his ankles a bit, and his career trajectory starts on a more positive note. Rubio and Curry switch defensively, and both play the passing lanes for easy steals. Rubio now has a more open lane to finish at the rim due to the actual threat of a Curry three-pointer (Wolves shot 34% as a team in 2009-10).
The pace of play is quickened after great outlet passes from Kevin Love. And the “What If” Wolves become a playoff contender for the first time since Kevin Garnett was traded to Boston. Hell, KG might even come back earlier if he gets to play with Rubio and Curry. Rubio may still eventually be traded, or he retires to go back home to Spain, but Curry would then slide over to the point, and all would be right in the world. Curry would go on to possibly beat out KG as the best Timberwolf of all time. As a consolation, he would at least go down as the best point guard. Unless Melo gets us a chip.
Just for fun, here is a top ten list of the most games started at the point guard position for the Timberwolves.
- Ricky Rubio – 384 games started (two separate stints)
- Pooh Richardson – 212
- Luke Ridnour – 201
- Terrell Brandon – 197
- Mike Conley – 179
- Stephon Marbury – 163
- D’Angelo Russell – 157
- Michael Williams – 150
- Jeff Teague – 124
- Sam Cassell – 119
Bonus: Jonny Flynn – 89 games started for the Timberwolves (only a three year NBA career)
Bonus Bonus: Stephen Curry – 1065 regular season games started for the Golden State Warriors, 149 playoff games started.
Bonus Bonus Bonus: Steph would’ve been too miserable to start any games with his prized golf courses covered in snow.
