Playing the “What-If” Game, Timberwolves Edition

What If the Wolves never hired David Kahn?

The Wolves were in rebuilding mode in 2009 when they brought in David Kahn to be President of Basketball Operations. Kahn’s goal was to bring the Wolves out of the cellar and bring them back to the top of the Western Conference. What ensued over his four years in Minnesota can be classified in one word: massacre.

Let’s quickly run down his list of accomplishments:

• 2009: Drafted Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn, Ty Lawson (traded for Luke Babbit), and Wayne Ellington. Could have drafted: Steph Curry, DeMar Derozan, Brandon Jennings, or DeMarre Carroll.
• 2009: Hired Kurt Rambis as head coach. Contract was for four-years, $8 million. Rambis’ record with the Wolves was 32-132.
• 2010: Drafted Wesley Johnson over Paul George, Gordon Hayward, DeMarcus Cousins, and Greg Monroe.
• Re-signed Darko Milicic to a 4-year, $20 million deal. Kahn, on Darko: “Like manna from heaven.”
• 2011: Drafted Derrick Williams over Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Kenneth Faried, and Jimmy Butler.

Do we really need to say much more?

If the Wolves had never hired Kahn, this team would not be in the position its in right now. If the Wolves got a real GM at the time, the drafts would have been better, the contracts wouldn’t have been so outrageous, and the coaching would not have been awful.

Special thanks to David Kahn for keeping the Wolves on the road to recovery ever since.

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