Top five assist leaders in Timberwolves history
5. Stephon Marbury – 1,393 Assists
It’s a shame that the Stephon Marbury and Kevin Garnett era didn’t last any longer than it did; Marbury only played three seasons for the Timberwolves. If it wasn’t for a contract dispute and a feud with the team about not being the number one option, he likely would have stayed. Sadly that wasn’t the case.
It’s mind boggling that a player that was only with the team for two-plus seasons is in the top-five for assists. But, the Timberwolves haven’t seen much success other than the KG days. So, in that sense it’s clear to see why this is the case.
All that aside, Marbury started his career as a Timberwolf. In those three seasons, he saw stat lines as follows…
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 19 | MIN | NBA | PG | 67 | 64 | 34.7 | 5.3 | 13.0 | .408 | 1.5 | 4.3 | .354 | 3.8 | 8.7 | .434 | .466 | 3.7 | 5.0 | .727 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.7 | 7.8 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 15.8 |
| 1997-98 | 20 | MIN | NBA | PG | 82 | 81 | 38.0 | 6.3 | 15.1 | .415 | 1.2 | 3.7 | .313 | 5.1 | 11.4 | .448 | .453 | 4.0 | 5.5 | .731 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 8.6 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 17.7 |
| 1998-99 | 21 | MIN | NBA | PG | 18 | 18 | 36.7 | 6.9 | 16.9 | .408 | 0.4 | 2.2 | .205 | 6.4 | 14.7 | .438 | .421 | 3.5 | 4.8 | .724 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 9.3 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 17.7 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/4/2017.
Just imagine that…a player who played in two full seasons and only 31 games in his third season with the Wolves is somehow, still in the top five. He was a talented guard, who had a phenomenal career. He was selected to two All-Star Games (2001, 2003), and averaged 19.3 points and 7.6 assists per game over a span of 13 seasons.
It certainly helped his assist numbers playing with Garnett. I mean, he’s the greatest Timberwolf ever, so of course a good chunk of those assists came courtesy of KG. However, Marbury was a great player, and will forever be in the Timberwolves record books for his good play for the team.
Here’s a look at a game in which he scored 40 points and recorded 12 assists.