XIV: C Dean Garrett (1999-00)
GS 23 | 10.8 MPG | 2.0 PPG | 0.0 3P% | 2.5 RPG | 0.3 APG | 0.1 SPG | 0.7 BPG
While the Minnesota Timberwolves would end up with a 50-22 record, you can bet the farm on the fact that backup center Dean Garrett did not contribute much to the cause. Garrett was a 6-foot-10 225-pound center who had competed for seven years in the EuroLeague before debuting in the NBA in the 1996-97 season. He performed rather well that season.
Unfortunately, that was not the case in 1999-2000.
The trouble with the Timberwolves continued to be pairing up the right rim protector who could complement the physicality and intensity of PF Kevin Garnett. In the 1999-2000 season, the Timberwolves struggled mightily, despite a rotation of three NBA centers. In this season, Joe Smith proved to be the best center on the Timberwolves roster. Dean Garrett simply was not.
The saving grace for Garrett is the fact that he was merely a backup who did not find himself heavily involved in the number of his appearances or the number of minutes averaged per game. It was that lack of meaningful minutes that allowed him to be graded on the curve. That was not as much of a factor the following season.