Ranking the 5 greatest teams in Timberwolves history
By Will Eudy
3. 1999-2000
- 50-32 record
- Playoff finish: Lost first round vs Trail Blazers
The Timberwolves team that started off the new century in Minnesota helped the franchise earn their fourth consecutive bid to the playoffs. It would be the midway point of an eight-year playoff streak for the Wolves that lasted from 1997 until 2004.
But shockingly, Minnesota would lose in the first round of every single one of these playoff appearances until they were finally able to break through in 2004. The 1999-2000 team would bow out in a 3-1 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.
One may wonder how a team featuring the all-world talent of Kevin Garnett could so consistently disappoint. Unfortunately, the answer lies in where the team’s finances were at the time. In 1998, the Timberwolves famously signed KG to a six-year, $126 million deal.
At the time, this was a record-breaking transaction, and it was one that would leave the organization’s hands perpetually tied. With so much of their money being spent on Garnett, they did not have the means to go out and sign a marquee player to pair with him on the court.
As such, it seemed to be purely the Kevin Garnett show in Minnesota for some time. In this season, the Wolves’ big man was named to the All-NBA First Team, and earned All-Defensive First Team honors as well. It was the first of six straight seasons where Garnett would be an All-Defense First Team member, solidifying his place among the greatest defenders in NBA history.