2006 Minnesota Timberwolves Preview

Welcome to the 2006 Minnesota Timberwolves NBA Preview page. At the time of publish preseason games are winding down and the regular season about to be begin. If you enjoy betting on NBA basketball be sure to use Maddux Sports for NBA Basketball Picks and visit the Live NBA Betting Lines to increase your winning percentage this season.

2006 Minnesota Timberwolves Basketball Season Preview

The Wolves have made some upgrades with the hope that they can give superstar Kevin Garnett the help he needs. Last season the club could not win on the road, going 9- 32. That has to change if they expect to be a contender.

Free agent Mike James (20.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.8 APG, 46.9 FG%, 83.7 FT%) left the Raptors for the Timberwolves. At point guard, he should have an immediate impact. Look for him to score from 3-point land and to be a sound on-floor leader. Shooting guard Ricky Davis (19.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.1 APG, 44.8 FG%, 79.7 FT%) will get the start at shooting guard but expect rookie Randy Foye (Villanova) to start seeing floor time immediately.

Kevin Garnett (21.8 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, 52.6 FG%, 81.0 FT%) can do it all and all the time. He’s a master of the double-double and certainly one of the finest power forwards in the NBA. But he has not been a force in crunch time. Can he step up? Small forward Eddie Griffin (4.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 0.6 APG, 35.1 FG%, 59.5 FT%) had some promising moments last year but is still a work-in-progress. This is his fifth season and it could be his year to breakout or to breakdown.

Mark Blount (11.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.2 APG, 50.8 FG%, 75.7 FT%) starts at center. He’s got a fairly accurate shot but doesn’t have the physical presence to dominate. In this area, there’s precious little depth.

Last season rookie coach Dwayne Casey managed to be a levelheaded leader, despite his team’s lack of production. He’s got smarts and is a good game manager. A major trade with Boston in the middle of last season drastically altered the composition of his team, but Casey went with the flow. He works harder than anyone in the organization.

During the off-season, the front office has improved the Timberwolves. Still, they are a team that’s trying to find themselves. It will be difficult for Minnesota to make the playoffs, but they should play better ball than they did in 2005-06.

For more info on the 2006 Timberwolves basketball team visit the Timberwolves official website from NBA.com or keep reading up on their division rivals including the Trailblazers, Super Sonics, Jazz, and Nuggets.