They Got the Wrong Guy

I'm assuming you've seen the news already: the Timberwolves fired second-year coach Dwane Casey yesterday after compiling a 55-69 record (.443 winning percentage) over the past one-plus seasons. The main reason listed for the firing was inconsistency-- January has been a microcosm of that, with the team starting out winning seven of eight, then losing four straight. Despite their .500 record this season, despite the fact that, if the season ended today, the Wolves would be in the playoffs, team management decided a coaching change was in order.

They got rid of the wrong guy. It's time for Kevin to go.

No, not McHale. You certainly should make that argument; in fact, McHale's latest transaction misfires made it almost impossible for Casey to succeed as a head coach. To wit:

• Casey had three different starting lineups to work with in his season-and-a-half: Jaric-Hassell-Szerbiak-Garnett-Olowokandi (start of last season), Banks-Davis-Hassell-Garnett-Griffin (after the Wally trade), and James-Davis-Hassell-Garnett-Blount (this season). How were the starters supposed to get comfortable with each other?
• Casey did have a couple younger impact-type players since he started: Rashad McCants showed flashes last year before needing offseason microfracture surgery. Randy Foye is overrated but young and progressing. But no first-round pick from 2004 (forfeited), a failed first-rounder from 2003 (Ndudi Ebi), no first rounder from 2002 (forfeited), no first-round pick from 2001 (forfeited). So the team lacks any basic infrastructure of young talent.
• Overall, the talent on this team is pretty low. Mike James is a serviceable guard but not a starter on a great team. Ricky Davis is decent, but immature. Marko Jaric is mediocre. Troy Hudson is one-dimensional and rarely leaves the bench. (By the by, those two are making over $11 million this season while combining for an average 36 minutes a game.) Eddie Griffin has played his last game in a Timberwolves uniform.

And those are only the transactions that had a direct impact on Casey. Consider that Jaric cost us both Sam Cassell and a first-round pick. The Wally trade where we gave up another first round pick in order to acquire Marcus Banks, the team's point guard of the future. (Banks is currently averaging 10 minutes and 4 points per game from the Phoenix bench.) The team's horrible draft choices: Blake Stepp, Ebi, Rick Rickert, Marcus Taylor, Loren Woods, Igor Rakocevic, Will Avery, Louis Bullock, Paul Grant. Giving up on Chauncey Billups and Bobby Jackson. The ENTIRE Joe Smith fisaco. McHale's transaction history causes Matt Millen to blush.

However, we love our own here in Minnesota, and Glen Taylor apparently will never see McHale's obvious and numerous faults. Given that, it's time to say goodbye to the other Kevin.

Why?

Ay this point in his career, his value is inversely proportional to his age. Every season, KG gets less valuable to another team. The sooner he gets traded, the more we should be able to get back. In addition, Garnett has held up remarkably well physically-- if he blows out a knee in a meaningless Timberwolves game against Charlotte, his value diminishes greatly.

I can hear you saying that KG is still young enough to lead a team to a championship. And I agree. However, KG needs a Pippen to his Jordan, a Robinson to his Duncan, a 1A to his 1. To date, the Wolves have failed to get that for him. Wally, Ricky, Spree, Sam: none of these players have been talented enough. The closest the team came to having a 1 and 1A was Stephon Marbury, but that never panned out because Steph didn't like to get cold. We failed as recently as a month ago to get KG the second fiddle he needs, pulling out of the Iverson race because we didn't want to give up any young talent.

It is because of KG's talent that this team is going to be hamstrung for the next several seasons: KG's performance, combined with the performance of the handful of decent-to-okay players surrounding him, will assue the team of finishing just in (or just out) of the playoffs, leading to mid- to low-first round draft picks: non-impact players.

With both Kevins, this team is destined to tread water: KG is too good to let this team be bad, but McHale is too bad to let this team be good. Given that McHale seems to be untouchable, Garnett needs to go. Now.