Minneapolis – As the final seconds counted down on the unexpected season finale Wednesday, the weary Minnesota Timberwolves faithful got on their feet.
Young Wolves forward Ndudi Ebi had the ball atop the 3-point line with the crowd ready to go wild if he knocked the shot down. Instead, his air ball just before the buzzer could have injured a photographer sitting on the baseline. The crowd went quiet as one of the most disappointing seasons in sports history ended.
There were real dreams of winning a Western Conference title for Minnesota, and even the NBA championship. Instead, the Wolves are on vacation, in major disarray. Expect numerous changes.
“You get what you deserve in this league,” said Wolves coach and vice president Kevin McHale, adding his team deserved to get “whupped 38 times because we didn’t work hard enough.
“There were times we were too worried about other things. We didn’t come into camp with a sense of urgency. We came to camp with a sense of complacency. In sports, if you want to get your rear end kicked, come in complacent.”
Signs of a bad season began in training camp, when stars Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell started complaining about their contracts.
In hopes of helping his cause for a contract extension, Sprewell famously stated, “I’ve got my family to feed.” The 34-year-old had a $14.6 million salary last season.
Cassell, who was plagued by injuries during the season, has another year on his contract paying $6.8 million.
Owner Glen Taylor did not give either an extension and told the St. Paul Pioneer Press their addition was “a poor decision” and a “failed experiment.”
“If we had done well this year, it would have become a forgotten thing,” McHale said. “It ended up being a lightning rod that unfortunately created a tough spot for Spree and Sammy. When you say things, you make your own bed in this life, and you have to sleep in it. That’s the risk you run.”
Things started to unravel when Minnesota went 4-9 in February and 10-5 in March. The Wolves entered April at 38-34 and fighting with the Nuggets and Memphis for the seventh and eighth playoff spots. But with the Nuggets too hot and the Grizzlies playing just good enough, a terrible loss at lowly Atlanta on April 9 sealed Minnesota’s doom as it missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996.
“We had some unbelievable, brutal losses,” McHale said. “We lost to Indiana after (the NBA) suspended the entire team. I think we were playing against the hot-dog vendors.”
At the start of the season, the Timberwolves’ finale Wednesday against San Antonio looked to be a big game that could have determined a high playoff seed for both. It ended up meaning nothing for the championship-caliber Spurs and the cold Wolves. Instead of talking about the most disappointing season in his illustrious career, forward Kevin Garnett left the Target Center without speaking to the media.
“Now not making it, it’s really going to hit me hard and the team hard,” Wolves forward Wally Szczerbiak said.
Ain’t that the truth. Sprewell, forward Eddie Griffin and four others will be free agents. The Wolves need a new coach. There is always talk about trading Szczerbiak, and Cassell could be dangled as trade bait, too. And McHale needs some time before determining whether he wants to return to his executive office.
And to think they were in the Western Conference finals last year.
“We’ll see the direction it goes,” Szczerbiak said. “I’ve had six great years, but who knows what’s going to happen?
“This year’s been very, very frustrating, but there will be a lot of changes made.”
Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-820-5449 or mspears@denverpost.com. He also can be heard on ESPN 560 AM on Thursday mornings on “The Press Box” and at 4 p.m.
