Crying Wolves

For some reason, the Minnesota Timberwolves always suck at the NBA Draft, especially when they are trading up and down at the top of the draft. They just have a knack of getting it all wrong.

In 1996, that is, one year after they had selected Kevin Garnett, they decided that they needed point guard help instead of a shooting guard. After taking Ray Allen with the fifth pick, they decided to trade with the Milwaukee Bucks for Stephon Marbury, the fourth pick, by throwing in a future first-round pick for good measure. While Allen is still going strong at the age of 34, and was an integral part (with Garnett) for the Boston Celtics' title-winning run last year, Marbury, a shoot-first, shoot-second and shoot-third point guard, has long been regarded as a destructive force for teams who, ironically, won a ring last year while riding on the Celtics' bench.

If you think that they suck at trading up, think again, as they suck at trading down as well. In 2006, they selected Brandon Roy with the sixth pick. Shortly afterwards, they traded him away for Randy Foye, the seventh pick plus cash considerations. It didn't take long for them to realize their mistake as Roy went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award, while Foye never really develops into a top-flight point guard, and they finally give up on him by sending him to the Washington Wizards.

Last year, they did it again. As Yours truly has mentioned before, they traded away O.J. Mayo, the third pick, for the immortal Kevin Love, the fifth pick. While Mayo finished second in the Rookie of the Year Award, Love has still yet materialized into a force in the middle.

This year, it doesn't look good for them again. Thanks to the aforementioned Foye's trade to the Wizards, the Timberwolves now have four picks in the first round in this year's NBA Draft, one of the weakest in recent years. Rumours had it that they are trying to package some or all of the picks to move up to select Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet, a bust in the making.

Just mark my words: Don't do it.