Fansided

Every NBA team’s best iteration ever

By Micah Wimmer

PORTLAND, OR - 1987: Head Coach Pat Riley leads Magic Johnson #32, Byron Scott #4, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 during a game played circa 1987 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1987 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - 1987: Head Coach Pat Riley leads Magic Johnson #32, Byron Scott #4, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar #33 during a game played circa 1987 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1987 NBAE (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK – DECEMBER 23: Kevin Garnett #21 and Latrell Sprewell #8 of the Minnesota Timberwolves watch the game against the New York Knicks from the bench at Madison Square Garden on December 23, 2003 in New York, New York. The Timberwolves won 98-92. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK – DECEMBER 23: Kevin Garnett #21 and Latrell Sprewell #8 of the Minnesota Timberwolves watch the game against the New York Knicks from the bench at Madison Square Garden on December 23, 2003 in New York, New York. The Timberwolves won 98-92. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Minnesota Timberwolves: 2003-04

Of all the hard decisions I had to make as I wrote this piece, choosing the 2004 team as the Minnesota Timberwolves’ best was probably the easiest. In the Wolves’ 29-year history, they have only made the playoffs nine times, and only advanced beyond the first round once — in 2004, when they advanced to the Western Conference Finals before falling to the Shaq and Kobe Lakers.

This team was led by Kevin Garnett, who had been singlehandedly willing the Wolves to make the playoffs for years and in 2004 he turned in the best season of his career. He won MVP but he also had more help from his supporting cast than at any other time in his tenure with Minnesota. The previous offseason, they had traded for Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, who both helped to alleviate the scoring load off Garnett’s shoulders. Cassell, in particular was great, as he earned a second-team All-NBA nod and the lone All-Star appearance of his long career. However, Cassell struggled with back spasms throughout the -layoffs, limiting him to just 64 minutes in the Conference Finals, which certainly hurt the Wolves in their quest to make the Finals.

The following season, the magic just wasn’t there as it had been the year before, and Minnesota won 14 less games than they had the year before and failed to make the playoffs — something the franchise would not achieve again until 2018 — allowing that spectacular 2004 season to stand out even more.

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