NBA legend Kevin Garnett wasn’t initially on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ shortlist of prospects ahead of the 1995 NBA Draft. Like most teams, the Wolves were apprehensive about selecting a high school kid from the talent pool. There were concerns about their maturity levels, physically and mentally.
Picking the wrong player could set a franchise back for years. So they put on their thinking hat.
Wolves try to game the system
The Wolves were eyeing Maryland’s Joe Smith, Alabama’s Antonio McDyess, and North Carolina teammates Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse. The catch was that they had the fifth pick behind Golden State (No. 1), the Los Angeles Clippers (2), the Philadelphia 76ers (3), and the Washington Bullets (4).
Given the very slim chance of snagging their top choices, the Wolves front office tried to game the system by intentionally boosting Garnett’s stock, who was projected to fall within the top five. Coach Flip Saunders and team vice president Kevin McHale devised a scheme to propel KG up the ranks.
“The story Flip tells is, him and McHale go in there saying, ‘OK, whatever happens, we’re going to praise the hell out of Garnett, and say he’s great,’ because they wanted either Joe Smith, Stackhouse, McDyess or Rasheed to fall to them,” said Minneapolis Star-Tribune reporter Jerry Zgoda, via Bleacher Report.
Wolves have a change of heart
Before commencing with their sneaky plan, word started to spread about KG’s impressive workouts with other teams. Scouts said Garnett looked extremely nervous at first. But when he calmed down, the 6’11” power forward started showing off his next-level handles, extreme mobility, and soft touch from the perimeter.
Wolves head coach Flip Saunders and team vice president Kevin McHale invited the unicorn to a workout and were so impressed that they scrapped their initial plan.
“His intensity, his energy, his skill set, everything he did was off the charts. If you would have just brought in 10 guys, the top 10 guys, and you just would have let them play and go through things, you would have said, ‘OK, we’re taking him No. 1,'” Saunders said.
The Wolves selected Garnett as their fifth overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft. He averaged 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in his first season and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. By his sophomore year, KG became an All-Star for the very first time. The Wolves front office’s risk paid off, and they ventured to build around their young power forward.
As for the other NBA teams, they wanted their own KG. They sent their scouts to far-flung high school gyms in search of a lanky and mobile teenager who had the defensive and offensive instincts like Garnett.
To an extent, KG was the first stretch-four years before the term became famous. Stretch-fours of today are mere catch-and-shoot players and one-dimensional. Kevin could create his own shots and was a menace on defense. His trademark intensity boosted team chemistry and momentum. Over the years, players with a similar build and skill set to KG have graced the NBA. But no one has ever filled his shoes.