Let's Stop Talking about Garnett Only and Talk about the Entire Team for Once
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by user Romiezzo
There is all this talk about Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves getting traded, but let's put that aside, poeple aren't talking about the team as whole. Minnesota made their first transaction this season, as they now have a new member of the 'Wolves roster: Juwan Howard.
Juwan Howard just got traded to the T-Wolves, where in return for his former team, they'd get Mike James and Justin Reed. This past season, Juwan Howard, he averaged 9.8 points per game, with 6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Sure, he's out of his prime, but he's got a lot of experience, and I believe that the 34 year old can make at least a little bit of a difference for the Timberwolves.
As far as the Rockets go, I believe that they did pretty well with this trade as well. Mike James (10.1/2.0/3.6;pts, rebs, assists respectfully) should be a pretty good substituting point guard to help the Rockets. Justin Reed: Well, he's no Tracy McGrady, but he's an all right fill in.
Juwan Howard has always been regarded as a consistent hard working player. He peaked in the 1995-1996 NBA season as the leader of the Bullets who were playing without an injured Chris Webber. Howard has been criticized by some for not being a bigger force on the defensive end. With his size (6-9, 250 lbs), his best rebounding year was his rookie year when he averaged 8.4 per game.
During his career, Howard has also been forced into being the first option; a role he was not particularly suited for. He became the Wizards' first option out of default after Chris Webber was traded. His level of play did not measure up to expectations and his status as a big time player was criticized by fans. A similar situation surfaced in two years with the Denver Nuggets as well. Howard was the first option and the Nuggets were among the worst teams in the West.
Nevertheless, even at age 34, Howard's work ethic and consistency make him a valuable player worthy of quality minutes on any NBA team. All in all, I think this is a good trade for both teams, since the Timberwolves need some talent and experience and someone that could possibly help bring the team together. The Rockets made a pretty even trade for getting rid of Howard, in my opinion.
So, what do you guys think? Let's think about the situation that the Wolves are in now. Do you think that Garnett should be traded now? I mean, the Wolves have Ricky Davis, Kevin Garnett, and now Howard. They're getting older, and getting farther away from their primes, but I believe that they CAN become a solid team if they get a couple of guards. Garnett is only 31 years old, Juwan is 34, and Davis is . Garnett still led the league in rebounds (12.8) this year, but could this possibly start a spark for Minnesota. They could possibly focus on getting trades for better guards and wait for their options before they even think about what they're going to do with Garnett. Garnett is still pretty damn good; not as good as he was in his prime, but he still managed to get 22.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.
