Rank Your Favorite Wolves Squad Ever

[UnFadeable21]

Wow this season has been a roller coaster of win streaks and losing streaks but I think we can all agree that this team is fun to watch. They have dynamic offensive power with KAT, DLo, and ANT. They can guard with Pat Bev, Vando, and Jaden.

My question to you is, where does this team rank in terms of your favorite Wolves squad ever? These are probably the 5 best Wolves rosters and fun seasons we have had in our 30 year Franchise History.

I only listed the big 3 from every season but all 5 years had very good role players like Mitchell and Porter in 97-98. Wally in 03. Kmart in 13. Taj & Teague in 17. Pat B & Vando in present 21.

1997-98 Wolves - KG, Marbury, Googs - (45-37)
2002-03 Wolves - KG, Cassell, Spree - (58-24)
2013-14 Wolves - Rubio, Love, Pek - (40-42)
2017-18 Wolves - Butler, KAT, Wigs - (47-35)
2021-22 Wolves - KAT, DLo, ANT - (15-15)

[UnFadeable21]

Probably should of had Anthony Peeler listed instead of Terry Porter in 97-98 but was thinking of the veteran leadership that squad had with the young guys in KG and Steph.

[Worm Guts]

I'm sure a lot of the younger fans will choose the more recent teams, but I can't imagine choosing a team without KG on it. It's a pretty tough choice between the Marbury, Googs, KG teams and the more successful KG, Spree, Cassell team. I think I would go with the Marbury and Googs version just because the feeling was hope and optimism as opposed to the urgency felt with Spree and Cassell. On the other hand, the greatest moment in Wolves history is game 7 against Sacramento. It's a tough call for me.

The only other team to make the playoffs, the Butler team, almost felt like a disappointment because I expected them to be better. Something like a top 4 seed. Instead they were a 7 seed and dismissed pretty easily in the first round.

[UnFadeable21]

I'm sure a lot of the younger fans will choose the more recent teams, but I can't imagine choosing a team without KG on it. It's a pretty tough choice between the Marbury, Googs, KG teams and the more successful KG, Spree, Cassell team. I think I would go with the Marbury and Googs version just because the feeling was hope and optimism as opposed to the urgency felt with Spree and Cassell. On the other hand, the greatest moment in Wolves history is game 7 against Sacramento. It's a tough call for me.

The only other team to make the playoffs, the Butler team, almost felt like a disappointment because I expected them to be better. Something like a top 4 seed. Instead they were a 7 seed and dismissed pretty easily in the first round.

03-04 is definitely the best squad ever. They were title contenders but the question isn’t the best squad ever. It’s your favorite squad ever.

03-04 was ruined with how the team imploded the following 2 seasons. Cassell traded for Marko Jaric. Spree not signing a 3 year 21 million contract because he couldn’t afford to feed his family.

That 1997-98 team was fun as hell! I was only 10 years old but I can still remember those teams because I watched every game on Channel 29 as a kid.

But that teamed imploded too. Googs and Marbury hated each orher. Marbury couldn’t accept being number 2 to KG.

At least with this team, there’s hope that it can be more than just a one hit wonder. I believe this years team has a chance to survive for a while because KAT, ANT, Jaden, and Vando all have 3 years left, DLo has 2.

[Worm Guts]

I don't really have any thought of this team becoming a championship contender as constructed, which is different from the KG teams. For this team to become one of my favorites, it will have to overachieve. Which probably means winning a playoff series.

[TaylorTag]

I didn't become a Wolves fan until around 2010... This is easily my favorite Wolves team.

[shrink]

What a great poll, Unfadeable!

I really struggled with this poll too, so they were great options. Like Worm Guts, it’s hard for me to pick a team that doesn’t have KG on it. I have really liked Rubio, but Ant may pass him as my second favorite Wolf of all time.

I eventually chose the earliest team, thinking I’d be the only one, and I was surprised to see others choose that one as well. I liked Googs, and had forgotten (repressed?) Marbury didn’t like him. But I remember how much fun Garnett and Marbury were when they were young (how crazy is it that they did the ESPN commercial for “tasteful” nudity, before the Body Issues?!?). Also, the young Garnett - the Kid - was adorable. Since almost no one back then jumped from high school straight to the nba, Garnett was 5-15 years younger than his teammates. I heard in his downtime, he used to play NBA2k with four of himselves and one Googs, and he set up a basketball hoop at the end of his driveway and would play with the neighbor kids. That’s just heartwarming.

————

#12 is their commercial.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/11/best-greatest-sports-athlete-commercials-all-time-ranked-michael-jordan-lebron-tiger

[UnFadeable21]

I will say that this year’s roster is actually pretty well constructed and much deeper than many years past.

We have real offense fire power with the big 3 but also 3 legit defenders in Pat Bev, Vando and Jaden.

Our bench is pretty decent with Naz, Malik and Nowell coming on now as well.

[Klomp]

This season is probably right after 2003-04 and 1997-98.

[life_saver]

I am a younger fan..so going with this year's roster

[karch34]

I went 03-04 narrowly over 97-98.

97-98 felt like something exciting was just about to happen and future was bright. We took the #1 seed to the brink with a roster that had 7.5 healthy players. So much joy thinking what we could be.

03-04 was best ball we ever played. I have no doubt if Cassell doesn't get hurt we win the title. The hesitancy to make it favorite was due to the sadness of what should've been.

[shrink]

I am a younger fan..so going with this year's roster

This may become everyone’s answer. Ten years from now, we may look back at this wonderful year, as the season that Ant showed us all that he was going to become a Hall of Famer!

[Calinks]

I was a kid whi didn't care at all about basketball in 97-98. My brothers loved this era though, they felt like we were a lock for future finals. Looking back it did look awesome, the energy must have been off the charts. It was probably like having a young Ant and just coming into his own Giannis on the same squad, very exciting.

03-04 is was right after I started to really care and it was a great time. That's my favorite. I haven't really loved a team since though I enjoyed them all, even the bad ones for the most part.

[Nick K]

I had to gowith 03-04 first because we had Wally and Freddy. How great would Wally and Freddy fit on this team today? Both shot near mid 40% from 3 that year.

It's a tough call for #2. I'm tempted to say Kat, Dlo and Ant. #3 KG, Googs and Steph were great to watch too.

[LibertyPrime]

"Clearly, Cherokee wasn't ready for the fun police."

Watch on YouTube

[Klomp]

I was a kid whi didn't care at all about basketball in 97-98. My brothers loved this era though, they felt like we were a lock for future finals. Looking back it did look awesome, the energy must have been off the charts. It was probably like having a young Ant and just coming into his own Giannis on the same squad, very exciting.

03-04 is was right after I started to really care and it was a great time. That's my favorite. I haven't really loved a team since though I enjoyed them all, even the bad ones for the most part.

1997-98 was right at the start of my fandom. I was like 10. I still remember playing Kobe Bryant NBA Courtside on the N64 and playing with this crew. It's funny, the guys I actually remember just as much as the top guys in the game were Staley Roberts, Micheal Williams and Chris Carr.

[King Malta]

I started 'supporting' the team around 97-98 but probably started to get more serious about it around 2001-2002. The 03-04 team is easily my favourite. I adored and idolised Kevin Garnett and absolutely loved Spree, Sam, Hassell, Wally and Hoiberg. Also helps that this was easily the best team we've ever had. I still feel that if Sam was fit for the Lakers series we'd have a banner in the rafters.

A team I also loved that isn't on this list was the (tragically brief) 'KG Returns' rosters. Seeing guys like Garnett, Martin, Prince and Miller tutor Wiggs, Lavine, Gorgui, Ricky and KAT under the guidance of Flip/Smitch was super enjoyable and gave me so much hope for the future.

[younggunsmn]

97-98 Hands down with Marbury, KG, Googs (and Kevin Harlan announcing Googlioooglioogly baby!). Because that's the brightest the future has ever looked for this franchise. I am still really sad that team blew up so fast with such a run of horrible management moves in the space of just 2 years including the Joe Smith Fiasco. Those KG seasons starting with 96-97 through 03-04 are all at the top of my list. I loved the 03-04 team with so many loveable roleplayers and heartstopping playoff wins. But with Spree and Sam kinda washed already, it didnt feel sustainable.

Outside of KG years, the Butler year is tops depending on how this year shakes out. If this team makes top 6 or wins its way out of the play in, it moves it to the top of the list.

I was not a fan of most of Rosas' moves, but hiring Finch was a home run. I've never seen this kind of buy in from a non-flip coached team. And he has been finding a way to meld and maximize his players skillsets instead of pounding a square peg into a round scheme and ignoring the defensive side of the ball.
If he can find a way to counter the way teams have been guarding KAT I'm more optimistic of us finishing over 500, which in and of itself puts this year 2nd among 20+ years of non-KG teams.

[Dalvin]

I'd go with 03-04, because they were able to go deep into the playoffs that I was able to watch most of their games.

97-98, would've been top for me but I was only able to watch a couple of their games. Most of the time, I would just be able to follow their games through newspaper articles. Me being outside the US and most of the games televised here then were tape delayed and only the big market teams.

13-14, was the season that I was able to enjoy most of the games with streaming already available. Although the close losses we had that year was mildly infuriating.

17-18, the team was winning but most of the games left a bad taste in my mouth. I remember enjoying other losing seasons more than this one.

This season would be 4th or 5th on my list. Since I remember enjoying Rubio's rookie year in 11-12 before his season was cut short, it was a shame we were playing well and that injury sorta derailed that season.

[karch34]

13-14 was fun until Kobe took out Rubio. He was never the same and Adelman’s personal life rightly made basketball take a back seat. That did have some moments though