Revisionist history: What if Cassell wasn’t hurt?
Posted on May 6th, 2008 – 3:00 PMBy Michael Rand
Most people remember the Wolves’ one season of glory in 2004 when they earned the No. 1 seed in the West, then defeated a pesky Denver squad in five games before going the distance in a memorable seven-gamer with Sacramento that ended with Chris Webber’s three rattling out for a three-point Wolves win and a berth in the conference finals. People also remember that was as far as things went, followed by year two of MV3 turning into a fiasco of petty squabbles that eventually cost Flip Saunders his job and started the downward spiral toward trading KG and starting over. What gets glossed over in the misery that followed is that Sam Cassell was severely limited in the conference finals — won in six games by the Lakers — because of hip and back problems. In four of the six games, he played five minutes or fewer. The Lakers were fearsome, but they proved to be very human in the finals when they lost to the Pistons in five games. What if Cassell hadn’t been hurt? Do the Wolves win that series, maybe in seven games, and at least make the NBA finals? Does that change anything going into the next season — perhaps the Wolves would have had more incentive to extend Cassell’s contract, making him a happier camper? Do the Wolves perform well enough that they don’t fire Flip Saunders and don’t eventually trade Cassell AND a No. 1 pick for Marko Jaric? Are they able to more subtly rebuild around Garnett instead of trading him? These questions aren’t as obvious as the milkshake graphic (thanks, Jim), but they do bear pondering.
12 Responses to "Revisionist history: What if Cassell wasn’t hurt?"
If Cassell isn’t injured, Troy Hudson doesn’t have a huge couple of games. If Hudson doesn’t have a huge couple of games he isn’t signed to one of the worst contracts in Wolves history. I now see that Cassell’s chiropractor is to blame for the Wolves falling apart, not Kevin McHale.
Jama: wrong year. That was 02-03, before Cassell was even around. Hudson missed almost all of 03-04.
I could teach you, but I’d have to charge.
Damn you for always raining on my parade. Let me hate Troy Hudson in peace.
Sorry, you would be correct again.
How can I improve my milkshake by that extra 20%? I want to start bringing girls to the yard.
If ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ were candy and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas.
I drink your milkshake.
It wouldn’t have made much of a difference. KG still would have had his say in who to draft with that pick. We still would have offered way too much money to Sprewell for him to turn down and go belly-up. McHale would still be here.
Even with Cassell healthy, they don’t beat the Lakers, not even in 7. I remember the two games the Wolves won in that series seeming like the Lakers LET them win, only because they didn’t feel like showing up that night. The Pistons, on the other hand, were a really awful matchup for the not-entirely-motivated and tired Lakers.
Good points about the Cassell trade though, there’s a chance he would’ve stayed and they would have kept that #1 pick… but still, while the Wolves would’ve been a better team had that happened, I don’t think they’d be title contenders, exactly. They’d be the same old “make the playoffs as a 7 seed and leave in 5 or 6 games” Wolves.
I try to avoid thinking about this “what if” if possible. I definitely believe we would have won that series with a healthy Cassell. Our guard play without him was horrendous and we still took them to six games.
You can play the same “what if” game with the ‘03 team. That was a pretty solid team. The Rasho/Jackson tandem was a step up from ‘Kandi/Johnson. T-Hud, Wally and Garnett were on fire and there was a decent cast of backups. And they should have been up 3-1 but folded in the 4th in game 4.
The “what if” then was: If Marbury doesn’t demand a trade, leaving us with Terrell Brandon, who, if he didn’t break down early in the year would have made a better backcourt with T-Hud than Peeler and Strickland, would we have won game 4?
Almost the same situation. I have to agree s2rweeze: It’s the Lakers. Even if they’re not playing good, they know how to make the other team beat itself in the clutch situations. If the ‘03 Wolves were matched up with Utah or Portland in round one…
Are they playing this game in Atlanta right now?
what if yao didn’t get injured
