By Eric D. Williams
The News Tribune
Minneapolis — They have the two worst records in the league, and are staring up at the rest of the teams in the Northwest Division.
The Seattle SuperSonics (6-17) and the Minnesota T-wolves (3-17), two teams that play each other tonight at 5 p.m. at the Target Center, are tracking down similar paths. Both teams traded away franchise players and started anew, choosing to rebuild with an emphasis on youth.
Oddly enough the franchise players form each team both ended up at the same place, as Seattle moved Ray Allen to Boston on draft day and Minnesota traded Kevin Garnett to the same location a month later.
Seattle has focused its rebuilding effort around rookies Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. The Wolves are molding their future around the centerpiece they received in the trade with the Celtics, 6-foot-10 big man Al Jefferson. The 22-year-old leads Minnesota in points (19.9 a contest) and rebounds (11.1 a game).
Although the two teams have just nine wins between them, both franchises believe they are making progress in terms of the growth of their young players.
Minnesota had earned a watershed victory over Phoenix at home last Saturday before losing its past two games. Lately, slow starts have been a problem for the Wolves.
“I maybe need to put on the board that we’re down 14 points to start the game,” Minnesota head coach Randy Whittman told The Star-Tribune, “because that’s when we fight.”
Seattle heads into Minnesota after perhaps its best team effort in a win over the New York Knicks at the Big Apple on Wednesday.
Although the Sonics, winners of four of their past seven, have struggled finishing games this season, Seattle coach P.J. Carlesimo believes his team, including young guys like Durant and Green, have done well with overcoming adversity early in the year.
“Their resiliency and their attitude have been the most positive thing for me,” Carlesimo said. “They’ve been great. They’ve worked hard through the preseason, and they’ve worked hard through a difficult stretch of games with the record we have, and a tough schedule.”
Today’s game also marks the return of Wally Szczerbiak to Minnesota, where he played the first six and a half years in the league. Szczerbiak said he looks forward to playing again at the Target Center.
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