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The Wolves try to build on their historic 2003-2004 season.
2004 NBA Preview
The Timberwolves 2004-2005 season will begin the way it always should have - with the Wolves coming off of an emotional win over the Detroit Pistons. No, last night's preseason victory could never compare to the triumph that would have been had the Wolves been able to stay healthy enough take on the Pistons in the NBA Finals last June. But I could think of no better way transition into the beginning of the most epic season in franchise history than to cut down the champs. Last night we sent a message to every team in the league - "We're Here." Somewhere in the midst of an off-season that saw it's first Eastern Conference NBA Champion since the Chicago Bulls, sent the league's most dominant player to South Beach, and acquitted its most popular player of a headline grabbing rape charge, the Timberwolves managed to get lost. There were no flashy free-agent signings. There were no trade demands. There was just five long months to think about what should have been.
When the 2003-2004 season is chronicled in the NBA history books, the story will tell of a group of mediocre players who banded together and pulled a miraculous upset of the egotistical monster that was the Los Angeles Lakers. What should be in its place is the tale of a ill-fated franchise who finally made it out of the first round after seven years that was led by the MVP and his crew off cast-offs to the team's first title. But that story will never come true, as amazing a tale as it might have been. Because when the dust settled in the Western Conference Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves were one bad hip, one bad ankle, one bum knee, one broken transverse process, or one case of plantar fasciitis away from a trip to the Finals.
As the season starts on Wednesday night, the Wolves will be something that they haven't been since Terrell Brandon went down with a career ending injury - completely healthy. Other than the expected soreness and bruises, no one is hurt. There's not a player on the roster who'd be unable to play when Flip calls his name. A year ago, three of our top six would be out for most of the season. Yet the Wolves still managed to claim the best record in the Western Conference. A lot of people doubted me then, when I said the Timberwolves still had what it takes to win the title. Don't doubt the Wolves now, when the road is less difficult and the team is stronger.
The message has been sent - "We're Here." And we're not the team who was the joke of the NBA. We're not that team who couldn't beat the Spurs. And we're certainly not that team who couldn't get out of the first round. We're not that team. We're OUR TEAM. And this is OUR TIME. It's time to silence the critics. It's time to dominate this league. And it's finally time to claim the title that is rightfully ours as the best basketball team that this world has to offer. And you can chose not to believe in us, and you can try to knock us down. But they'll always be a teammate there to pick us back up. And there will always be that hope inside of us to keep us going. This is Our Team. This is Our Time.
And come June 2005, it will be Our Title.
Predictions:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division:
1. Philadelphia
2. New York
3. Boston
4. New Jersey
5. Toronto
Central Division:
1. Detroit
2. Indiana
3. Cleveland
4. Milwaukee
5. Chicago
Souteast Division
1. Miami
2. Orlando
3. Atlanta
4. Washington
5. Charlotte
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Northwest Division
1. Minnesota
2. Denver
3. Utah
4. Portland
5. Seattle
Pacific Division
1. Sacramento
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. Phoenix
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Golden State
Southwest Division
1. San Antonio
2. Houston
3. Dallas
4. Memphis
5. New Orleans
PLAYOFFS:
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1. Detroit
2. Miami
3. Philadelphia
4. Indiana
5. New York
6. Cleveland
7. Milwaukee
8. Orlando
First Round:
Detroit over Orlando
Miami over Milwaukee
Philadelphia over Cleveland
Indiana over New York
Conference Semifinals:
Detroit over Indiana
Miami over Philadelphia
Conference Finals:
Detroit over Miami
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
1. Minnesota
2. San Antonio
3. Sacramento
4. Houston
5. Los Angeles
6. Dallas
7. Denver
8. Utah
First Round:
Minnesota over Utah
San Antonio over Denver
Sacramento over Dallas
Houston over Los Angeles
Conference Semifinals:
Minnesota over Houston
San Antonio over Sacramento
Conference Finals:
Minnesota over San Antonio
NBA FINALS:
Minnesota over Detroit
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