Greatest unsung hero in every NBA team’s history

Minnesota Timberwolves: Wally Szczerbiak

No conversations about the 1990s and 2000s Minnesota Timberwolves, their most consistent run of success to date, can begin without focussing on the centerpiece of those teams: Kevin Garnett.

“The Big Ticket” more than lived up to that moniker. As a generational talent, Garnett led the Timberwolves to the postseason for eight consecutive seasons. But Garnett’s otherworldly talent was also a bit of a curse. The team never truly found another star to put next to Garnett. As a result, Minnesota bowed out in the first round in seven of those eight seasons.

In terms of help, the best that Minnesota could do was Wally Szczerbiak, who was…okay. The Timberwolves drafted him with the sixth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, which wasn’t exactly brimming with Hall of Fame talent. Shawn Marion has the most win shares in that class.

Despite his high draft status, Szczerbiak wasn’t the transcendent piece that Garnett was, but he settled in nicely as a quality secondary scoring option who could light it up from behind the arc.

In seven seasons with the Timberwolves, Szczerbiak averaged 15.5 points per game while shooting 40.4 percent from 3-point land. He wasn’t much of a defender with just 9.7 defensive win shares in Minnesota. However, he thrived as a spot-up shooter that could put the ball on the floor and finish every now and again.

Even though some delusional fans hold him in higher regard than others, Szczerbiak had a solid career in Minnesota. He even made the NBA All-Star team in 2002. He also had a nickname that someone who really liked National Lampoon’s Vacation gave him.