The last of the Original Minnesota Timberwolves, Doug West played over 600 games for the franchise.  West was a very popular player among the T-Wolves fans and would have his career year in the 1992-93 campaign where he averaged 19 Points per Game.  While West played a lot of games for Minnesota he finished his T-Wolves career (and NBA career in general) with a negative VORP and other advanced metrics, basically indicating that he was slightly an under average NBA player making it very hard to rank him much higher than where he is.

The last two years of Fred Hoiberg’s playing career were spent with Minnesota where he did exactly the same thing he did everywhere else he played; come off the bench and drain threes.  Hoiberg’s final year as a player actually saw him post his best shooting numbers by a wide margin, even leading the Association in Three Point Shooting Percentage.  Hoiberg was forced to retire due to medical reasons and he would join the Timberwolves front office before he departed to Iowa State as their head coach.

A two time All-Star with Portland when he arrived in Minnesota in his early 30’s, Terry Porter brought veteran leadership and poise to the T-Wolves when he arrived.  While Porter was now coming off of the bench, it was while he was there that Minnesota finally broke through to the playoffs and had a winning season.  His locker room presence certainly helped in that regard.

The career of Stephon Marbury (“Starbury”) has been controversial for sure, but it was in Minnesota where he began his NBA career, though we wonder if there are people in the Gopher State who wish he never arrived!

Karl-Anthony Towns arrived in Minnesota as the first overall pick of the 2015 Draft and he did exactly what you want in his rookie season by winning the Rookie of the Year award and being a fringe All-Star candidate.  What you expect after is for steady improvement and again, this is exactly what the T-Wolves have received thus far.

From the former Yugoslavian nation of Slovenia, Radoslav “Rasho” Nesterovic was a late first rounder who may not have done things fancy, but did the little things to make his teams better.  Nesterovic grew his game every season in Minnesota, leading up to an 11.2 Points per Game season, the most productive of his career.  It was so good, he was signed by the San Antonio Spurs and would earn a NBA Championship Ring with them in 2005.

Coming out of UCLA, Point Guard, Pooh Richardson (yes, he was named after Winnie the Pooh), never missed a game in his three seasons with the Timberwolves.  The former Pac-10 Freshman of the Year would average 15 Points per Game in Minnesota, which was by far the best offensive output of his career…though he never did learn how to shoot free throws!

Statistically speaking Joe Smith belongs on this list. The versatile forward averaged 10.3 Points per Game over 247 NBA contests with slightly above average advanced metrics. He would essentially become an NBA journeyman playing for 12 teams, but it was with Minnesota where he was most famous, and dare we say most infamous.

A member of the Minnesota Timberwolves midway through his National Basketball Association career, Anthony Peeler, spent the bulk of his NBA tenure with the Wolves.  Peeler managed a long NBA career but it was with Minnesota where he had his longest run.

From the West African nation of Senegal, the large Center, Gorgui Dieng played in the United States in High School and in College at the University of Louisville.  Dieng would be a late first rounder for the Timberwolves and has provento be a solid member of the NBA.  As a very young man, we are anxious to see what else he may have within him on the hardwood.

Over the sixteen years that Tyrone Corbin spent in the NBA, there is no question that the best run of his career was in Minnesota.  Joining the T-Wolves when they were an expansion team, he was not winning often but he enjoyed the best individual seasons on his career putting up career highs in Points per Game with 18.0 and Rebounds with 7.4.

How can you not love the story of Sam Mitchell?

A mega-star at Duke and a member of the 1992 United States Dream Team, Christian Laettner did not have the same career he had in the professional ranks as he did in the college ones, but the third overall draft pick in 1992 still made a mark in Minnesota.  Laettner’s numbers were at his best in Minnesota where he averaged a healthy 17.2 Points per Game Average.

The well travelled (eight teams in fifteen years) Sam Cassell plied his trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves for just two seasons, one of which resulted in his only All Star Game appearance.  In that season, the Point Guard would average 19.8 Points per Game and a 22.8 PER, both of which were career highs when he was with one team during an NBA campaign.  He would also be named to a post season All-NBA team, again the only time in his career that occurred.

From the small Basketball mad nation of Montenegro, Nikola Pekovic took his sweet time making his way to the NBA as he was busy dominating the Euro League.  Pekovic would finish third in Most Improved Voting in the 2011/12 season and followed that up with two seasons averaging over 15 Points and 8 Rebounds per Game.  Pekovic would suffer ankle issues in the 2014/15 season that limited his playing time to 31 Games and even less in he next season where he only played in 12.  He would be waived shortly after as he was not able to contribute on an NBA level but he was still a very good player on albeit poor Timberwolves teams.

No matter the efficiency of Ricky Rubio, one thing can always be stated about Spanish Point Guard, Ricky Rubio; he is always exciting to watch!

This might be one of the easiest top choice that we ever had to decide on.  

In the lengthy 14-year NBA career of Power Forward, Tom Gugliotta, the peak period was easily the three and half seasons he was with Minnesota.  “Googs” would reward the Timberwolves fans with two consecutive 20 Point per Game seasons and was an All-Star in 1997.

An All-Star twice as a Cleveland Cavalier, Terrell Brandon had a lot left to offer when he arrived in Minnesota. The Point Guard was equal mentor as he was a player and would actually see the best Assists numbers of his career. This was also true with his Steals statistics, as he would twice finish in the top ten in Steals per Game.
Brandon, who was with the T-Wolves for three and a half seasons never had a PER under 20, an outstanding number that reflects his overall game.

The son of former ABA player, Walt Szczerbiak, Wally Szczerbiak was sixth overall by the T-Wolves after being named the MAC Player of the Year.  The former University of Miami Redhawk would make First Team All-Rookie honors and in his third year, he would have his best ever campaign in the National Basketball Association.  That year, Szczerbiak would make the All-Star Team.  As a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Szczerbiak would finish in the top ten in Effective Field Goal Percentage three times and in Field Goal Percentage twice.