1993–94 Minnesota Timberwolves season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Sidney Lowe |
Arena | Target Center |
Results | |
Record | 20–62 (.244) |
Place | Division: 5th (Midwest) Conference: 12th (Western) |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | KARE KITN-TV Prime Sports Upper Midwest |
Radio | KFAN |
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Timberwolves' 5th season in the National Basketball Association. [1] The city of Minneapolis hosted the 1994 NBA All-Star Game. In the 1993 NBA draft, the Timberwolves selected Isaiah Rider out of UNLV with the fifth overall pick, [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] and acquired Mike Brown from the Utah Jazz in the off-season. [7] The Timberwolves continued to struggle losing their first five games of the season, then posted two 7-game losing streaks in December and February, holding a 14–32 record at the All-Star break. [8] At midseason, the team traded Luc Longley to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Stacey King. [9] [10] [11] The Timberwolves posted an 8-game losing streak in March, and lost their final ten games of the season, finishing fifth in the Midwest Division with a 20–62 record. [12]
Second-year star Christian Laettner led the team with 16.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, while Rider finished second on the team in scoring with 16.6 points per game, was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, and also won the Slam Dunk Contest during the All-Star Weekend. [13] In addition, Doug West provided the team with 14.7 points per game, while Michael Williams contributed 13.7 points, 7.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and Chuck Person provided with 11.6 points per game. [14]
Following the season, the Timberwolves were nearly sold to a group of investors that would have moved the team to New Orleans, Louisiana, despite the stellar attendance at the Target Center. However, the NBA Board of Governors vetoed the sale, and new owner Glen Taylor promised to keep the team in Minneapolis. [15] [16] [17] [18] Also following the season, Person signed as a free agent with the San Antonio Spurs, [19] [20] while Thurl Bailey retired, and head coach Sidney Lowe was fired. [21]
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | Isaiah Rider | SG | ![]() | Nevada-Las Vegas |
2 | 29 | Sherron Mills | F | ![]() | Virginia Commonwealth |
Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
y- Houston Rockets | 58 | 24 | .707 | — | 35–6 | 23–18 | 15–11 |
x- San Antonio Spurs | 55 | 27 | .671 | 3 | 32–9 | 23–18 | 16–10 |
x- Utah Jazz | 53 | 29 | .646 | 5 | 33–8 | 20–21 | 21–5 |
x- Denver Nuggets | 42 | 40 | .512 | 16 | 28–13 | 14–27 | 14–12 |
Minnesota Timberwolves | 20 | 62 | .244 | 38 | 13–28 | 7–34 | 5–21 |
Dallas Mavericks | 13 | 69 | .159 | 45 | 6–35 | 7–34 | 7–19 |
# | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
1 | z-Seattle SuperSonics | 63 | 19 | .768 | – |
2 | y-Houston Rockets | 58 | 24 | .707 | 5 |
3 | x-Phoenix Suns | 56 | 26 | .683 | 7 |
4 | x-San Antonio Spurs | 55 | 27 | .671 | 8 |
5 | x-Utah Jazz | 53 | 29 | .646 | 10 |
6 | x-Golden State Warriors | 50 | 32 | .610 | 13 |
7 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 47 | 35 | .573 | 16 |
8 | x-Denver Nuggets | 42 | 40 | .512 | 21 |
9 | Los Angeles Lakers | 33 | 49 | .402 | 30 |
10 | Sacramento Kings | 28 | 54 | .341 | 35 |
11 | Los Angeles Clippers | 27 | 55 | .329 | 36 |
12 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 20 | 62 | .244 | 43 |
13 | Dallas Mavericks | 13 | 69 | .159 | 50 |
1993-94 NBA Records | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MIA | MIL | MIN | NJN | NYK | ORL | PHI | PHO | POR | SAC | SAS | SEA | UTA | WAS |
Atlanta | — | 4–0 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 |
Boston | 0–4 | — | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–2 |
Charlotte | 1–4 | 4–0 | — | 1–4 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 |
Chicago | 3–2 | 2–2 | 4–1 | — | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 |
Cleveland | 1–3 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
Dallas | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–5 | 0–4 | 0–5 | 1–1 |
Denver | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | — | 2–0 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 |
Detroit | 0–4 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 0–5 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | — | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 |
Golden State | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | — | 0–4 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 3–1 | 2–0 |
Houston | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 4–0 | — | 1–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 |
Indiana | 2–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
L.A. Clippers | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 0–4 | 0–2 | — | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 1–1 |
L.A. Lakers | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 0–5 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 3–2 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–5 | 1–4 | 0–4 | 0–5 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
Miami | 1–3 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
Milwaukee | 0–5 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 0–4 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–4 | — | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 |
Minnesota | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | — | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 0–4 | 1–4 | 0–2 |
New Jersey | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | — | 4–1 | 0–5 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
New York | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–4 | — | 3–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 5–0 |
Orlando | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 2–3 | — | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 |
Philadelphia | 0–4 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 0–4 | — | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 |
Phoenix | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — | 3–2 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 |
Portland | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–3 | — | 4–1 | 1–3 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 2–0 |
Sacramento | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 1–4 | — | 1–3 | 0–5 | 1–3 | 2–0 |
San Antonio | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | — | 0–4 | 0–5 | 2–0 |
Seattle | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 4–0 | — | 3–1 | 2–0 |
Utah | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 1–3 | — | 2–0 |
Washington | 0–4 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 0–5 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — |
Player | POS | GP | GS | MP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mike Brown | C | 82 | 40 | 1,921 | 447 | 72 | 51 | 29 | 299 | 23.4 | 5.5 | .9 | .6 | .4 | 3.6 |
Chris Smith | PG | 80 | 16 | 1,617 | 122 | 285 | 38 | 18 | 473 | 20.2 | 1.5 | 3.6 | .5 | .2 | 5.9 |
Isaiah Rider | SG | 79 | 60 | 2,415 | 315 | 202 | 54 | 28 | 1,313 | 30.6 | 4.0 | 2.6 | .7 | .4 | 16.6 |
Thurl Bailey | PF | 79 | 3 | 1,297 | 215 | 54 | 20 | 58 | 583 | 16.4 | 2.7 | .7 | .3 | .7 | 7.4 |
Chuck Person | SF | 77 | 37 | 2,029 | 253 | 185 | 45 | 12 | 894 | 26.4 | 3.3 | 2.4 | .6 | .2 | 11.6 |
Doug West | SG | 72 | 61 | 2,182 | 231 | 172 | 65 | 24 | 1,056 | 30.3 | 3.2 | 2.4 | .9 | .3 | 14.7 |
Micheal Williams | PG | 71 | 66 | 2,206 | 221 | 512 | 118 | 24 | 971 | 31.1 | 3.1 | 7.2 | 1.7 | .3 | 13.7 |
Christian Laettner | PF | 70 | 67 | 2,428 | 602 | 307 | 87 | 86 | 1,173 | 34.7 | 8.6 | 4.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 16.8 |
Brian Davis | SF | 68 | 3 | 374 | 55 | 22 | 16 | 4 | 131 | 5.5 | .8 | .3 | .2 | .1 | 1.9 |
Tellis Frank | PF | 67 | 11 | 959 | 220 | 57 | 35 | 35 | 188 | 14.3 | 3.3 | .9 | .5 | .5 | 2.8 |
Marlon Maxey | PF | 55 | 2 | 626 | 199 | 10 | 16 | 33 | 248 | 11.4 | 3.6 | .2 | .3 | .6 | 4.5 |
Luc Longley † | C | 49 | 29 | 989 | 295 | 46 | 35 | 58 | 324 | 20.2 | 6.0 | .9 | .7 | 1.2 | 6.6 |
Stacey King † | C | 18 | 15 | 516 | 109 | 19 | 13 | 30 | 213 | 28.7 | 6.1 | 1.1 | .7 | 1.7 | 11.8 |
Stanley Jackson | SG | 17 | 0 | 92 | 27 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 38 | 5.4 | 1.6 | .9 | .3 | .0 | 2.2 |
Andrés Guibert | C | 5 | 0 | 33 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 6.6 | 3.2 | .4 | .0 | .2 | 3.0 |
Corey Williams | PG | 4 | 0 | 46 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 11.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | .5 | .0 | 2.8 |
Player | Signed | Former team |
---|---|---|
Brian Davis | Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez | |
The 1995–96 NBA season was the Grizzlies' first season in the National Basketball Association. The Vancouver Grizzlies, along with the Toronto Raptors became expansion NBA franchises in 1995. They were the first NBA teams to play in Canada since the 1946–47 Toronto Huskies. The Grizzlies revealed a new primary logo of a grizzly bear holding a basketball, and got new uniforms with Native American markings on the trims of their jerseys, adding turquoise and brown to their color scheme.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Bulls' 28th season in the National Basketball Association. The Bulls entered the season as the three time defending NBA champions, having defeated the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals in six games, winning their third NBA championship, their first of two threepeats in the 1990s. This was the first season without All-Star guard Michael Jordan since the 1983–84 season, as he retired during the off-season to pursue a baseball career after the murder of his father. Instead, the Bulls were led by All-Star forward Scottie Pippen. In the off-season, the team signed free agents Steve Kerr, Bill Wennington, and Pete Myers, who was signed to fill in the void left by Jordan at shooting guard.
The 1995–96 NBA season was the Timberwolves' 7th season in the National Basketball Association. This season is most memorable when the Timberwolves selected high school basketball star Kevin Garnett with the fifth overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft. The team also signed free agent All-Star guard Terry Porter, and re-signed former T-Wolves forward Sam Mitchell during the off-season. The Timberwolves got off to a bad start losing nine of their first ten games, as head coach Bill Blair was fired after a 6–14 start and was replaced with Flip Saunders, while Michael Williams was out for the remainder of the season with a left heel injury after only just nine games.
The 1994–95 NBA season was the Magic's 6th season in the National Basketball Association. After building through the draft in previous years, the Magic made themselves even stronger by signing free agents Horace Grant, who won three championships with the Chicago Bulls, and Brian Shaw during the off-season. The Magic got off to a fast start winning 22 of their first 27 games, then later holding a 37–10 record at the All-Star break. Despite losing seven of their final eleven games in April, the Magic won the Atlantic Division with a 57–25 record. They also finished with a 39–2 home record, tied for second best in NBA history.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Magic's fifth season in the National Basketball Association. The team narrowly missed the playoffs the previous season, but as a result, received unexpected good fortune. Despite having the worst odds, the Magic won the NBA draft lottery for the second consecutive season. The Magic drafted Chris Webber from the University of Michigan with the first overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft. They would eventually swap Webber to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for the rights to University of Memphis guard Penny Hardaway and three future first-round picks.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the 24th season of the National Basketball Association franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers had the 22nd overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, and selected Chris Mills from the University of Arizona. During the off-season, the team acquired Tyrone Hill from the Golden State Warriors, and signed free agent Rod Higgins in December. Under new head coach Mike Fratello, the Cavaliers struggled playing below .500 with a 7–14 start, but soon recovered and held a 24–23 record at the All-Star break. The Cavs were bitten by the injury bug again as Brad Daugherty missed 32 games with a back injury, while Larry Nance missed 49 games with a knee injury, and Hill missed 25 games due to thumb and knee injuries. However, Mark Price, Hot Rod Williams and Gerald Wilkins would all step up, as the Cavaliers posted an 11-game winning streak between February and March, finishing 4th in the Central Division with a 47–35 record.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Jazz's 20th season in the National Basketball Association, and 15th season in Salt Lake City, Utah. During the off-season, the Jazz signed free agent All-Star forward Tom Chambers, and acquired Felton Spencer from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Jazz played competitive basketball with a 22–8 start, but then lost five of their next six games, and held a 31–18 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, the team traded Jeff Malone to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Jeff Hornacek. With the addition of Hornacek, the Jazz posted a ten-game winning streak between February and March, and won nine of their final eleven games finishing third in the Midwest Division with a 53–29 record. They made their eleventh consecutive trip to the playoffs.
The 1992–93 New York Knicks season was the 47th season for the Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During the off-season, the Knicks acquired Charles D. Smith, Doc Rivers and Bo Kimble from the Los Angeles Clippers, acquired All-Star guard Rolando Blackman from the Dallas Mavericks, and Tony Campbell from the Minnesota Timberwolves, and later signed free agent Herb Williams in November. The team also selected shooting guard Hubert Davis from the University of North Carolina with the 20th overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. For the season, the Knicks changed their primary logo, adding a silver triangle behind a redesigned text of the word "Knicks" and an orange basketball. The team slightly redesigned their uniforms, replacing the previous Knicks logo with the newer logo on the right leg of their shorts. The Knicks' new logo remained in use until 1995, when they added the city name "New York" above their logo, while the uniforms lasted until 1997.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Clippers' 24th season in the National Basketball Association, and their 10th season in Los Angeles. The Clippers had the thirteenth overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, and selected Terry Dehere out of Seton Hall University. In the off-season, the team signed free agent Mark Aguirre, who won two championships with the Detroit Pistons from 1989 to 1990. Under new head coach Bob Weiss, the Clippers played slightly under .500 with an 11–14 start, but then struggled posting a 7-game losing streak between December and January, as Stanley Roberts only played just 14 games due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. The team held a 16–29 record at the All-Star break.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 32nd season for the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns. The Suns acquired the ninth overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft from the Dallas Mavericks, and selected Shawn Marion out of UNLV, During the off-season, the team acquired All-Star guard Penny Hardaway from the Orlando Magic, signed free agent Rodney Rogers, and re-signed former Suns center Oliver Miller, who played for the team when they reached the 1993 NBA Finals. After a 13–7 start to the season, Danny Ainge resigned as head coach to spend more time with his family, and was replaced with assistant Scott Skiles. The Suns posted a 7-game winning streak between November and December, then won eight straight games in February, and held a 29–19 record at the All-Star break. The Suns finished third in the Pacific Division with a 53–29 record, and extend the franchise's record for playoff appearances before losing in the Western Conference Semi-finals.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Bucks' 26th season in the National Basketball Association. In the 1993 NBA draft, the Bucks selected Vin Baker from the University of Hartford with the eighth overall pick. During the off-season, the team signed free agent Ken Norman. However, the Bucks struggled all season long posting a 10-game losing streak early into the season, and held a 14–34 record at the All-Star break. At midseason, Frank Brickowski was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, while second-year forward Anthony Avent was dealt to the Orlando Magic, and Danny Schayes was sold to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bucks went on to lose 22 of their final 25 games, including a nine-game losing streak in April, finishing last place in the Central Division with a franchise worst record of 20–62, a record that stood for 20 years until the 2013–14 team posted a 15–67 record during the first year of the future Bucks' superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo era.
The 1994–95 NBA season was the Warriors’ 49th season in the National Basketball Association, and 33rd in the San Francisco Bay Area. During the off-season, the Warriors acquired Ricky Pierce and top draft pick Carlos Rogers from the Seattle SuperSonics. After having finished 50–32 the previous season, the Warriors made a number of deals to toughen the team in the middle by trading Billy Owens to the Miami Heat in exchange for Rony Seikaly. Before the season even started, second-year star Chris Webber began the season by exercising his option to become a restricted free agent, claiming irreconcilable differences with head coach Don Nelson. He asked to be traded, and the Warriors obliged, sending him to the Washington Bullets in exchange for Tom Gugliotta, who would later on be traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for top draft pick Donyell Marshall midway through the season.
The 1997–98 NBA season was the Timberwolves' 9th season in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Timberwolves acquired Stanley Roberts from the Los Angeles Clippers, and later on signed free agent Tom Hammonds in November. In October, All-Star forward Kevin Garnett signed a six-year contract extension with the Timberwolves, which was worth $126 million. After a 4–1 start to the season, the team played around .500 before posting a seven-game winning streak in January. However, they would lose Tom Gugliotta for the remainder of the season to an ankle injury after 41 games. Chris Carr, who became the team's starting shooting guard this season, also went down with an ankle injury, only playing 51 games. At midseason, the team traded long-time guard Doug West to the Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for Anthony Peeler. The Timberwolves held a 26–20 record at the All-Star break, and won seven of their final eight games posting their first winning record at 45–37, third in the Midwest Division, and making their second consecutive playoff appearance.
The 1996–97 NBA season was the Timberwolves' 8th season in the National Basketball Association. In the 1996 NBA draft, the Timberwolves selected shooting guard Ray Allen from the University of Connecticut with the fifth overall pick, but soon traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for top draft pick point guard Stephon Marbury out of Georgia Tech. The team also acquired James Robinson from the Portland Trail Blazers, and second-year center Cherokee Parks from the Dallas Mavericks, while signing free agents, rookie center Dean Garrett, second-year guard Chris Carr, and Stojko Vrankovic during the off-season. However, Michael Williams would miss the entire season with a strained plantar fascia in his left heel.
The 1998–99 NBA season was the Timberwolves' 10th season in the National Basketball Association. On March 23, 1998, the owners of all 29 NBA teams voted 27–2 to reopen the league's collective bargaining agreement, seeking changes to the league's salary cap system, and a ceiling on individual player salaries. The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) opposed to the owners' plan, and wanted raises for players who earned the league's minimum salary. After both sides failed to reach an agreement, the owners called for a lockout, which began on July 1, 1998, putting a hold on all team trades, free agent signings and training camp workouts, and cancelling many NBA regular season and preseason games. Due to the lockout, the NBA All-Star Game, which was scheduled to be played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 14, 1999, was also cancelled.
The 1994–95 NBA season was the Timberwolves' 6th season in the National Basketball Association. The Timberwolves received the fourth overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft, and selected Donyell Marshall from the University of Connecticut. During the off-season, the team acquired Sean Rooks from the Dallas Mavericks, and signed free agents Winston Garland, and undrafted rookie guard Darrick Martin in February. Under new head coach Bill Blair, the Timberwolves continued to struggle losing 13 of their first 14 games, including a 7-game losing streak, as Micheal Williams missed all but one game of the season due to a left heel injury. In December, the team signed free agent Greg Foster, who was previously released by the Chicago Bulls. At midseason, Marshall was traded to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Tom Gugliotta. The Timberwolves held an 11–36 record at the All-Star break, lost nine of their final ten games, and finished last place in the Midwest Division with a 21–61 record, setting a dubious record in becoming the first team ever to lose 60 or more games in four consecutive seasons.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the Timberwolves' 11th season in the National Basketball Association. The Timberwolves acquired the sixth overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft from the New Jersey Nets, and selected Wally Szczerbiak out of Miami University, and also selected William Avery out of Duke University with the fourteenth overall pick. For the season opener, the Timberwolves traveled overseas to Tokyo, Japan to play their first two games against the Sacramento Kings. After a 7–5 start, the Timberwolves struggled posting an 8-game losing streak in December, but then won 20 of their next 25 games, and held a 27–20 record at the All-Star break. The Timberwolves enjoyed their first 50-win season finishing third in the Midwest Division with a 50–32 record.
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 14th season the Timberwolves has competed in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Timberwolves signed free agents Troy Hudson and Kendall Gill. Kevin Garnett performed well throughout the season, winning the All-Star MVP award in the 2003 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta, and finishing second in MVP voting behind MVP Tim Duncan with 43 first-place votes, plus also finishing in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Despite losing both Terrell Brandon and Felipe Lopez for the entire season to knee injuries, the Timberwolves posted a 12–1 record in February, held a 29–20 record at the All-Star break, and finished the season with a 51–31 record, good enough to earn the fourth seed in the Western Conference and home court advantage for the playoffs.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Mavericks' 14th season in the National Basketball Association. After a dreadful season where they only won just eleven games, the Mavericks selected Jamal Mashburn from the University of Kentucky with the fourth overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft. Despite the addition of Mashburn, and second-year star Jim Jackson playing in his first full season, the Mavericks' misery continued under new head coach Quinn Buckner, losing 23 of their first 24 games, including a 20-game losing streak between November and December, which tied the infamous 1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers. The record was later on broken by the 1995–96 Vancouver Grizzlies and the 1997–98 Denver Nuggets, where both teams lost 23 consecutive games, which was then later broken by the 2010–11 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013–14 Philadelphia 76ers, who lost 26 consecutive games. The Mavericks then suffered a 16-game losing streak on their way to a miserable 3–40 record at the end of January.
The 1993–94 NBA season was the Warriors' 48th season in the National Basketball Association, and their 31st in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the 1993 NBA draft, the Warriors selected Penny Hardaway from the University of Memphis with the third overall pick, but soon traded him to the Orlando Magic in exchange for top draft pick Chris Webber from the University of Michigan. During the off-season, the team signed free agent Avery Johnson. Without All-Star guard Tim Hardaway and sixth man Šarūnas Marčiulionis, who both missed the entire season with knee injuries, and with Chris Mullin missing the first 20 games with a finger injury, the Warriors struggled losing three of their first four games, but soon recovered later holding a 27–20 record at the All-Star break. The team improved over the previous season as they posted an 8-game winning streak in April, finishing third in the Pacific Division with a solid 50–32 record.