From the moment Shaquille O’Neal entered the NBA, he left an indelible mark on the league. His first four seasons were nothing short of remarkable - he led the league in scoring and field goal percentage, defeated Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the playoffs, earned three All-NBA selections, won the ROY award, and came as close as being the runner up for the Most Valuable Player award.
Despite his own formidable presence, ‘Diesel’ was acutely aware of the emerging threat posed by the Minnesota Timberwolves duo of Stephon Marbury and Kevin Garnett . Speaking on his podcast, the 7’1” center recognized the lethal potential of this pairing and how they commanded respect from all over the league.
"It was scary, very scary," O'Neal said . "Only you don't get really scared because their supporting cast wasn’t there. They could always make the playoffs but they weren't there yet. But a guy like him that can get open anytime to get his shot… definitely gotta worry about it. A mean little skinny dude like KG that want to fight everybody and talk… every time we played them it was a tough matchup."
Shaq on what could’ve made Marbury & KG’s Wolves attain a title
As the three-time Finals MVP pointed out - Garnett and Marbury’s synergy not only propelled the Timberwolves to their inaugural postseason appearance but also dramatically improved the team’s performance on both ends of the court. In their first season (‘96-97) together, the team’s offensive rating improved from 25th to 17th, while their defensive rating improved from 20th to 15th, resulting in 14 additional wins.
The following season saw even more noteworthy progress, with the team’s offensive rating soaring to 7th best in the league as ‘The Big Ticket’ led the team in rebounds (9.6), whereas Stephon topped the assists charts (8.6), with both of them combining for a scoring average of 36.2 points per game.
Despite their stellar showing, the Wolves never advanced past the first round in either of their two full seasons together. Shaq attributed this postseason shortcoming to a lack of seasoned veterans who could have provided quality guidance to a young KG and Starbury.
"I think if you do put two, three veterans that have been there before, they would have won a championship," O’Neal concluded.
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Marbury believed his chemistry with Garnett was perfect
Though the two-time All-Star spent limited time alongside Garnett, he admitted that their connection on the court was immediate. Whether in pick-and-roll plays or creating space for one another, Marbury acknowledged that he and KG clicked right away because their basketball minds were aligned.
"My Mom said, 'Stephon - ain't nobody like you and Kevin. You guys got the best chemistry.' He knew what I wanted to do, I knew what he wanted to do," Marbury said. "We just had that vibe, had that chemistry on the court. You know, when you playin’, you don't have to think… We clicked right away."
That being said, while they couldn’t bring success to the Timberwolves together, they remain a significant ‘what if’ in the franchise’s history. Who knows what they could have achieved had they stayed together in Minnesota after the Jordan era?
Related: Kendrick Perkins talks about KG's intensity: "He is the definition of locked in"
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