| A Second Chance At A Sensational Two Authored by Adam Winegarden - June 29, 2005 - 2:43 pm
The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted a shooting guard with immense talent who possesses some questions about character. The year was 1993 and his name was J.R. Rider, who immediately changed his name to Isaiah. In 2005 the Timberwolves selected a talented shooting guard who came from a big time program but also came with questions about his work ethic and attitude. Luckily, Rashad McCants refrained from changing his name to Zeke.
The comparison of Rider and McCants at first blush seems somewhat off. McCants has already proven more in his college career than Rider ever did. And the issues of attitude and work ethic that McCants displayed pale in comparison to the antics of Mr. Rider. Even so, there some notable similarities.
When Rider came to the Timberwolves they were in desperate need of scoring; they needed a dynamic force that would change the pace of the game and create openings for his teammates. McCants comes to the Timberwolves at a time when life must be injected into the franchise. McCants will be asked to serve as a scoring threat, stretching the court to create space for his teammates. Rider proved to be a volatile player who could excite and infuriate the crowd, his coaches, teammates and anyone within a square mile area.
Minnesota will soon find that McCants has a similar ability. He has the athletic ability to bring the fans to their feet on the break. He has the range to nail a three with a defender in his face and he has the confidence and jewels to take the final shot. He has the ability to fire up a three seven seconds in to the shot clock, to lose his man on defense and to seemingly forget that the team’s playbook ever existed. Like Rider, he can be both maddening and intoxicating.
The main difference between Rider and McCants is heart. Rider never seemed to want to be a great player. He had immense talent, but he knew that he did and loved to revel in it. McCants has always been an emotional player, reportedly wearing his heart on his sleeve. In addition, Rashad now has a great motivator, the fact that thirteen teams passed on drafting him. Every game that he plays against a New York, Atlanta or Orlando will be his opportunity to prove that they made a mistake. Rider at times could be the best player on the court. McCants will probably never be considered the best player on the court, but that very fact will push him to compete harder than Rider ever did.
If McCants can maximize the moments that can take your breath away and minimize the moments that force the fans to cover their face in fear, then the Timberwolves should be able to contend for a playoff spot once again. The acquisition of Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell sparked the Timberwolves with energy and confidence. Rashad McCants has the ability to infuse the next ten years with magic moments, and perhaps help to remove a portion of that heavy load from Kevin Garnett’s back. |
