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The Minnesota Timberwolves are in another quandry

After a a sickening thud that was the Wolves landing near the bottom of the standings in the league, the pain of a lost season was only intensified when the former face of the franchise, Kevin Garnett, was filling TD Banknorth Arena in Boston with tears after winning his first championship.

The fact that Garnett, a 10-year Wolves veteran, was screaming "ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE!!!!", at the end of the game signals that he clearly doesn't understand the plight that the Wolves are in.

And if a finish in the bottom three of a 30-team league and a former superstar that 'Sota built elatedly celebrating with another team doesn't crawl under your skin, Wolves fans, then the fact that again the team is on the outside looking in at tonight's draft should.

In 1992, the lowly Timberwolves capped off a 15-67 season with a somewhat joyful grumble. Even though they were the worst team in the league by six games that year, there was a big, bad bruiser coming into the league from Louisiana State University. You might have heard of him if you follow basketball: Shaquille O'Neal.

But, the silly draft lottery that the NBA holds dropped the Wolves from a prohibitive favorite to win the first pick down to the third pick.

Even if they would've only dropped one pick, they could've selected college All-American, and sure-thing superstar Alonzo Mourning. Instead, the Wolves had to settle for Christian Laettner, a product of the Duke system. Laettner had three solid, but unspectacular years in Minnesota before being shipped to the Atlanta Hawks.

And here's where the 2008 comparison creeps into the discussion. After just missing out on two cornerstone players in 1992, 16 years later, the Wolves failed to move up into the top two spots to take one of the can't-miss prospects this year's class has to offer.

They again are on the outside looking in, like a child outside of a toy store on Christmas. Wondering, wanting, needing. Michael Beasley of Kansas State and Derrick Rose of Memphis are the two toys that the Wolves can't have.

Instead, the Wolves will have to settle for middling center Brook Lopez of Stanford, troubling guard O.J. Mayo of USC, or a bevy of the other solid, but not special, players left at the third pick.

The popular pick is Lopez. The Wolves need a center to complement blossoming superstar Al Jefferson, and the team is already guard-heavy with Sebastian Telfair, Randy Foye, Marko Jaric and Rashad McCants.

While most agree Lopez will never be a star because of his lack of athleticism and defensive prowess, the seven-footer is said to have a full arsenal on offense.

Unless the Bulls or Heat overthink themselves into a gaffe, the Wolves will be looking at another run of bad luck.

According to Garnett, anything is possible. Apparently, anything except a break for the Timberwolves.

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