Minnesota Timberwolves
Ellington was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their situation was the complete antithesis of his three seasons spent at North Carolina. In Ellington’s rookie season they finished with a 15-67 record, the second-worst record in the league.
They had one of the worst coaches in the league in Kurt Rambis. They also had an historically bad general manager in David Kahn. That summer, Kahn used two lottery picks on point guards–and somehow passed over Stephen Curry. Coming from such an elite winning environment, this must’ve been some shock to the system for Ellington.
Furthermore, the Wolves completely lacked a veteran presence in their locker room. It was a collection of young up-and-comers and handy bench players. They did have some exceptionally talented players. Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, Michael Beasley and Derrick Williams all have immense talent. However, with Luke Ridnour as essentially the elder statesman of the team, the environment of their locker room remained a question mark.
Over his first two seasons in Minnesota under Rambis, Ellington started just nine games. Rambis managed to outdo himself in Ellington’s second season as a pro, leading the Timberwolves to the worst record in the league.
The next season, Ellington’s third and final season in Minnesota, he started just five games under new coach Rick Adelman. In his time with the Timberwolves, Ellington competed with the likes of Corey Brewer, Damian Wilkins, Ridnour and Martell Webster for playing time.
Granted, all these players have talent. However, considering the Timberwolves’ record during his time there, it was disappointing Ellington was unable to be afforded more opportunity. He averaged 18.7 minutes per game, but the team clearly never embraced him.
Next: Winning environments