The Minnesota Timberwolves are not exactly a marquee NBA franchise. Since entering the league in 1989, the Timberwolves have made it past the first round of the playoffs just once. What's more, they have only made one postseason appearance since 2004.
But that doesn't mean some fine players haven't come and go through the organization.
While Kevin Garnett is obviously the first name that comes to mind, there have been numerous solid players you may have forgotten about who donned Minnesota jerseys.
Here are the five best Timberwolves players you may not remember:
5. Doug West
Doug West was an original Timberwolf.
He began his NBA career with Minnesota in the club's inaugural season in 1989-90, playing in 52 games off the bench. By the time his third season came around, West became a critical piece of the Timberwolves, averaging 14 points per game while shooting 51.8 percent from the floor.
West averaged double figures four straight seasons between 1991-92 and 1994-95, with his high-water mark coming during the 1992-93 campaign when he logged 19.3 points a night.
However, injuries began to take a toll on West, and by the 1995-96 season, he was posting just 6.4 points off the pine. He spent nine seasons in Minnesota overall, recording 10.2 points per game.
4. Terrell Brandon
Good old Tee Bee.
Terrell Brandon spent the first six seasons of his professional tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers, making back-to-back All-Star appearances in 1996 and 1997. Then, after spending a year-and-a-half with the Milwaukee Bucks, Brandon was traded to the Timberwolves midway through the 1998-99 campaign.
Brandon went on to reside in Minnesota for three-and-a-half seasons, with his best year coming in 1999-00 when he tallied 17.1 points, 8.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. As a matter of fact, that year, Brandon helped Garnett and Co. reached the 50-win plateau for the first time in franchise history.
But soon enough, injuries derailed Brandon's career. In what should have been his third full season with the Wolves in 2001-02, Brandon was limited to just 32 games due to injuries. He would never play in the NBA again afterward.
The University of Oregon product averaged a solid 15.6 points and 8.9 assists per game during his stay in the Twin Cities.
3. Isaiah Rider
When you think about the most talented players who never quite realized their potential in the '90s, Isaiah Rider's name has to come up at some point.
The Timberwolves used their first-round draft pick on Rider in 1993, and early on, it looked like a great move.
Rider averaged 16.6 points per game while making 46.8 percent of his field-goal attempts and 36 percent of his three-point tries during his rookie year, and the following season, Rider bumped his scoring up to 20.4 points per game.
However, it didn't take long for Rider's antics to wear thin on Minnesota's front office.
Due to some off-the-court issues, the Wolves traded Rider to the Portland Trail Blazers after just three years with the club, receiving a minimal return in the deal.
Had Rider merely kept his head on straight, he very well could have become of the best wings in basketball. But due to his legal troubles, Rider was out of the NBA in 2002 after just nine seasons.
2. Tom Gugliotta
Believe it or not, the Timberwolves had a big three of their own in the late '90s: Garnett, Stephon Marbury and Tom Gugliotta.
It really makes you wonder what could have been.
Minnesota acquired Gugliotta in a trade with the Golden State Warriors during the 1994-95 campaign, and a couple of years later, he was averaging 20.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game and making an All-Star appearance.
Googs was en route to having another terrific season in 1997-98, but injuries limited him to just 41 games. As a result, the Timberwolves actually released him that ensuing summer.
Gugliotta likely would have been terrific in the modern era, as he was an incredibly versatile offensive threat who could post, spread the floor, pass and get to the free-throw line.
And if his Wolves career hadn't been tainted by injuries (and Marbury hadn't jettisoned himself out of town), the trio of KG, Steph and Googs could have accomplished some impressive things.
1. Chauncey Billups
Okay; so Chauncey Billups is not exactly an obscure name, but whenever someone mentions his name, you will almost surely picture him during his days with the Detroit Pistons.
What the casual NBA fan may not know is that Billups actually spent a couple of seasons playing alongside of Garnett in Minnesota.
The Timberwolves botched a whole lot of things during KG's 12-year tenure with the club, but not recognizing Billups' ascension was certainly one of their biggest mistakes.
Billups joined the Wolves for the 2000-01 campaign and played in 77 games with 33 starts, averaging 9.3 points and 3.4 assists per game. The following year, Mr. Big Shot appeared in every contest with 54 starts and registered 12.5 points and 5.5 assists a night while making 39.4 percent of his three-pointers.
You would think that the spike in production would have been an indication that Minnesota should probably keep him, but instead, the Timberwolves allowed him to walk to the Pistons via free agency that ensuing summer.
Two years later, Billups was an NBA champion and a Finals MVP.
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