Capable of playing all five positions -- two or three of them at All-Star level, the others more than satisfactorily in a pinch -- Garnett's versatility has been one of the Timberwolves' most effective weapons since he entered the league in 1995. Maybe a little more so this season, as he shifts back to small forward after spending most of the past two seasons at power forward.

That's the plan, anyway, with the Wolves adding size via the acquisitions of Joe Smith, Gary Trent and Loren Woods. By unburdening Garnett of some of the heavy lifting down low, and by shifting the bulk of Wally Szczerbiak's minutes to shooting guard, they can better use Garnett's perimeter skills, while exploiting the mismatches created by a 7-footer roaming free outside the lane.

Keeping it simple, Wolves director of basketball operations Kevin McHale said: "If your tall guys can guard their small guys, there's usually a pretty good chance that their small guys can't guard your tall guys. That's what you're looking for."