It’s probably more than coincidence that the Minnesota Timberwolves, playing without venerable shot blocker Theo Ratliff, gave up more points against Orlando (111) than they did in their two previous games (99 to Denver, 97 to New York). Ratliff missed Tuesday night’s 111-103 loss to Orlando because of the flu after blocking five shots in the Wolves’ two other losses. Who knows how many misses he caused, too, because of his presence and possibility that he would swat away more shots?
Ratliff, 34, is a rare center in today’s NBA because of his shot blocking. He has led the league in blocked shots three of the past five seasons. He has been among the top 10 shot blockers in his last seven full NBA seasons. He’s one of six players in league history to lead in blocked shots at least three times.
Oh, my, if Ratliff, the 6-foot-10, 238-pound soft spoken defensive specialist were 24 instead of 34. Considered a throw-in among the five players the Wolves acquired from Boston for Kevin Garnett, Ratliff has a large expiring contract after this season and a history of troublesome injuries that have limited his court time. He makes approximately $11.5 million, according to espn.com, and the speculation is that taking his salary off the payroll next season will open options to sign younger players.
What Ratliff has shown the Wolves in two games, though, is that he can provide them with defensive help much more effectively than anyone else on the roster and better than most players in the league. He’s also contributed offensively, averaging 11 points per game against a career average of eight, and five rebounds per game. The questions, though, are how many games and minutes will Ratliff play this season, and what’s the future beyond next spring?
Ratliff missed all but two games last season because of a sore back, surgery and then rehab. He told Sports Headliners last week that he’s still going through a “healing process.” He has soreness in the back and endeavors to keep his “muscles loose.” People with back problems will relate to Ratliff’s awareness of not sitting too long, stretching and utilizing massage and chiropractic assistance.
Before the season began, Ratliff said playing an aggressive number of minutes like 32 per game wasn’t realistic. Interestingly, though, he played 33 minutes against the Knicks last Sunday, after 29 minutes in the home opener on Friday with the Nuggets. Coach Randy Wittman knows how valuable Ratliff can be and will do his best to successfully monitor his minutes.
Beyond this season? Ratliff said that after 13 seasons it’s pretty much “year by year now.” Spoken with the wisdom of experience, his goal is to enjoy this season, contribute to the team and “take a step back and see” what comes next spring and summer.