When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Kevin Garnett this summer, expectations for the club plummeted like President Bush's approval rating.

With a re-shaped roster full of young and unproven talent, making the playoffs in the rough-and-tough Western Conference wasn't really a goal.

Watching them take three months to win six games – including Monday's win at Golden State that snapped a 16-game road losing streak – wasn't expected either.

With an experienced guard (Marco Jaric), a proven low post scorer (Al Jefferson) and some talented young athletes (Corey Brewer, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair and Randy Foye) the team seemed to be promising.

Instead, Foye hasn't played all season because of a knee injury and Brewer has been a disappointment.

I'd like to rip GM Kevin McHale for making a mistake on Brewer, but it's not like there have been a lot of productive rookies in the league this season.

Kevin Durant, Al Horford and Yi Jianlian have been the best of this year's rookie crop, but all were taken ahead of the defensively-savvy, poor-shooting Brewer.

The picks to go after Brewer have been just as inconsistent as the former Florida Gators star.

Brandan Wright hardly gets on the court for Golden State. Joakim Noah and Spencer Hawes are getting about 10 minutes per game in Chicago and Sacramento, respectively.

Acie Law (Atlanta), Thaddeus Young (Philadelphia), Al Thronton (L.A. Clippers), Rodney Stuckey (Detroit), Sean Williams (New Jersey) and Daequan Cook (Miami) are the only other first-rounders making significant contributions.

Brewer could still be a useful player for the Wolves, but it probably won't be this year.

That could be a good thing.

Minnesota is lottery-bound and could wind up with taking an even better prospect this summer.

Looks like a long winter at Target Center is best way to get the Wolves better for 2008-09.