So how important are draft picks? Are they how you build an NBA franchise? Well, the Minnesota Timberwolves aren't in the building stage, they're kind of stuck in between. With Kevin Garnett, who, by the way, was acquired through the draft, not much help is needed. But with Garnett, this franchise hasn't yet won a playoff series, either, though they seem to get to the playoffs every year. But is it better to miss the playoffs for 11 seasons like they did in Dallas, or go five straight years in Minnesota and win a total of five games? And did the draft or lack thereof have much to do with either team's plight?

	Garnett often goes up against taller foes, and wins.

So as we continue our 2001 Summer Spotlight Series, here's the deal with the Timberwolves.

The good: Armed with a smile for all and an all-around game second to very few, Garnett is the Wolves. Sure, he has the paycheck to prove it, too, but Garnett makes this team worth watching. And, while nary a playoff series win sounds bad, he does get his team there with minimal help.

Garnett does have a solid point guard in Terrell Brandon, acquired because Stephon Marbury didn't like playing second-fiddle, and Brandon has all-star credentials. Wally Szczerbiak averaged 14 points a game and shot .510 on field goals and .870 from the line, both among the best around. But the Wolves aren't deep, and the Joe Smith mess has something to do with that.

Smith, who left town for a little while but has since come back, much to the chagrin of the commish, who did everything but steal Garnett's lunch money in punishing the team for the illegal Smith contract, isn't that good. He's not a center.

This past draft was the beginning of Minnesota being able to save money on scouting. The Wolves did have a second-round pick, used to swipe Arizona center Loren Woods, but his makeup has raised questions. Plus, he dropped from borderline lottery to almost not being taken at all.

	THE FACTS
	2000-01 record: 47-35, 4th in Midwest, 8th in West Playoffs: lost in first round Team leaders: Garnett, 22 ppg; 11.4 rpg; Brandon 7.5 apg Team stats (NBA rank): Points, 97.3 (7th); Rebs, 42.3 (16th); FG %, .458 (6th) Current rotation: Garrett C; Garnett PF; Szczerbiak SF; Peeler SG; Brandon PG; Smith 6th man Spot in Summer Power Rankings: No. 12

The bad: You can't discuss the bad in Minnesota without dealing with the center position. For years this has been a problem, from Felton Spencer to Dean Garrett to Radoslav Nesterovic. Usually, the Wolves don't even try faking it with a center. Garnett, Christian Laettner, Tom Gugliotta and Sam Mitchell are the best rebounders in club history, not centers.

And it's going to be ugly this year, too. Smith is too thin to play any West center, even the ones like Michael Olowokandi and Iakovas Tsakalidis. Nesterovic has taken steps backward it seems. Garrett is very unproductive. Mitchell is about 85 years old. (OK, he's 37. But he was going to be an assistant coach, so what does that tell you?)

Still, the Wolves manage to win every year (45, 50 and 47 the last three full seasons), but get torched in the postseason because good teams neutralize Garnett and embarrass the rest of the frontcourt.

The ugly: The Smith fiasco got pretty ugly, with David Stern all but admitting he wanted to stick it to the team. The Wolves were fined $3 million and stripped of four first-round draft choices. Team owner Glen Taylor and vice president Kevin McHale also were forced to temporarily leave the team. The stigma of that hasn't gone away yet, and won't while Smith is there (he just re-signed for six years, $34 million) and draft choices are not. What does McHale see in Smith, anyway?

On the court, the Wolves are going to be limited in how far they can go by the lack of a non-Garnett post threat. But as long as Garnett is here, things will never be uglier than in places that never win.

The future: Being that the Wolves have managed to win more than they lose the last few years, you can't expect a sharp decline anytime soon. Garnett is just too good, and his supporting cast, though small, is fine. Szczerbiak is an emerging player with 3-point range he hasn't displayed yet. Brandon is fine. Smith is fine. Chauncey Billups, Anthony Peeler and Felipe Lopez don't really lose games for you. The Wolves are safe for 40-plus wins for years.

But is that enough? Are the fans of Minnesota content with a home playoff game or two every year but nothing more? Well, ask fans in other cities like Oakland, Atlanta, Cleveland and East Rutherford, N.J., if they'd take it.

So we asked you this question about the Wolves: As a Wolves fan are you content the way it is or should there be drastic changes?

Check out the file to the right for selected responses.

Eric Karabell is ESPN.com's NBA editor.