by Charles Hallman
Mike Wilks is one of two rookies on the Timberwolves roster this season. He joined the club in mid-February, on the same day Rod Strickland was placed on the Injured List with a strained left groin.
Unlike fellow first-year player Igor Rakocevic, who was Minnesota's 2000 second-round draft pick, Wilks wasn't selected when he became eligible for the 2001 NBA Draft. At that time, he said he gave himself a deadline to make it in professional basketball and possibly even the NBA.
"I told myself coming out of school that I was going to work hard and give myself two years," Wilks said, adding that he didn't want to initially pursue professional basketball opportunities overseas. "I didn't want to go overseas and get lost in the shuffle and never have tried to make it to the NBA. Whether it's the NBDL, the CBA, the ABA or what-have-you, I wanted to stay here and take my chances. If it didn't work out, then I would consider overseas."
Right now, the international stage can wait. "I'm living a dream right now," he admits.
The 5-10 Wilks, who grew up as an only child in Milwaukee, said, "I had dreams to play in the NBA, but my mother and father taught me not to put all my eggs in one basket, and to have options. I wanted to go to a good academic institution with a decent basketball program where I could go in and have an impact."
Wilks, who was named Wisconsin's Mr. Basketball as a senior at Rufus King High School in 1997, decided to attend Rice University in Houston. At first an electrical engineering major, Wilks soon found that economics was a better fit for him.
"I took an economics class, and I was able to apply it to everyday life and everyday things," he explains. "I had a great teacher, and from there I was hooked on economics. I was challenged, and that's why I chose it."
On the court, Wilks was a three-year starter, first at point guard, then at the shooting guard spot. He finished with 1300 points to place 11th on Rice's all-time scoring list, along with second in steals and fifth in assists. Twice honored as a member of the Western Athletic Conference's all-academic team, he also made the All-WAC First Team in his senior season.
Armed with his economics degree, Wilks set off — not to Wall Street, but to Hoops Avenue. However, the road wasn't smooth.
Undrafted, Wilks later tried out and made the NBA's newly formed minor league, the National Basketball Developmental League (NBDL). He spent the 2001-02 campaign with Mobile and Huntsville, averaging nine points and four assists per contest.
"I went in there with the mindset that the NBDL would be a stepping stone to get to the next level," he said. "I got to play against great talent, night-in and night-out, and a lot of guys got called up (to the NBA). I got the chance to learn the NBA style."
Wilks got a training camp invitation with the Milwaukee Bucks last fall. However, he was waived before the regular season started, and back to the NBDL he went. After 16 games with Huntsville, where he averaged 10 points and three assists, Wilks got a call, this time from the Atlanta Hawks, on Christmas Eve.
The Hawks soon waived him, then signed him back on two 10-day contracts, then released him again. During his short stint, however, Wilks had a season-high 19 points at Miami and a season-high 10 assists at Philadelphia.
Wilks has recorded 44 assists and only 10 turnovers since joining the Wolves.
David Sherman, NBAE/Getty Images
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"We saw him in Atlanta earlier in the year, and he played well," Wolves assistant coach Randy Wittman said. "We kept an eye on him, and when Rod went down, he was available."
Minnesota signed him to a 10-day contract and then signed him for the remainder of the season after that contract expired.
Wilks' on-court calmness and ability to protect the ball has been most impressive. "My main role is to come in, take care of the ball and get us in our sets," he said. "I can shoot, but it's a matter of being comfortable, and picking and choosing my shots, because we have scorers."
Without the benefit of training camp, Wilks has had to learn the Wolves' system on the fly — he's slowly getting things down pat. "It's getting better," he said. "I'm learning my teammates. Each game, I learn something new."
"We want to give him opportunities when we can," added head coach Flip Saunders.
The Wolves coaches and players have accepted the young man with open arms. "I'm thankful for having great teammates," Wilks said. "They encourage me all the time. The coaching staff is constantly in my ear, giving me a lot of encouragement. I've learned to be ready at all times. When they call on you in this league, you have to be ready."
Wilks recently played in front of his support system in his hometown of Milwaukee against the Bucks, and hauled down two rebounds in nine minutes of action. "It was an unbelievable feeling," he recalled. "Stepping out there on the court and looking in any direction and seeing people that I knew, people I grew up with, went to school with, or spent time with. It was a tremendous feeling to know that I'm one of the few people out of Milwaukee that has made it to this level. I felt extremely proud and thankful that I had this opportunity, that my family and friends could see me and that all the time and energy they put into me wasn't in vain."
Now in the NBA, Wilks is living like the Carpenters song — he's only just begun.
"I have to be more aggressive," he pointed out. "When I do that, things happen for my teammates. I want to be viewed as a solid, all-around player who can shoot it, pass it and can play solid defense."
He knows he's living a dream, but he also knows that it can't stay that way. "I had a talk with KG, and he said that you have to have a vision. A lot of guys say they want to make it to the league — then when you make it, what's your next vision? My next vision is coming in and playing my role on this team, helping this team in any way I can, and establishing myself as a solid point guard in this league."
Nonetheless, he concluded, "My friends sometimes are as shocked as I am. It's still a dream."
