Having been kind enough to get us started with our preseason preview by evaluating Minnesota's guards, assistant general manager Rob Babcock is back with www.timberwolves.com to offer his insight on the frontcourt.

Of course, if we're going to talk about the Wolves' frontcourt, we'd be remiss not to ignite the discussion with the face of the franchise...the MVP himself...Kevin Garnett. As for the pieces around the Big Ticket, let's listen to Babcock -- armed with his near score of NBA seasons -- to get a better idea.

Trudell: You were here when Minnesota drafted KG in 1995; how can anyone not be almost entirely impressed with Mr. Intensity?

Babcock: He is an MVP player who continues to improve every year, and he can do so many different things to help your basketball team. He doesn't have to score a lot of points, because he can rebound, defend, and pass the basketball. The level of intensity that he brings to your team, and the leadership he offers are exceptional. At that height, having the ability to pass the basketball, to put it on the floor, and do the things that he can do is amazing. He is a guy who is unselfish and wants to win. Any time you have a Kevin Garnett on the basketball court, you're going to have a chance to win the ball game, because he is that good all the way around.

Every year that I was here, the other thing that I was really impressed with about Kevin was that he would come back every year with a little something extra. Even as he became a veteran player, he always came in having improved his game in some area.

Trudell: Do you know what that area will be this season?

Babcock:No, but I guarantee you it will be something. That's the way he is. He is a driven, competitive player who wants to win championships. He certainly is the type of guy who can carry a team, and I think we have a lot of players around him that he can make better, and help take some pressure off him.

Trudell: Towards that end, do you feel that as a personnel staff you have put enough players around Kevin to succeed as a basketball squad?

Babcock: You're always doing everything you can to try and improve your team. I think at this point, where we are right now with the flexibility we have, the cap situation, and what is available, we've done everything we can with this basketball team to prepare and get ready for this season. Does that mean that we sit back and relax? Absolutely not. We are all in this business because we want to win a championship. Kevin McHale has won championships, he knows what it's like, and he wants to win another one. We're continuing to look, and I know that Kevin and Jim Stack are on the phones talking to other teams. You need two teams to make a trade; you can't just go out and grab another big guy. Free agency is pretty much picked over, so everything now has to come in a trade. But if a guy is a really good big guy, teams aren't going to want to get rid of him. It's not easy to make trades, but I know that Kevin McHale and Kevin Garnett are both driven to win a championship, and they will continue to do whatever they can to build this team.

Trudell: Do you feel it necessary to bring in additional bodies to add depth to the frontcourt?

Babcock: We definitely could use a little bit more depth up front. We're OK with what we have as long as people don't get hurt, but people do get hurt. At the center position, we have Mark Blount. Mark Madson, Eddie Griffin, and Kevin Garnett who can all get you minutes. KG and Eddie are certainly going to play a lot of minutes at the four, and Mark can go out and defend fours and do a good job there. Rookie Craig Smith is unproven, so it's hard to say what he'll be able to do. He's a bit undersized, but he's a legit four man who can bang and score inside, and do a lot of things to help your basketball team. He needs to make the team first, and we'll see if he can make a contribution. Justin Reed did a nice job for the team last year. He is somewhat of a small forward, power forward hybrid. He is kind of a tweener, but strong enough to get minutes at the four.

Trudell: Fair enough. Changing tunes here, another player you have seen before in Minnesota is Mark Madson. Talk about all of the different things he does to help your team win.

Babcock: I know Mark well, and understand what he can do for a basketball team. He does a lot of intangible things that the average fan might not pick up on. They will see that he's hustling like crazy, but he does a lot of basketball things that are not the skill things, but it's not just dirty work either. He does the basic things that a lot of guys don't do, and he takes pride in executing those things. He knows what the play is, and he knows how to carry it out. When he goes to set a pick, he sets a pick that you can get open from, and then he rolls. Defensively, he knows where the help is supposed to be, and he's there. He's going to take a charge, he's going to cut someone off on the baseline when he's supposed to, he's going to trap. There is no place in the box score for taking a charge, helping, keeping someone from driving, or keeping the ball alive on the offensive boards. I think he is a very valuable guy to have on your basketball team.

Trudell: While some of those elements of his game may elude the casual basketball fan, they don't escape the eyes of fellow players, coaches or front office members like yourself...

Babcock: Definitely not. He's a guy you love to have on your team. I do think the fans that see him play begin to appreciate the little things. There is no question that when he goes into the game, things will happen.

Trudell: You've been watching many of the Wolves work out in the last month or so. What can you tell us about Eddie Griffin?

Babcock: I've been watching Eddie work out for the last month, and what I've seen is that he is really working hard. Each week, he's in better shape. Last year was a year where he lost some confidence in his game, but he's looked at that, has focused himself, and wants to get back on track. He's still a young guy with a bright future in front of him. This is an important year for him to get on top of his game with his conditioning, regain his confidence, and start making strides. He can block shots, he can rebound, he can defend, he can score -- he's a productive, versatile basketball player. He has also gained strength, and he should be an extra big plus for us. He can shoot a three pointer, but that's up to head coach Dwane Casey, as far as how much he wants Eddie to shoot from the perimeter.

Trudell: Ricky Davis has shown that he's more than capable offensively and defensively, but is there any concern with putting him in the three spot where he'll have to defend some bigger forwards?

Babcock: In some lineups you would be suffering a bit defensively with Ricky at the three, but you always have to look at the other end of things. How would you like to be a 6-10 small forward that has to go out and defend Ricky Davis? He will certainly get minutes at the three as well as the two.

Trudell: When we chatted about the backcourt last week, you expressed your eagerness to see a great deal of ball movement throughout the team. What else do you want to see when training camp begins?

Babcock: It's about getting everybody on the same page, and having everyone understand the strengths and weaknesses of all of their teammates. They need to instinctively make plays to help each other. I know everyone has the desire to win on this team, but you have to get to know your teammates well enough to be able to instinctively give a guy the ball when he's open if you know it's a 90-percent shot for him from that spot. Similarly, if you see a guy matched up with someone you know he can take off the dribble, you get him the ball, get clear and get out of the way. These are things that you need to have time with your teammates to develop. We have a lot of versatility on this team, a lot of offensive weapons, and these guys are going to need to learn both the coaches' systems and also how to play with each other to be successful.