The Washington Wizards have seven coaches and players with ties to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but when the two teams meet on Saturday, Coach Flip Saunders and Randy Foye will be the most visible participants, both looking forward to the game for different reasons.
Saunders, the most successful coach in the 20-year history of the franchise, will get to spend time at home with his family and reunite with a beloved fan base. Foye, who spent the first three years of his career in Minnesota before getting traded to Washington this June, will get to reflect some on what could have been while trying to move forward with his current team.
“I have a lot of mixed feelings about it,” Foye said of his anticipated return, “but I definitely want to win there. I want to win by a lot.”
“That was my first time being traded. I felt I was a key piece to what they were trying to do there,” said Foye, who was acquired by McHale after being selected seventh overall in the 2006 draft. “Even with the change, I just felt as though they bring in whatever point guard they want at that point and we go from there. I felt I kind of broke out last year at that two-spot [shooting guard]. I just felt like it was coming.