Improving the Timberwolves

[Crow]

Timberwolves at a factor level mainly need better shooting (and a better shot distribution), better shot defense and better defensive rebounding. It will be important to watch the moves and see if they prioritize these changes.

Ideally you might want to move Teague and Wiggins. If they don't move at least one that will slow the degree of change. Dieng, they might have to live with, especially if they don't bring Gibson back or get a significant add. Jones? I previously was higher on. I dunno what I'd pay him. Obviously what they do with Teague (and Rose) matters. I don't see any of these options as especially promising but there is ok and worse too.

They don't have any player pairs that are particularly strong. They need to find someone or preferable several players who will be a strong fit with Towns. Teague is the best current but it isn't that strong. They don't have any big minute really bad pairs either; but meh won't produce good or great.

If they wanted to, they could emphasize Teague, Wiggins, Covington with Towns and maybe Gibson and Rose over all else. That is probably what they should have done way way way more of this past season (short of trades not made). The only lineup they used more than 3 minutes per game used only 2 of these 6 guys and was meh. The second most used lineup had 5 and was plus 3.4 per 100 possessions. It probably should have been used at least 500% as much as it was. Same with the 3rd most used lineup with 5 of these 6 guys (with Rose). a third lineup with 4 of these guys and Jones should have played at least 500% as much too. Those 3 lineups are so visible and appealing when looking at them and the rest of the mess of data. The TWolves with huge focus on these 3 lineups could have a lot better last season and maybe this coming season. Failing to emphasize these 3 lineups and doing too much dinking around with 692 other lineups overwhelmed anything good being done. Unless new management radically changes this super sub-optimal pattern they won't advance as far as they hope to. Will they?

You shouldn't change Towns or Covington, at least right now. You could change some of the other 4- if you judge them as being equally capable to work at least ok with Towns and Covington or do better. But you probably shouldn't spend a lot of time using other current guys with the core. That didn't work well enough.

That is my 30 minute contribution. If want more, ask.

[Crow]

Build up this group while retaining most or tear most of it down? Has that decision already been made or not? Before the coaching decision?

[Crow]

Almost everything is the same as 6 months ago and almost everything I said then is still true.

"Timberwolves at a factor level mainly need better shooting (and a better shot distribution), better shot defense and better defensive rebounding." And less fouling.

"Ideally you might want to move Teague and Wiggins."

"They don't have any player pairs that are particularly strong."

"they could emphasize Teague, Wiggins, Covington with Towns" A decent quad. With Culver instead of Teague is better.

No lineup used over 2 minutes per game.

"too much dinking around" 420 lineups used so far and likely to reach last season's excess.




What did the Athletic piece today discuss / recommend?

If you can summarize for me here or send me a copy of the article by PM I'd appreciate it.

[Dr Positivity]

Same thing I’ve been saying for years

1. Trade Wiggins
2. Trade Wiggins
3. Trade Wiggins

[Crow]

Dreams of a good return for Wiggins probably have faded. Willingness to take a meh to weak return may not have increased though.

[Crow]

KAT goes for 40 and they lose his time of court and game by 7. Growing pains? Are they growing?

Culver pretty invisible in the boxscore tonight. Crabbe, played 20 minutes and like Crabbe.

[Crow]

Culver near neutral on RPM. Good for a rookie, a rookie getting pushed forward. Probably gets better in boxscore and RPM but is he a future "star"? "A basketball player" but what specifically will he do well later?

[Crow]

After a good start, TWolves are 5-24 and most recently 0-10. Opponents shooting well from everywhere.

[Crow]

Current starting lineup played just 1 minute while Teague was around. In 7 games use since it has been great. Did GM have to take Teague away? Who picked this new starting lineup?

Saunders has played with tons of lineups. 478 total lineups to be exact. Chaos. Good chance they end up with more lineups used than last season. That needs to be severely reined in. 114 lineups used in last 13 games is not much different. Stop the insanity.

Double the minutes for the starters, if want to maybe win again and find out how good that lineup is for future.

[Crow]

Did TWolves improve shooting with trade? No. Shot defense? Probably not. Rebounding? No.

[Dr Positivity]

So they trade Wiggins for the closest thing to a PG equivalent to him (Russell), while giving up a 1st to do it and weirdly trading the exact type of player you want beside Towns and Russell (Covington) a few days earlier in a different deal. Plus they gave up another 1st essentially for Beasley and Hernangomez both of whom have sucked this year. Not great.

[Crow]

My impression at this time is that they have an extremely poor roster that won't win anything this season or next season as is. KAT is not going to have winning as a reason to be happy any time soon or not soon and likely asks out. Rosas could be a pretty quick fire if things don't look a lot better in 12-18 months. A new coach is imminent, probably in 3 months.

[Crow]

TWolves give up 137 in D Russell's debut. Other new pieces ok to good but far less than in their 1st game.

[Crow]

40 plus 3pta every game since the trade deadline. They were mostly above it before but short fairly frequently.

New guys with decent / avg / expected boxscore metrics. But mostly horrible on the court plus minus and on / off. Beasley is just bad / ok on those.

[Crow]

M Beasley a steal? Some good boxscore numbers. Including points / gm. BPM exactly neutral. RPM really close. Neutral on / off.

What do they pay him?