Q-was-here wrote:The Iowa team remains undefeated at home with another win earlier today. Once again, Luka Garza just dominated proceedings with 30/12/5 on only 14 shots. The guy is just a machine out there. Other observations....
- I know some guys want to keep a close eye on Mudiay in the event we trade DLO at some point and we need another PG on the roster. His issue will always be his shot, as he has a hitch in his in his release where it looks like he rises up and then flicks the ball with his wrist. He went 1-10 and 0-5 on 3s, but otherwise had 7 boards and 11 assists.
- Moore Jr. once again had a quietly effective night. He was 4-11 from the field but added 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and did make 3-7 of his 3's. He was tied for the team lead in +/- at +23.
- Josh Minott looked solid once again with 17 points on 12 shots and 9 rebounds. He has some wiggle when he puts the ball on the floor and goes to the hoop. Definitely a step quicker and shiftier than McDaniels or Prince on offense when putting the ball on the floor. His hands aren't great though, so sometimes he fumbles it away.
- And finally there is Garza. When he isn't scoring, he is constantly up top setting screens, moving without the ball, doing dribble hand offs, or passing out of the post. He really is a mini-Jokic in the way that he is the fulcrum of the offense when he's on the floor. Moore Jr. and him had a couple of really nice PnRs where Moore found him with a couple of pocket passes. Later in the game he did more pick and pop, so he is capable of rolling or popping and being dangerous in either action.
Overall I was really impressed with the way the team moves the ball around on offense and makes decisive plays. I can tell you that they are ahead of the big league team in terms of playing the way Finch would like to see his squad playing. Lots of ball and player movement and very little ball-stopping. Get this...they had 40 ASSISTS tonight on 44 made baskets. Think about that!
Garza as a mini-Jokic. How about Mudiay as a mini-Westbrook? :). I'm convinced that Garza is going to be a really good NBA player and I can't see him playing in the G-League all season.
Carlos Danger wrote:Good thread - appreciate the updates from those posting here. FYI - you guys probably already knew this (because this is the internet), but here is a link to Iowa stats:
Garza, Mudiay, Moore Jr. and Minot all doing very well. It's always fun to hope some of those guys could contribute if needed.
It certainly happened a couple of years ago when we had McLaughlin, Nowell, Reid, and later Vanderbilt down there playing. All those guys contributed to a winning team last year and are all in a regular NBA rotation this year.
Mudiay is a bit different of course since he's trying to resurrect his NBA career whereas the others are trying to grow into one.
One thing you notice about Mudiay is he is pretty damn big and strong for a PG. Otherwise, he's just looked "solid" to me. I realize his advanced stats down there are pretty good, but I haven't seen anything from him that screams out "he needs to be back in the NBA ASAP!". The key is his outside shot. Kind of a game changer if he can hit the 3-ball at a 35%-plus rate over a sustained period of time....sustained being the operative word.
Any thoughts on Mudiay's D? If he was a legit factor on that end I think that could get him back in the league but if he is just ok on that end and can't hit 3's...
Highlights from a 2-point Mudiay with the Knicks four years ago. Do I think we should move on from DLO to Mudiay? No. But he could potentially help depending on the answer to Monster's question. I don't know anything about Mudiay's defense. If he's a really good and consistent defender, then I'd be interested in possibly having him on the Minnesota roster at some point. But if not, then I'll pass. He reminds me a bit of Kevon Harris.
Monster, I haven't really honed in closely on Mudiay's defense in the games and highlights I have watched. As you know, it's hard to evaluate a player's defense (or lack thereof) unless you isolate your viewing to just that player for long stretches.
Having said that, nothing jumped off the screen at me one way or the other. In other words, I never saw any situation where there was a major mental lapse or lack of effort. Nor did I ever see anything where he just absolutely locked down or sold out to get a loose ball.
As for the stats, his D-Rating is the worst of the 5 starters. We can't automatically assume this means he's a poor team defender because there is a ton of noise in that number. He rebounds his position fairly well (5.5 per 36) and his steal and block rate are pretty good for a PG.
The other vet we should keep an eye on is PJ Dozier. He hasn't played a ton yet, but in the games he's been in, he's come off the bench and been impressive.
Yeah, I just haven't seen enough from Mudiay to suggest that he can be part of the answer at PG for the Wolves. Do I think he could plug a hole for some period of time and we'd be OK? Yes, he knows the NBA and he isn't going to be totally lost out there. But he's not a longer term answer IMO.
Q-was-here wrote:Monster, I haven't really honed in closely on Mudiay's defense in the games and highlights I have watched. As you know, it's hard to evaluate a player's defense (or lack thereof) unless you isolate your viewing to just that player for long stretches.
Having said that, nothing jumped off the screen at me one way or the other. In other words, I never saw any situation where there was a major mental lapse or lack of effort. Nor did I ever see anything where he just absolutely locked down or sold out to get a loose ball.
As for the stats, his D-Rating is the worst of the 5 starters. We can't automatically assume this means he's a poor team defender because there is a ton of noise in that number. He rebounds his position fairly well (5.5 per 36) and his steal and block rate are pretty good for a PG.
The other vet we should keep an eye on is PJ Dozier. He hasn't played a ton yet, but in the games he's been in, he's come off the bench and been impressive.
Thanks Q. To be clear I think Mudiay is a guy that could help as a depth guy or some sort of rotation player but unless he becomes the next Gary Payton II or something he isn't going to help that much if Russell moves on. It's good he is doing well in Iowa if for no other reason that having a good player playing that position is good for your development team.
To be honest Dozier might be more likely to help the Wolves at PG (in that solid playing off guys type) than Mudiay even though he is less of a PG and isn't a proven shooter either. He seems like one of those guys that helps his team more than his stats and I think he has some actual defensive ability and I believe is a little taller and longer. Both guys have connections to people within the organization so they have that going for them.
I appreciate the Mudiay discussion, guys...he's certainly someone to keep an eye on. It would be a terrific redemption story if he ever realized his potential. My recollection is that his defense was considered a plus at the time of the draft...it was only his shot that was a big issue.
I'm hoping the Wolves are following McKenzie Wright also if Dallas decides to move on. We know what a gritty defender he is, and he is also putting up nice offensive stats in the G. 22/7/4 with 42.3% 3-point shooting.
I think the front office did a really nice job constructing the G-League roster.
I'd put Mudiay and Dozier in the "break glass in case of emergency" category. What that means is if we run into a rash of injuries, I trust inserting those guys into an NBA rotation over our rookies. You know damn well that the rookies won't get an ounce of respect from NBA officials and they will get targeted by opponents.
In the meantime, Moore Jr. and Minott are starters and getting a ton of reps together. It's absolutely the right thing for them to stay down there for the vast majority, if not all, of the season.
Garza is in his own category. If we weren't already so deep with bigs (and Reid is having a great season so far), he is absolutely good enough to play some minutes as a backup Center in the NBA and do so at potentially at a very effective level (whereas Dozier and Mudiay are more "do no harm" types).
Q-was-here wrote:I think the front office did a really nice job constructing the G-League roster.
I'd put Mudiay and Dozier in the "break glass in case of emergency" category. What that means is if we run into a rash of injuries, I trust inserting those guys into an NBA rotation over our rookies. You know damn well that the rookies won't get an ounce of respect from NBA officials and they will get targeted by opponents.
In the meantime, Moore Jr. and Minott are starters and getting a ton of reps together. It's absolutely the right thing for them to stay down there for the vast majority, if not all, of the season.
Garza is in his own category. If we weren't already so deep with bigs (and Reid is having a great season so far), he is absolutely good enough to play some minutes as a backup Center in the NBA and do so at potentially at a very effective level (whereas Dozier and Mudiay are more "do no harm" types).
