Here comes the chatter!

[rapsuperstar31]

If Nowell, Reid, and Dlo have no desire to return to Minnesota next season, you have to at least consider trading them. If Naz or Dlo agree to a contract before the trade deadline it makes sense to keep them around. If Naz wants out but will agree to sign immediately with whatever team trades for him at the deadline it would make sense to trade him if we are getting a good asset or pick in return. Nowell I've pretty much given up on, maybe playing so poorly this year he agrees to a cheap contract here and finds his 3pt shot again next season.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Numbers with Hyland can tell different stories. On offense, the Nuggets aren't as strong with their bench unit, but that's to be expected without Joki? on the floor. Still, Hyland has been productive in his minutes, averaging 12.3 points and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 38.9% from three-point range. He is the only player in a stacked 2021 draft class currently maintaining those averages.

This season, the Nuggets are getting roasted defensively with Hyland on the floor. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Nuggets are a full 11.6 points per 100 possessions worse defensively when Hyland's on the court. That is one of the lowest differentials in the entire NBA and a glaring red flag. It would be understandable if other players on the bench were the same way, but the second worst on/off offender for the Nuggets defense this season is DeAndre Jordan at -6.8 points per 100 possessions.

The eye test certainly matches the numbers here. Hyland's size continues to put the Nuggets in compromising positions, and he offers little resistance in allowing opposing scorers to nestle comfortably under the rim.

When he puts up resistance, he's liable to foul, pushing the Nuggets closer to the bonus early in the second and fourth quarters when he's out there. Hyland has the highest fouls per 100 possessions of any guard on the roster, and it isn't from aggressive, pestering defense that can be cited for the likes of Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

There's no doubt though that the Nuggets are loathe to give up on the Bones Hyland experience early though. Michael Malone previously stated that he was going to ride with Bones despite his shooting struggles during December, and that likely still applies. Bones' numbers as a second year scoring guard remain highly impressive, averaging 30.4 points and 7.7 assists per 100 possessions on 54.5% true shooting. The only first and second year players in NBA history to match that combination of volume efficiency are a who's who of elite players, plus Andrew Toney:

LeBron James
Michael Jordan
Dwyade Wade
Luka Don?i? twice
Kyrie Irving twice
Trae Young
Andrew Toney
Bones Hyland

It's a healthy reminder that even though the plus-minus numbers aren't great, Hyland isn't a player the Nuggets should feel excessive pressure to trade too early. He's going to be a really, really good player.

-------

From MileHighNews.

And I have to chuckle at that list. I'm sure the author was like "Holy shit, this is crazy that Hyland is part of this list even though he's not even close to any of those guys!"

[Q-is-here]

This next week is so huge for this team to catapult themselves to that 3 seed. I personally would Trade Naz and Nowell for picks and hope I can get a buyout candidate to come here to replace Nowell Minutes or worst case scenario you throw Minott or Moore into the fire and deal with growing pains because it cant be much worse than what Nowell is Producing on a nightly basis.

But the problem is do we really want to trade Naz if we are in a tight playoff race and KAT isn't back fairly soon? I like Knight and Garza as much as the next guy, but it's sure nice to have a few options off the bench when Gobert sits. Things get awfully thin on the front line quickly if Gobert gets dinged up again.

I continue to believe that winning games and short-term success serve our longer term needs as a franchise and culture more than backfilling some or all of those draft picks we traded away for Rudy.

[Q-is-here]

Numbers with Hyland can tell different stories. On offense, the Nuggets aren't as strong with their bench unit, but that's to be expected without Joki? on the floor. Still, Hyland has been productive in his minutes, averaging 12.3 points and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 38.9% from three-point range. He is the only player in a stacked 2021 draft class currently maintaining those averages.

This season, the Nuggets are getting roasted defensively with Hyland on the floor. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Nuggets are a full 11.6 points per 100 possessions worse defensively when Hyland's on the court. That is one of the lowest differentials in the entire NBA and a glaring red flag. It would be understandable if other players on the bench were the same way, but the second worst on/off offender for the Nuggets defense this season is DeAndre Jordan at -6.8 points per 100 possessions.

The eye test certainly matches the numbers here. Hyland's size continues to put the Nuggets in compromising positions, and he offers little resistance in allowing opposing scorers to nestle comfortably under the rim.

When he puts up resistance, he's liable to foul, pushing the Nuggets closer to the bonus early in the second and fourth quarters when he's out there. Hyland has the highest fouls per 100 possessions of any guard on the roster, and it isn't from aggressive, pestering defense that can be cited for the likes of Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

There's no doubt though that the Nuggets are loathe to give up on the Bones Hyland experience early though. Michael Malone previously stated that he was going to ride with Bones despite his shooting struggles during December, and that likely still applies. Bones' numbers as a second year scoring guard remain highly impressive, averaging 30.4 points and 7.7 assists per 100 possessions on 54.5% true shooting. The only first and second year players in NBA history to match that combination of volume efficiency are a who's who of elite players, plus Andrew Toney:

LeBron James
Michael Jordan
Dwyade Wade
Luka Don?i? twice
Kyrie Irving twice
Trae Young
Andrew Toney
Bones Hyland

It's a healthy reminder that even though the plus-minus numbers aren't great, Hyland isn't a player the Nuggets should feel excessive pressure to trade too early. He's going to be a really, really good player.

-------

From MileHighNews.

And I have to chuckle at that list. I'm sure the author was like "Holy shit, this is crazy that Hyland is part of this list even though he's not even close to any of those guys!"

Good find Abe.

Yeah, I can see why folks fall in love with the guy after watching those highlights Monster shared. He's sort of a throwback to the New York City playground-bred guards that were more prominent in the 70s, 80s, and 90s where flash and creativity ruled the day. Unfortunately, defense wasn't very high on the list of priorities then either!

[AbeVigodaLive]

This next week is so huge for this team to catapult themselves to that 3 seed. I personally would Trade Naz and Nowell for picks and hope I can get a buyout candidate to come here to replace Nowell Minutes or worst case scenario you throw Minott or Moore into the fire and deal with growing pains because it cant be much worse than what Nowell is Producing on a nightly basis.

But the problem is do we really want to trade Naz if we are in a tight playoff race and KAT isn't back fairly soon? I like Knight and Garza as much as the next guy, but it's sure nice to have a few options off the bench when Gobert sits. Things get awfully thin on the front line quickly if Gobert gets dinged up again.

I continue to believe that winning games and short-term success serve our longer term needs as a franchise and culture more than backfilling some or all of those draft picks we traded away for Rudy.

The Wolves are in a tough spot with both Reid and Russell right now... and Towns' injury is playing a role with both.

- Obviously, Reid is the 1st choice in the Towns role. He's not bad in the poor man's red-headed stepchild imposter fill-in role for Towns. Meanwhile, we've seen glimpses from both Knight and Garza. But those glimpses have been largely celebrated in part because they're so unexpected. We tend to overlook the nights when they're largely or entirely ineffective. Can the Wolves count on one or two of them for 25 - 30 minutes in a playoff chase?

- Russell is shooting GREAT... like league leaders in efficiency great for a couple of months now. And that's been huge on a team without a huge offensive fulcrum in Towns. By trading Russell now for a distressed asset, it could hurt the team in the short-term. Obviously, the rub is that Russell is shooting better than he has at any other point in his 8 year career and detractors might even claim he just might be a contract year type of player.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I would bet that the Timberwolves are rumored in several deals along the way, but rightfully do nothing of significance leading up to the trade deadline. This current group is playing too well and winning games in bunches even without Karl-Anthony Towns. Trying to secure a playoff-berth, and homecourt advantage in the first round and potentially beyond, is much more important than asset management, or selling high on expiring players/contracts.

Like I've said in past threads, the organization is responsible for being forward-looking, but the moves they made this off-season put winning now as the top priority. They need to stay consistent to that.

[Q-is-here]

I would bet that the Timberwolves are rumored in several deals along the way, but rightfully do nothing of significance leading up to the trade deadline. This current group is playing too well and winning games in bunches even without Karl-Anthony Towns. Trying to secure a playoff-berth, and homecourt advantage in the first round and potentially beyond, is much more important than asset management, or selling high on expiring players/contracts.

Like I've said in past threads, the organization is responsible for being forward-looking, but the moves they made this off-season put winning now as the top priority. They need to stay consistent to that.

I generally agree with the staying pat stance. The only wildcard is if we stumble really bad with this remaining homestand and then are @ Denver and @ Utah before the deadline. What if, for example, we lose 4 out of the next 6 and Ant gets hurt and is expected to be out for a few weeks. In the West, that quickly puts us out of the playoff picture - or just barely hanging onto a playin spot. At that point, I wouldn't be opposed to trying to parlay some of our expiring contracts into future assets if the right deal is there.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Russell is shooting GREAT... like league leaders in efficiency great for a couple of months now. And that's been huge on a team without a huge offensive fulcrum in Towns. By trading Russell now for a distressed asset, it could hurt the team in the short-term. Obviously, the rub is that Russell is shooting better than he has at any other point in his 8 year career and detractors might even claim he just might be a contract year type of player.

While the bolded is technically true, the underlying numbers aren't THAT far off of what he's done throughout his last handful of seasons. His shot quality and distribution, however, has changed a bit.

He's essentially the same shooter off the catch that he's typically been (2021 was an outlier as I've noted numerous times in the past), and while he is making a better percentage of his threes pulling up than he has in prior seasons he's also taking less of them -- meaning that inevitable regression shouldn't tank his numbers.

He's also switching between on-ball and off-ball duties more, which leads me to believe that the change in role and three-point distribution is a big part of the boost in his overall efficiency. Rather, he's not just in the midst of a 2.5-month heater where there's no rhyme or reason for it. His overall numbers could be sustainable (even with some built-in regression) because they're comparable to what he's done in recent history.

2022-23: 47.3% PU (3.5 2PA) -- 39.3% C&S (3.7 3PA) / 38.4% PU (2.8 3PA) = 39.3% 3P

2021-22: 39.7% PU (3.1 2PA) -- 34.4% C&S (4.0 3PA) / 32.9% PU (3.8 3PA) = 34.0% 3P

2020-21: 39.7% PU (4.3 2PA) -- 39.1% C&S (3.6 3PA) / 37.6% PU (3.5 3PA) = 38.7% 3P

2019-20: 43.8% PU (5.2 2PA) -- 39.1% C&S (3.8 3PA) / 34.5% PU (5.5 3PA) = 36.7% 3P

2018-19: 45.7% PU (5.3 2PA) -- 39.4% C&S (3.3 3PA) / 34.9.2% PU (4.5 3PA) = 36.9% 3P

[Monster]

This next week is so huge for this team to catapult themselves to that 3 seed. I personally would Trade Naz and Nowell for picks and hope I can get a buyout candidate to come here to replace Nowell Minutes or worst case scenario you throw Minott or Moore into the fire and deal with growing pains because it cant be much worse than what Nowell is Producing on a nightly basis.

But the problem is do we really want to trade Naz if we are in a tight playoff race and KAT isn't back fairly soon? I like Knight and Garza as much as the next guy, but it's sure nice to have a few options off the bench when Gobert sits. Things get awfully thin on the front line quickly if Gobert gets dinged up again.

I continue to believe that winning games and short-term success serve our longer term needs as a franchise and culture more than backfilling some or all of those draft picks we traded away for Rudy.

I agree with Jester's perspective that the Wolves with an open roster spot MIGHT be able to add a solid player or players that could help even if they dealt Naz. There are some players that are FAs right now that could maybe help. Wat a big center that can score? Cousins is available. Want a Rudy backup? Whiteside is available. Of course this begs the question will a team give up some sort of asset instead of just signing a guy? Well some teams might not want to cut a player to do that financially because of a luxury tax concern so that's one reason why Naz at a vet min salary despite being a pending FA could be moved for value. A team wouldn't have to give up much in terms of salary or maybe noting if they have a trade exception. Speaking of which the Wolves have a trade exception of over 4 million but they are about 3 million under the luxury tax so that may only be so useful.

[Coolbreeze44]

This next week is so huge for this team to catapult themselves to that 3 seed. I personally would Trade Naz and Nowell for picks and hope I can get a buyout candidate to come here to replace Nowell Minutes or worst case scenario you throw Minott or Moore into the fire and deal with growing pains because it cant be much worse than what Nowell is Producing on a nightly basis.

But the problem is do we really want to trade Naz if we are in a tight playoff race and KAT isn't back fairly soon? I like Knight and Garza as much as the next guy, but it's sure nice to have a few options off the bench when Gobert sits. Things get awfully thin on the front line quickly if Gobert gets dinged up again.

I continue to believe that winning games and short-term success serve our longer term needs as a franchise and culture more than backfilling some or all of those draft picks we traded away for Rudy.

The Wolves are in a tough spot with both Reid and Russell right now... and Towns' injury is playing a role with both.

- Obviously, Reid is the 1st choice in the Towns role. He's not bad in the poor man's red-headed stepchild imposter fill-in role for Towns. Meanwhile, we've seen glimpses from both Knight and Garza. But those glimpses have been largely celebrated in part because they're so unexpected. We tend to overlook the nights when they're largely or entirely ineffective. Can the Wolves count on one or two of them for 25 - 30 minutes in a playoff chase?

- Russell is shooting GREAT... like league leaders in efficiency great for a couple of months now. And that's been huge on a team without a huge offensive fulcrum in Towns. By trading Russell now for a distressed asset, it could hurt the team in the short-term. Obviously, the rub is that Russell is shooting better than he has at any other point in his 8 year career and detractors might even claim he just might be a contract year type of player.

There are two other rubs. #1 - His value is probably at its zenith right now. Wolves fans know his baseline is at a level lower than what we are seeing right now. Good for him, but also good for the Wolves. If we ever thought we could get something for him, now would be the time. #2 - He usually misses more games than he has so far this year. It would be very Wolvsian to not trade him, see him go down with a knee injury, and then come back as less of a player. Heaven forbid we sign him because of this hot streak and then lose him to injury, along with a Paul George type availability factor for the rest of his career. These in addition to your rub are more than enough to give me pause