Confirm/Deny Lavine is now our #1 wing prospect

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Rudy Gay

[AbeVigodaLive]

Rudy Gay

Yep. So I guess the question is whether Parker/Wiggins continue to improve... or stagnate.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Rudy Gay

Yep. So I guess the question is whether Parker/Wiggins continue to improve... or stagnate.

Well, I'll just say that I won't be surprised either way -- was a fan of Parker's pre-draft, currently a fan of Wiggins because of the uniform he wears. I do wonder where Parker would be in his progression had he not torn his ACL his rookie season, though.

[MikkeMan]

I think that Wiggins is still right now better than Lavine from the reasons that Q has already mentioned. I also think that Wiggins might have higher ceiling but still I think that Lavine is currently better prospect.

Reason for that is the growth that he has already shown in his game. There has been several really talented players that have looked promising as rookies or sophmores but they just haven't improved at all or have had only minor improvement during their career and thus they have not ever reached their potential.

Abe already listed Rudy Gay stats as 21 year old. He looked really promising at that time but since he hasn't improved much later, he didn't ever become perennial all star many were expecting. There can be found many other similar examples as well. You can guess whom are following 20 or 21 year old players based on their per 36 minutes stats:

18.1 ppg / 6.8 reb / 2.4 ast / 51.7% fg / 14.3 3fg% / 77.7ft% / 1.8 TO / 18.7 PER
19.5 ppg / 5.1 reb / 5.6 ast / 45.8% fg / 25.5 3fg% / 74.8ft% / 2.9 TO / 18.2 PER
16.0 ppg / 5.3 reb / 1.2 ast / 49.5% fg / 34.1 3fg% / 73.5ft% / 1.6 TO / 15.4 PER
15.4 ppg / 6.0 reb / 1.8 ast / 46.2% fg / 10.0 3fg% / 82.2ft% / 1.8 TO / 14.5 PER
17.5 ppg / 3.6 reb / 3.0 ast / 43.8% fg / 38.4 3fg% / 87.9ft% / 2.6 TO / 14.2 PER

All players were starters in their teams already at age 20 or 21 and all were playing more than 30 minutes per game. Based on their stats at that age, you would think that these players would have played several all star games and would have at least some all NBA 1st, 2nd or 3rd team selections but all they have just two all star selections between them and none of the players had shown much improvement in their game later (even tough 1st and 4th ones did learn to shoot three pointers later) . BTW. players were Luol Deng, Tyreke Evans, Thaddeus Young, Marvin Williams and O.J. Mayo.

I'm not saying that Wiggins wouldn't improve in future but I think it's less probable that he will improve much than that Lavine will improve since unlike Lavine, Wiggins hasn't shown much improvement yet. Only examples about players that did not improved a much in his three first seasons as starter that seemed to have turned perennial all star that comes my mind are DeRozan and Billups.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Interesting stats Mikkmeman. Yes, we always cite the stars - guys we hope our young guys become some day - and say, "see, look at player X at the same age!". But then we never look at the guys that simply never got better. And there are plenty of them.

And in fact, if there is one hallmark of this franchise's ineptitude over the years, it's the lack of organic improvement from the players they draft. Kevin Love is the only player in the past 10+ years this team has drafted that grew from a bench greenhorn into an all-star caliber player.

[bleedspeed]

Kevin Love is the only player in the past 10+ years this team has drafted that grew from a bench greenhorn into an all-star caliber player.

And he completely credits Rambis.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Kevin Love is the only player in the past 10+ years this team has drafted that grew from a bench greenhorn into an all-star caliber player.

And he completely credits Rambis.

And that's the travesty....He improved DESPITE the way our front office and coaches handled him. He eventually forced his way into the starting lineup. He finally found his coaching soul mate in Rick Adelman, who knew exactly how to use him. By then, the damage had been done though.....

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Kevin Love is the only player in the past 10+ years this team has drafted that grew from a bench greenhorn into an all-star caliber player.

And he completely credits Rambis.

Just to make this statement more depressing, since we didn't draft Love, we can see there is no draftee in recent history that has developed into an all-star...wow.

Ray of hope, though...I will be surprised if at least 1 or 2 of our current young core don't become a perennial all-star. This season is a total downer, but you have to believe that much better days lie ahead.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Kevin Love is the only player in the past 10+ years this team has drafted that grew from a bench greenhorn into an all-star caliber player.

And he completely credits Rambis.

"Just to make this statement more depressing, since we didn't draft Love, we can see there is no draftee in recent history that has developed into an all-star...wow.

Ray of hope, though...I will be surprised if at least 1 or 2 of our current young core don't become a perennial all-star. This season is a total downer, but you have to believe that much better days lie ahead."

- longstrangetrip, circa December 2015

In more recent news... Dallas won last night.

So the Wolves are right back in the battle for the #1 pick with the league's worst record.

woe.

[Wile E Coyote [enjin:17432808]]

LaVine is better at driving to the hoop, spot up shooting, shooting off a screen, handling the ball, and fast breaks. Wiggins is better at posting up, drawing fouls, and defense (although he is still lacking).

Both guys need to improve a ton on defense, decision-making, and rebounding. That is why Thibs is making the big bucks.

I'd rather not pick between the two. There are not a lot of good young wings in the NBA right now. Melo and Bron are getting old. Harden is playing PG now. You have Klay, PG13, and ... McCollum I guess, and ... um ... Beal when he is not hurt, and ... ?

If after 1-2 years of Thibs if one or both are really not getting how to play D then I'd worry more about moving one or picking a favorite.