2024 Wolves Free Agency

[60WinTim]

NAW played some PG last year. TSJ’s arrival might increase NAWs minutes at PG since we didn’t have a legit backup SG last year.

[Q-is-here]

NAW played some PG last year. TSJ’s arrival might increase NAWs minutes at PG since we didn’t have a legit backup SG last year.

Yeah, Finchie has a few player/positional knobs he can turn to allow for good performance (or lack thereof) of our two rookies.

Examples...

1. If Shannon Jr. looks really good and Dillingham struggles, turn the NAW PG knob up and NAW SG knob down.

2. If Shannon Jr. struggles and Dillingham looks good, turn the NAW PG down and the NAW SG knob up.

3. If Shannon Jr. and Dillingham look good, turn the Ingles SF knob down and the Shannon SF knob up while preserving the Dillingham and NAW minutes.

4. If they both struggle, turn the NAW PG and Ingles SF knobs up and activate the Dozier knob.

All sorts of doors could open!

[Monster]

NAW played some PG last year. TSJ’s arrival might increase NAWs minutes at PG since we didn’t have a legit backup SG last year.

Yeah, Finchie has a few player/positional knobs he can turn to allow for good performance (or lack thereof) of our two rookies.

Examples...

1. If Shannon Jr. looks really good and Dillingham struggles, turn the NAW PG knob up and NAW SG knob down.

2. If Shannon Jr. struggles and Dillingham looks good, turn the NAW PG down and the NAW SG knob up.

3. If Shannon Jr. and Dillingham look good, turn the Ingles SF knob down and the Shannon SF knob up while preserving the Dillingham and NAW minutes.

4. If they both struggle, turn the NAW PG and Ingles SF knobs up and activate the Dozier knob.

All sorts of doors could open!

Good breakdown! I get NAW isn't the best PG or whatever but he clearly took a step forward last season and is more of a legit option there than he was going into last season. Before the season started last year a number of us thought he could be that but we didn't really know. I thought he did fairly well.

If Naw just does anything close to what he did this year (aside from possibly improving) he is gonna be getting some pretty good contract offers. Those 3 and D combo guards are so valuable. The Wolves have been looking for one for years regardless of who was running the team. Now they have one...but for how long?

[Lipoli390]

More offensive firepower, slight step back defensively, internal progress from Ant, Jaden, Naz. The Wolves will be better. But the West is better too.

Swapping out Slo Mo for Ingles can be fairly characterized as a wash, although I think the swap is a bit of a step back when you think of all the things Kyle does. But let’s call it a wash, especially given the Wolves need for shooting.

You can’t look at Dozier’s track record and conclude that he’s a step up over what we had last season. If anything, I’d say he’s a step down from Morris and JMac.

Other than the Slo Mo/Ingles swap and the Dozier signing, the only other roster changes are the additions of Dilly and TSJ. So whether we’re better, the same or worse as a result of off-season transactions turns on how these two picks perform. Given the risk inherent in having a 37 year old starting PG with a track record of missing lots of games even in his prime, our reliance on a 19 year old, 165 pound rookie as a backup is a troubling roster development.

I think TC knows all this. In his recent interview with Dan Barreiro, TC answered the question of improvement by quickly pivoting to improvement from within. If you listen to the interview you’ll know what I mean. He talked about Jaden needing to take a big step forward - especially when it comes to rebounding and finding other ways to score. He also mentioned improvement from Ant and Naz. Perhaps Minott, Miller and/or Clark will break through into the rotation and provide a source of net team improvement.

You’re right that several playoff teams in the West are better — OKC, Dallas, Sacramento, New Orleans. A couple others look like they’ve taken a step back - Denver, Clippers. Overall, it will be tough for the Wolves to get as far as they got last season, much less advance to the NBA finals. Note that we were remarkably healthy last season except for KAT’s absence down the stretch. Conley played far more games than he has in a long time. Edwards was an Iron man. NAW, Naz, Jaden and Rudy were largely injury free as well.

The good news is that the Wolves are one of 3 or 4 teams that should be considered favorites to come out of the West. TSJ is a rookie but he’s 23 with an NBA body to go with his considerable talent. He could have a rookie impact in line with what we saw a few years ago from a rookie named Desmond Bane. The bad or cautionary news is that just getting back to the Western Conference finals will probably require Dilly to perform at a level that’s rare for a 19 year old rookie. I would have thought differently if we could have retained Morris.

We’ll have to trust in TC and Finch. Finch talked about giving rookies a defined (by implication limited) role. One approach with Dilly, at least in the first half of the season, could be defining his role primary as an off-the-ball 3-point shooter with Ant as the lead guard a la MJ when the was paired with Paxon and later Kerr or when Kobe was paired with Derek Fisher. For that approach to work, we’ll need improved ball-handling and decision making from Ant. I thought Ant’s decision making had already improved late in the season and the playoffs until the Dallas series.

No matter what, the Wolves will be very good and even more fun to watch next season with Dilly, TSJ and Joe Ingles in the fold and our other guys back, presumably better in the case of Ant, Jaden and Naz, then last season.

[Sundog]

As you usually are at this time of year, you’re a bit negative, Lip, not overly so, just somewhat. I think you’ll start to come around when you see Dillingham and Shannon in summer league. And I generally higher on Ingles than you are… Kyle was a good 4 for the wolves, but not a great 3, and couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn from the arc last year. Ingles is an elite shooter and as good a passer/facilitator as Anderson. Not as good on defense, but a generally solid team defender.

I’ll stand by my summary above … more offensive firepower, small step back on defense. The wolves should crack the top 10 on offense (a significant upgrade from 17 last season, and will likely be top 5 defensively. That’s a darned good team.

[Lipoli390]

I want to be clear about something. While I’m concerned about relying on a 19 year old 165 pound Rob Dillingham to back up Mike Conley next season, I still love the pick even knowing that it ultimately drove Morris away. Moving up to #8 in exchange for a 12 year old and taking a high-upside PG was absolutely the right thing to do in my view. Should TC have taken Devin Carter as a bigger, more ready two-way PG? Maybe, but I love what Dilly brings so I’m not going to second guess TC on that choice even though TC alluded to second guessing his decision to take Dilly rather than of of the other PGs they were high on.

And taking TSJ at #27 was also unequivocally the right choice even though I also like Scheierman.

[Carlos Danger]

I want to be clear about something. While I’m concerned about relying on a 19 year old 165 pound Rob Dillingham to back up Mike Conley next season, I still love the pick even knowing that it ultimately drove Morris away. Moving up to #8 in exchange for a 12 year old and taking a high-upside PG was absolutely the right thing to do in my view. Should TC have taken Devin Carter as a bigger, more ready two-way PG? Maybe, but I love what Dilly brings so I’m not going to second guess TC on that choice even though TC alluded to second guessing his decision to take Dilly rather than of of the other PGs they were high on.

And taking TSJ at #27 was also unequivocally the right choice even though I also like Scheierman.

Amazing - I can't believe the bolded part was even legal!!!

[Lipoli390]

I want to be clear about something. While I’m concerned about relying on a 19 year old 165 pound Rob Dillingham to back up Mike Conley next season, I still love the pick even knowing that it ultimately drove Morris away. Moving up to #8 in exchange for a 12 year old and taking a high-upside PG was absolutely the right thing to do in my view. Should TC have taken Devin Carter as a bigger, more ready two-way PG? Maybe, but I love what Dilly brings so I’m not going to second guess TC on that choice even though TC alluded to second guessing his decision to take Dilly rather than of of the other PGs they were high on.

And taking TSJ at #27 was also unequivocally the right choice even though I also like Scheierman.

Amazing - I can't believe the bolded part was even legal!!!

Actually, it could be an 11 year old.

[TheFuture]

As you usually are at this time of year, you’re a bit negative, Lip, not overly so, just somewhat. I think you’ll start to come around when you see Dillingham and Shannon in summer league. And I generally higher on Ingles than you are… Kyle was a good 4 for the wolves, but not a great 3, and couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn from the arc last year. Ingles is an elite shooter and as good a passer/facilitator as Anderson. Not as good on defense, but a generally solid team defender.

I’ll stand by my summary above … more offensive firepower, small step back on defense. The wolves should crack the top 10 on offense (a significant upgrade from 17 last season, and will likely be top 5 defensively. That’s a darned good team.

I don't know if Lip is being negative, I'd refer it to as realistic. Obviously everyone hopes Dillingham lights the NBA on fire at 19 years old. But relying on that happening as a contending team is worrisome, and unrealistic. Relying on current wings to fill in at PG isn't the answer either.

I agree with Lip that the Wolves shouldn't bank on Conley’s health and need to add a proven true NBA backup pg heading into the season.

[Lipoli390]

NAW played some PG last year. TSJ’s arrival might increase NAWs minutes at PG since we didn’t have a legit backup SG last year.

Yeah, Finchie has a few player/positional knobs he can turn to allow for good performance (or lack thereof) of our two rookies.

Examples...

1. If Shannon Jr. looks really good and Dillingham struggles, turn the NAW PG knob up and NAW SG knob down.

2. If Shannon Jr. struggles and Dillingham looks good, turn the NAW PG down and the NAW SG knob up.

3. If Shannon Jr. and Dillingham look good, turn the Ingles SF knob down and the Shannon SF knob up while preserving the Dillingham and NAW minutes.

4. If they both struggle, turn the NAW PG and Ingles SF knobs up and activate the Dozier knob.

All sorts of doors could open!

I love this post!