Slo-Mo is coming home!

[Q-is-here]

The SloMo signing is official. He'll wear #12. He now holds a Timberwolves record: only player to garner three different uniform numbers.

On another note, Tyus Jones signs with Denver. They really wanted SloMo or Middleton. But Middleton decided to stay in Dallas, and SloMo came back home.

I'm still surprised Houston didn't do more to shore up their guard depth.

[FNG]

I'm getting more excited about the return of SloMo after listening to Dane Moore's pod this week with Jace. Kyle has been one of my favorite players since his college days. I was living in LA then, and went to a lot of UCLA games with Shabazz, Zach and SloMo...also Norman Powell. I can't really say what position Kyle played his freshman year (Larry Drew was the PG and Kyle played mostly off ball) but he was clearly PG1 his sophomore year...with LaVine backing him up. And he was fun to watch handling the ball!

Dane and Jace think Kyle almost immediately becomes the 8th man, with Bones dropping to 8.5. And they reminded me how good our non-Rudy defensive minutes were that season with him playing center next to KAT...there was really not much of a defensive drop off when Rudy left the court like there has been this season and last. I really couldn't remember how the Rudy/Kyle minutes looked...it seems like it would be clumsy with 2 non shooters out there. But nba.com has them with a positive net rating, mostly because they were so dominant next to each other defensively.

On the flip side, they reminded me how little he played in the playoff series that season against the Suns and the Nuggets. They said both teams were packing the paint on defense, and having Rudy and Kyle out there just wasn't going to work on offense. It will be interesting to see if teams do the same thing this season.

[60WinTim]

I've been excited about his addition since well before the trade deadline!

Most important is the depth he adds behind our only three reliable bigs on the roster. But I now feel he will be an important part of the regular rotation, enhancing both our defense and our playmaking.

[Q-is-here]

I've been excited about his addition since well before the trade deadline!

Most important is the depth he adds behind our only three reliable bigs on the roster. But I now feel he will be an important part of the regular rotation, enhancing both our defense and our playmaking.

Tim, you have absolutely nailed the Bones acquistion and then the Conley and SloMo buyouts. Didn't you predict Ayo as well? Congrats.

I was a Bones skeptic, but he's proven me wrong, at least in the regular season. He brings some wiggle and shot making that we sorely need in the backcourt when Ant sits. And defensively he's trying his hardest out there. That's all you can ask.

Given Bones's production and effort of late, it doesn't surpirse me that Finch expanded the rotation to 9 men upon SloMo's arrival versus significantly reducing his minutes. We'll see if things tighten up in the playoffs.

[60WinTim]

I've been excited about his addition since well before the trade deadline!

Most important is the depth he adds behind our only three reliable bigs on the roster. But I now feel he will be an important part of the regular rotation, enhancing both our defense and our playmaking.

Tim, you have absolutely nailed the Bones acquistion and then the Conley and SloMo buyouts. Didn't you predict Ayo as well? Congrats.

I was a Bones skeptic, but he's proven me wrong, at least in the regular season. He brings some wiggle and shot making that we sorely need in the backcourt when Ant sits. And defensively he's trying his hardest out there. That's all you can ask.

Given Bones's production and effort of late, it doesn't surpirse me that Finch expanded the rotation to 9 men upon SloMo's arrival versus significantly reducing his minutes. We'll see if things tighten up in the playoffs.

I didn't predict Ayo, but he was one of my favorites. But you did decline to add him to your "PG Options" when I requested him on the list!

As for "9 men", I think Bones will fall more into the ".5" by always being the low man on the minutes totem poll. Ayo was 5th in minutes, playing 29 minutes. SloMo played more than Bones with 14 minutes, and I expect his minutes will increase. NAZ saw a drop off in minutes with his unproductive play, and Rudy was low due to foul trouble. It'll be interesting to see how the allocation of minutes plays out. I think Ayo and SloMo will get the most consistent minutes off the bench, and NAZ will vary by how his shot is falling.

It's pretty amazing how our bench has filled out when just a couple months ago it seemed NAZ was the only sure-fire bench player! The emergence of Bones and addition of Ayo and SloMo has made the bench formidable!

[Q-is-here]

I've been excited about his addition since well before the trade deadline!

Most important is the depth he adds behind our only three reliable bigs on the roster. But I now feel he will be an important part of the regular rotation, enhancing both our defense and our playmaking.

Tim, you have absolutely nailed the Bones acquistion and then the Conley and SloMo buyouts. Didn't you predict Ayo as well? Congrats.

I was a Bones skeptic, but he's proven me wrong, at least in the regular season. He brings some wiggle and shot making that we sorely need in the backcourt when Ant sits. And defensively he's trying his hardest out there. That's all you can ask.

Given Bones's production and effort of late, it doesn't surpirse me that Finch expanded the rotation to 9 men upon SloMo's arrival versus significantly reducing his minutes. We'll see if things tighten up in the playoffs.

I didn't predict Ayo, but he was one of my favorites. But you did decline to add him to your "PG Options" when I requested him on the list!

As for "9 men", I think Bones will fall more into the ".5" by always being the low man on the minutes totem poll. Ayo was 5th in minutes, playing 29 minutes. SloMo played more than Bones with 14 minutes, and I expect his minutes will increase. NAZ saw a drop off in minutes with his unproductive play, and Rudy was low due to foul trouble. It'll be interesting to see how the allocation of minutes plays out. I think Ayo and SloMo will get the most consistent minutes off the bench, and NAZ will vary by how his shot is falling.

It's pretty amazing how our bench has filled out when just a couple months ago it seemed NAZ was the only sure-fire bench player! The emergence of Bones and addition of Ayo and SloMo has made the bench formidable!

I actually think SloMo's minutes will be a bit more variable than you think, but regardless, a pure 8-man rotation is out the window for now and that's a good thing.

[FNG]

Tim, you have absolutely nailed the Bones acquistion and then the Conley and SloMo buyouts. Didn't you predict Ayo as well? Congrats.

I was a Bones skeptic, but he's proven me wrong, at least in the regular season. He brings some wiggle and shot making that we sorely need in the backcourt when Ant sits. And defensively he's trying his hardest out there. That's all you can ask.

Given Bones's production and effort of late, it doesn't surpirse me that Finch expanded the rotation to 9 men upon SloMo's arrival versus significantly reducing his minutes. We'll see if things tighten up in the playoffs.

I didn't predict Ayo, but he was one of my favorites. But you did decline to add him to your "PG Options" when I requested him on the list!

As for "9 men", I think Bones will fall more into the ".5" by always being the low man on the minutes totem poll. Ayo was 5th in minutes, playing 29 minutes. SloMo played more than Bones with 14 minutes, and I expect his minutes will increase. NAZ saw a drop off in minutes with his unproductive play, and Rudy was low due to foul trouble. It'll be interesting to see how the allocation of minutes plays out. I think Ayo and SloMo will get the most consistent minutes off the bench, and NAZ will vary by how his shot is falling.

It's pretty amazing how our bench has filled out when just a couple months ago it seemed NAZ was the only sure-fire bench player! The emergence of Bones and addition of Ayo and SloMo has made the bench formidable!

I actually think SloMo's minutes will be a bit more variable than you think, but regardless, a pure 8-man rotation is out the window for now and that's a good thing.

Yeah, we only have to look at the sparse minutes Finchy gave him in the Suns and Nuggets series two years ago to understand that he knows the situations Kyle is most effective in.

Unimpressive box score last night for Kyle, but it was still comforting to watch him out there...for us, and I assume for Finchy. He fit in seamlessly and looked great on defense. I loved Rudy's post-game comment about why he was glad to have Kyle back and what he brings: "passing the ball".

[FNG]

Love this development!:

Wolves DRtg with Gobert: 110.5

Wolves DRtg without Gobert: 119.5

Wolves DRtg with SloMo but NO Rudy: 107!

Matches my eye test too...Kyle has been better than ever on defense. I guess we should also point out that many of Kyles's minutes have been with a newly-inspired defensive Ju and without Ant being out there, but still good to see.

[Coolbreeze44]

Love this development!:

Wolves DRtg with Gobert: 110.5

Wolves DRtg without Gobert: 119.5

Wolves DRtg with SloMo but NO Rudy: 107!

Matches my eye test too...Kyle has been better than ever on defense. I guess we should also point out that many of Kyles's minutes have been with a newly-inspired defensive Ju and without Ant being out there, but still good to see.

A defensive Ju? How racist

[FNG]

Love this development!:

Wolves DRtg with Gobert: 110.5

Wolves DRtg without Gobert: 119.5

Wolves DRtg with SloMo but NO Rudy: 107!

Matches my eye test too...Kyle has been better than ever on defense. I guess we should also point out that many of Kyles's minutes have been with a newly-inspired defensive Ju and without Ant being out there, but still good to see.

A defensive Ju? How racist

There goes any chance of a political career for me...