Wolves Offseason Point Guard Options

[Monster]

To me part of the issue I have with trading for some options is that while I understand we may not be able to sign some players in FA but is Quickly meaningfully better than say Collin Sexton? How much is Coby White getting? I understand that part of the idea is move Randle for one of these players but as much as we may be ready to move on from Randle idk if I want to move him to get a guy that costs what he is making or more and in Quickly's case for at least another year longer. What if trading for player A or B or F keeps the Wolves from brining in the next Ayo (and or resigning them) or resigning the next NAW etc?

The idea of adding more shooting and drive and kick is something I could get on board with. We simply need more ball handling and shooting especially with Donte out and is an upcoming FA.

[Wolvesfan21]

Ayo he is probably more like a traditional point guard than Donte was this past year, but I still think of him more like a combo guard like Donte and TJ too. Add Clark, and we basically have three backups for Ant (Ayo, TJ, Clark), even with Donte out. That's not great balance, though I know those guys can defend some SFs, so we could theoretically play a little smaller and put one of them out there with Ant and another PG at the same time.

So I'd still be on the lookout for a more traditional PG. If we did get somebody good enough that we'd want to play them a good amount, could you guys see TC moving on from TJ or Clark because there just wouldn't be many minutes to go around, especially for guys who don't shoot from outside much?

I wonder whether we trade Donte this offseason. I'd love to have him back when he's ready, probably for the 27-28 season, but who knows what the situation will be after this season.

I can also see the possibility of just resigning Bones and even Mike, and going ahead with Ayo as your starting point guard and primary ballhandler. I don't think I'd feel great about that, as much as I love Ayo, because I still see him as a combo guard, and last season showed that we couldn't really rely on Mike for consistent minutes (much as I love him too).

It's a tough situation. I do still hope we can somehow turn Julius into somebody like Jrue Holiday.

The NBA hasn’t been a traditional PG League in a long, long time. Brunson’s certainly not a “traditional PG” and neither is SGA. The obsession with getting a traditional PG among the Wolves fan base and possibly in our front office is sort of weird. Ant needs a backcourt mate who can handle the ball, hit open shooters as a passer and pose a threat while he has the ball in his hands. Ayo checks all those boxes while also being a good defender. Ayo puts pressure on the rim. He’s a terrific dribble drive scorer who finishes at a high rate. That’s exactly what Ant needs next to him. The fact that Ayo is an efficient three-point shooter is a bonus. Ant doesn’t need a volume three-point shooter next to him at PG. Ant is a volume 3-point shooter. Naz is a terrific three-point shooter.

Based on what the Wolves would likely have to give up to get a starting PG who is better than Ayo, I’m left seeing Ayo as our best PG option right now. We can use Randle and free agency to acquire a quality defensive PF and a good perimeter shooter or two for our rotation. And we can sign Tyus Jones as a backup game-manager PG off the bench.

We don't need a traditional point guard in the Mike Conley role, but we do need someone that can set up good looks for everyone. If we do trade Julius who lead our team in assists at 5 per game which was only the 35th best in the league. Add in Donte who is going to miss most if not all of the season who was 2nd on our team at 3.8 assists per game. 19 players (qualified players playing enough games) averaged 6 assists or more, I'd like to have at least one player average 6 assists per game next season. It doesn't have to be the point guard, but someone on the team you can run the ball through to get others good looks. Boston does have more of a team assist thing going on if that is our approach, but they have 3 guys averaging between 5.1-5.4 assists per game.

Agreed with all that, and a great passer can set up Rudy better and more often even further unlocking our offense. Moving Ju for a non playmaker for instance leaves us even thinner at that spot. Ju at times was good even very good.

It's not that we need a "PG". We need reliable ball handling (less TO's) and more assists. It just so happens many of those guys fit that PG role.

[Lipoli390]

The NBA hasn’t been a traditional PG League in a long, long time. Brunson’s certainly not a “traditional PG” and neither is SGA. The obsession with getting a traditional PG among the Wolves fan base and possibly in our front office is sort of weird. Ant needs a backcourt mate who can handle the ball, hit open shooters as a passer and pose a threat while he has the ball in his hands. Ayo checks all those boxes while also being a good defender. Ayo puts pressure on the rim. He’s a terrific dribble drive scorer who finishes at a high rate. That’s exactly what Ant needs next to him. The fact that Ayo is an efficient three-point shooter is a bonus. Ant doesn’t need a volume three-point shooter next to him at PG. Ant is a volume 3-point shooter. Naz is a terrific three-point shooter.

Based on what the Wolves would likely have to give up to get a starting PG who is better than Ayo, I’m left seeing Ayo as our best PG option right now. We can use Randle and free agency to acquire a quality defensive PF and a good perimeter shooter or two for our rotation. And we can sign Tyus Jones as a backup game-manager PG off the bench.

We don't need a traditional point guard in the Mike Conley role, but we do need someone that can set up good looks for everyone. If we do trade Julius who lead our team in assists at 5 per game which was only the 35th best in the league. Add in Donte who is going to miss most if not all of the season who was 2nd on our team at 3.8 assists per game. 19 players (qualified players playing enough games) averaged 6 assists or more, I'd like to have at least one player average 6 assists per game next season. It doesn't have to be the point guard, but someone on the team you can run the ball through to get others good looks. Boston does have more of a team assist thing going on if that is our approach, but they have 3 guys averaging between 5.1-5.4 assists per game.

Agreed with all that, and a great passer can set up Rudy better and more often even further unlocking our offense. Moving Ju for a non playmaker for instance leaves us even thinner at that spot. Ju at times was good even very good.

It's not that we need a "PG". We need reliable ball handling (less TO's) and more assists. It just so happens many of those guys fit that PG role.

I agree with both of you. I think Ayo fits that mold and will be a much better fit than Donte as our other starting guard. Unfortunately, Donte’s injury thins our rotation overall and takes away valuable 3-point shooting from our rotation. So I think our top priority should be acquiring another perimeter shooter for our rotation. Ideally, that shooter will also be a good ball-handler and decent passer. Maybe we can acquire both using a combination of Randle and the MLE.

[Wolvesfan21]

We don't need a traditional point guard in the Mike Conley role, but we do need someone that can set up good looks for everyone. If we do trade Julius who lead our team in assists at 5 per game which was only the 35th best in the league. Add in Donte who is going to miss most if not all of the season who was 2nd on our team at 3.8 assists per game. 19 players (qualified players playing enough games) averaged 6 assists or more, I'd like to have at least one player average 6 assists per game next season. It doesn't have to be the point guard, but someone on the team you can run the ball through to get others good looks. Boston does have more of a team assist thing going on if that is our approach, but they have 3 guys averaging between 5.1-5.4 assists per game.

Agreed with all that, and a great passer can set up Rudy better and more often even further unlocking our offense. Moving Ju for a non playmaker for instance leaves us even thinner at that spot. Ju at times was good even very good.

It's not that we need a "PG". We need reliable ball handling (less TO's) and more assists. It just so happens many of those guys fit that PG role.

I agree with both of you. I think Ayo fits that mold and will be a much better fit than Donte as our other starting guard. Unfortunately, Donte’s injury thins our rotation overall and takes away valuable 3-point shooting from our rotation. So I think our top priority should be acquiring another perimeter shooter for our rotation. Ideally, that shooter will also be a good ball-handler and decent passer. Maybe we can acquire both using a combination of Randle and the MLE.

Unless we got say Giannis or Kawhi, someone who is an elite scorer, high usage, good ball handler starting, I think we'd be in trouble on offense. I think we need more punch then what Ju was giving us to be elite, if we downgrade to "role player" level and Ayo starts then I don't see any path to beating SA or OKC. If we have to count on Ayo to initiate more offense and score on the regular, I can't see that working. Not against the better defenses for sure.

The more I've thought about Giannis I might pull the trigger including Jaden, then moving Ju, DDV and Rudy in some combo or in that trade. Doing a complete overhaul.

Giannis and Ant plus a floor spacing 5 starting, OK I can see Ayo having good success next to them.

[Lipoli390]

Agreed with all that, and a great passer can set up Rudy better and more often even further unlocking our offense. Moving Ju for a non playmaker for instance leaves us even thinner at that spot. Ju at times was good even very good.

It's not that we need a "PG". We need reliable ball handling (less TO's) and more assists. It just so happens many of those guys fit that PG role.

I agree with both of you. I think Ayo fits that mold and will be a much better fit than Donte as our other starting guard. Unfortunately, Donte’s injury thins our rotation overall and takes away valuable 3-point shooting from our rotation. So I think our top priority should be acquiring another perimeter shooter for our rotation. Ideally, that shooter will also be a good ball-handler and decent passer. Maybe we can acquire both using a combination of Randle and the MLE.

Unless we got say Giannis or Kawhi, someone who is an elite scorer, high usage, good ball handler starting, I think we'd be in trouble on offense. I think we need more punch then what Ju was giving us to be elite, if we downgrade to "role player" level and Ayo starts then I don't see any path to beating SA or OKC. If we have to count on Ayo to initiate more offense and score on the regular, I can't see that working. Not against the better defenses for sure.

The more I've thought about Giannis I might pull the trigger including Jaden, then moving Ju, DDV and Rudy in some combo or in that trade. Doing a complete overhaul.

Giannis and Ant plus a floor spacing 5 starting, OK I can see Ayo having good success next to them.

We were a top 5 offense the last couple months of last season after acquiring Ayo. Randle was obviously a big part of that. And so was Donte. We won’t have Donte and trading Randle will make it even more challenging for us offensively depending on who we get back in return. I still believe that not having Randle on the court and replacing him with Naz in the starting lineup will unlock more offense from both Naz and Jaden in addition to some additional offensive improvement from each one individually as they hit their prime and increase their role. But again, where we end up will depend significantly on who we acquire for Randle and who else we add through free agency or possibly by trading Rudy. And I also see TSJ taking a big step forward on both ends of the court if he stays healthy.

[rapsuperstar31]

https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-t ... ource=gift

After drafting two big men in last year’s NBA draft, the Timberwolves might be targeting a point guard as they hone in on who they may select in this year’s draft.

They have the No. 28 pick in the first round Tuesday, but they might be looking for a way to move up, especially if they like what they see from the player they are hosting for a individual workout Saturday.

The Wolves are set to play host to Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. for an individual workout, a source told the Minnesota Star Tribune.

Philon is projected to go in the top 20 by mock drafts from ESPN and The Athletic. He is a 6-4 guard who averaged 22 points and five assists for Alabama last season. He shot 40% from three-point range on 6.2 attempts per game.

Philon would add to the Wolves’ ballhandling while also being a player who can create his own shot or hit open looks that came his way. The questions around him are about his strength and athleticism translating to the next level, which is something the Wolves will have to consider when they have both the Thunder and Spurs in their way in the Western Conference, two teams who have plenty of depth at the guard position.

Philon’s workout is an indication the Wolves are canvassing their options in terms of moving up from No. 28 in the first round. The last time the Wolves moved up in the draft for a guard, they did so in a major way two years ago. They didn’t have a first-round pick and instead traded a 2031 unprotected first-rounder and a 2030 pick swap to the Spurs to get Rob Dillingham at No. 8.

The Wolves then traded Dillingham and Leonard Miller for guard Ayo Dosunmu and forward Julian Phillips in February. Connelly has said re-signing Dosunmu, an unrestricted free agent, is among the Wolves’ top priorities this offseason.

Last season, Connelly didn’t move in the first round and took center Joan Beringer at No. 17. In the second round, the Wolves drafed another center, Rocco Zikarsky.

[Wolvesfan21]

I agree with both of you. I think Ayo fits that mold and will be a much better fit than Donte as our other starting guard. Unfortunately, Donte’s injury thins our rotation overall and takes away valuable 3-point shooting from our rotation. So I think our top priority should be acquiring another perimeter shooter for our rotation. Ideally, that shooter will also be a good ball-handler and decent passer. Maybe we can acquire both using a combination of Randle and the MLE.

Unless we got say Giannis or Kawhi, someone who is an elite scorer, high usage, good ball handler starting, I think we'd be in trouble on offense. I think we need more punch then what Ju was giving us to be elite, if we downgrade to "role player" level and Ayo starts then I don't see any path to beating SA or OKC. If we have to count on Ayo to initiate more offense and score on the regular, I can't see that working. Not against the better defenses for sure.

The more I've thought about Giannis I might pull the trigger including Jaden, then moving Ju, DDV and Rudy in some combo or in that trade. Doing a complete overhaul.

Giannis and Ant plus a floor spacing 5 starting, OK I can see Ayo having good success next to them.

We were a top 5 offense the last couple months of last season after acquiring Ayo. Randle was obviously a big part of that. And so was Donte. We won’t have Donte and trading Randle will make it even more challenging for us offensively depending on who we get back in return. I still believe that not having Randle on the court and replacing him with Naz in the starting lineup will unlock more offense from both Naz and Jaden in addition to some additional offensive improvement from each one individually as they hit their prime and increase their role. But again, where we end up will depend significantly on who we acquire for Randle and who else we add through free agency or possibly by trading Rudy. And I also see TSJ taking a big step forward on both ends of the court if he stays healthy.

Well yeah, no DDV or Randle. Replaced with Ayo and Naz in the starting lineup? Then what for the bench?

I just think we need much more to be a real threat, you think we'd be fine. I do think Ju could have been a slight negative on the team aspect the second half of the year, but be careful what we wish for. He was still a solid player most of the time. Getting rebounds, assists and buckets.

[AussieWolf3]

I'd be a lot happier with Randle if he actually got rebounds consistently, particularly defensive ones

[Lipoli390]

I'd be a lot happier with Randle if he actually got rebounds consistently, particularly defensive ones

That’s a great point, Aussie.

[BeenLurkin]

Unless we got say Giannis or Kawhi, someone who is an elite scorer, high usage, good ball handler starting, I think we'd be in trouble on offense. I think we need more punch then what Ju was giving us to be elite, if we downgrade to "role player" level and Ayo starts then I don't see any path to beating SA or OKC. If we have to count on Ayo to initiate more offense and score on the regular, I can't see that working. Not against the better defenses for sure.

The more I've thought about Giannis I might pull the trigger including Jaden, then moving Ju, DDV and Rudy in some combo or in that trade. Doing a complete overhaul.

Giannis and Ant plus a floor spacing 5 starting, OK I can see Ayo having good success next to them.

We were a top 5 offense the last couple months of last season after acquiring Ayo. Randle was obviously a big part of that. And so was Donte. We won’t have Donte and trading Randle will make it even more challenging for us offensively depending on who we get back in return. I still believe that not having Randle on the court and replacing him with Naz in the starting lineup will unlock more offense from both Naz and Jaden in addition to some additional offensive improvement from each one individually as they hit their prime and increase their role. But again, where we end up will depend significantly on who we acquire for Randle and who else we add through free agency or possibly by trading Rudy. And I also see TSJ taking a big step forward on both ends of the court if he stays healthy.

Well yeah, no DDV or Randle. Replaced with Ayo and Naz in the starting lineup? Then what for the bench?

I just think we need much more to be a real threat, you think we'd be fine. I do think Ju could have been a slight negative on the team aspect the second half of the year, but be careful what we wish for. He was still a solid player most of the time. Getting rebounds, assists and buckets.

Best case scenario Terrence Shannon Junior, sixth man of the year. Behringer and Rocco get real developmental opportunity. Bones followed by Mike Connolly or Jalen Clark for specific purposes as a backup point guard. Julian Phillips plus whatever happens with our draft picks this year fill out the developmental side of the bench. That leaves one roster spot for whatever we get for Julius Randall, and fit that piece in wherever. Then like I have said in posts previously you get to actually see what Naz and Jaden can be at higher usage rates. And then finally at the trade deadline this upcoming season, you reassess with the data that you have at that point and decide if we need to make a big deal with the assets that we have. But if you burn all of these assets in a silly trade for an old injured has been potentially and it fails then you’re not gonna get Anthony Edwards to resign his contract in the off-season and we are completely out of assets.