And your starting PF for the 26-27 Minnesota TimberWolves is?

[DNatagal]

I still think Josh Green will end up starting at the other forward spot, but I expect Finch to open it up to competition at training camp and try some different things.

It seems pretty clear that Connelly is done dealing at this point other than signing one more end of bench insurance big.

Why do you think it will be Green?

The 5th starter will almost certainly be one of the following guys: Green, TJ, Clark, Ayo, Lyles, Beringer. It's interesting to think about the logic behind each guy.

I highly doubt it will be Beringer because he doesn't space the floor and we need him for every non-Rudy minute at this point.

Lyles feels like the most obvious fit in terms of size, skill, and historical position. I think Finch is ultimately kind of a traditionalist, so Lyles would be my bet as a starter and I think that makes sense. He probably won't get more than 20 minutes a night, but starting him preserves a little more flexibility about who Jaden starts defending, which is important.

As for the rest, it's interesting because Green, TJ, and Clark are all about the same size. Ayo is a little smaller but he's got those long arms.

Of them, I think TJ still comes off the bench. He's slightly bigger than all those other guys, but he's just too promising in that Ant-like role offensively, so we should prioritize getting him on the floor whenever Ant and/or Melo are off the floor. He might get more minutes than Lyles, but I think he's best suited as our offensive engine coming off the bench.

I LOVE Clark, but he has to be able to hit from 3 if he's going to start and get decent minutes. I would be so much more comfortable going smaller if he was hitting his 3s and starting. He would just fit perfectly in the starting lineup. He'd automatically be the POA defender, which would take that responsibility from Jaden and free him up to defend elsewhere, which he'd have to do as the default PF. He's be great at sparking turnovers leading to transition. And offensively, he wouldn't need touches to be effective (as long as his 3 is falling). The more I think about him, the more I think his 3 point shot is such a huge swing factor (on par with Melo's lower-body health).

Ayo is probably the best overall player out of these options, and although he's a little smaller, his longer arms would help him defend in these smaller lineups. I think you can probably plug him into just about any lineup and play him 1-3. I think he'll probably end up with the 5th most minutes on the team, and I bet his play encourages Finch to close a lot of games with him. Similar to TJ, I like the idea of him driving offense off the bench, but I think he has more flexibility to fill in as a starter than TJ, even though he's not as strong.

Green, I can see him as a starter because, like Clark, he's a role player who doesn't really need the ball to be effective. He'd stretch the floor, which we need in that starting unit (I'm still a little worried about Jaden't outside shot). Green is a little smaller than TJ, but from what little I've seen he uses his strength better defensively than TJ. So yeah, I'd say Green and Lyles are similarly good fits for the starting lineup in terms of their offensive role. Again, I'm not sure I'd bank on more than 20 mintues, and I could easily see him starting but not closing games, but I bet that Finch is going to take a close look at Green and Lyles for a potential 5th starter. And whichever one DOESN'T play that role, might not get a lot of playing time.


The related question here is: who ISN'T going to get as many minutes next year?

We can assume Melo's getting 30-32 at the 1, Rudy and Beringer will get every minute at the 5, and Ant is getting 32-34 minutes and Jaden probably another 34.

That leaves 90-94 total minutes for: Ayo, TJ, Clark, Lyles, Green, and Bones.

Based on talent alone, you'd want to give a big chunk of that to Ayo. 26-28 minutes?

Now you're down to 62-68 minutes left for TJ, Clark, Lyles, Green, and Bones, and you can see reasons to give all of those guys minutes, but somebody in there is going to end up not playing much at all. This is more depressing than guessing who the 5th starter will be, but it feels like another way to approach the rotation question.

Nice breakdown, Drew. My sense is that Lyles will get 20-25 of those 62-68 minutes with the remaining minutes going to two of the following three: TJ, Clark and Green. So I see TJ, Clark and Green battling for those last 40-45 minutes.

And it would be fantastic if the Wolves would win some blowouts this year to let those end of bench guys soak up some minutes and get a chance to show something on the floor. Injuries will happen and those players not mentioned will be needed! Evans, Rocco, etc.

[Mnwild1128]

Ant hasn't gotten less than 35 mpg since his 2nd season.

[Mnwild1128]

How it should be......

Melo 30 / Ayo 18
Ant 35 / Ayo 13
Jaden 31 / Clark 10 / Shannon Jr 7
Shannon Jr 20 / Green 18 / Lyles 10
Gobert 30 / Beringer 18

[AussieWolf3]

How it should be......

Melo 30 / Ayo 18
Ant 35 / Ayo 13
Jaden 31 / Clark 10 / Shannon Jr 7
Shannon Jr 20 / Green 18 / Lyles 10
Gobert 30 / Beringer 18

Shannon may have the size but he simply isn't a power forward, not with what we know right now. Hell he isn't really a 3.

He'd have to be a completely different player than he's been for this line up distribution to work. He also has a long way to go to earn a starting spot, especially considering the contact Ayo just got (yes I realize that you have allocated more minutes to Ayo over TJ).

Despite how it reads, this isn't a Shannon hate post, he's simply best utilized playing as a backup Ant. Although I actually think their minutes could overlap a bit to some success. The issue of course is that this is also the best role for Ayo, but he would also do well moving up to the 1 when Melo sits. Ultimately I think Ayo has better "do stuff" capabilities and is a better defender that he would fill the 5th starring role best even if he would sacrifice some of his best abilities doing so. He's a complimentary basketball player tho and I think he would mold well into whatever role is asked of him.

This season currently hinges on Ayo being able to guard bigger wings and/or Clark developing a reliable outside shot.

If one or both of those things happen, Jaden playing the 4 suddenly makes a lot more sense.

Your post does crystallize what has been buried under the power forward conversation--- who the 6th man? Hell who's the 7th? This team has had a very set rotation for years now under Finch, largely in part to the caliber of player that Naz/ Dante and NAW were. This current iteration has more breadth of talent as opposed to depth, or in other words it's more redundant. I don't think that's a bad thing, but it does leave a lot of unanswered questions at the moment.

[Q-is-here]

How it should be......

Melo 30 / Ayo 18
Ant 35 / Ayo 13
Jaden 31 / Clark 10 / Shannon Jr 7
Shannon Jr 20 / Green 18 / Lyles 10
Gobert 30 / Beringer 18

Shannon may have the size but he simply isn't a power forward, not with what we know right now. Hell he isn't really a 3.

He'd have to be a completely different player than he's been for this line up distribution to work. He also has a long way to go to earn a starting spot, especially considering the contact Ayo just got (yes I realize that you have allocated more minutes to Ayo over TJ).

Despite how it reads, this isn't a Shannon hate post, he's simply best utilized playing as a backup Ant. Although I actually think their minutes could overlap a bit to some success. The issue of course is that this is also the best role for Ayo, but he would also do well moving up to the 1 when Melo sits. Ultimately I think Ayo has better "do stuff" capabilities and is a better defender that he would fill the 5th starring role best even if he would sacrifice some of his best abilities doing so. He's a complimentary basketball player tho and I think he would mold well into whatever role is asked of him.

This season currently hinges on Ayo being able to guard bigger wings and/or Clark developing a reliable outside shot.

If one or both of those things happen, Jaden playing the 4 suddenly makes a lot more sense.

Your post does crystallize what has been buried under the power forward conversation--- who the 6th man? Hell who's the 7th? This team has had a very set rotation for years now under Finch, largely in part to the caliber of player that Naz/ Dante and NAW were. This current iteration has more breadth of talent as opposed to depth, or in other words it's more redundant. I don't think that's a bad thing, but it does leave a lot of unanswered questions at the moment.

I think Drew does a nice job above explaining why Shannon should keep coming off the bench. I still like Ayo in that 6th starter role, whereby he'd come off the bench but play the 4th or 5th most minutes on the team.

Josh Green makes the most sense as our other starting forward IMO, but he'd probably play the 6th or 7th most minutes on the team. He just fits the best with the other four starters and I like the idea of Trey Lyles coming off the bench paired with Joan, as Joan needs a bit more size next to him than Rudy.

[AussieWolf3]

How it should be......

Melo 30 / Ayo 18
Ant 35 / Ayo 13
Jaden 31 / Clark 10 / Shannon Jr 7
Shannon Jr 20 / Green 18 / Lyles 10
Gobert 30 / Beringer 18

Shannon may have the size but he simply isn't a power forward, not with what we know right now. Hell he isn't really a 3.

He'd have to be a completely different player than he's been for this line up distribution to work. He also has a long way to go to earn a starting spot, especially considering the contact Ayo just got (yes I realize that you have allocated more minutes to Ayo over TJ).

Despite how it reads, this isn't a Shannon hate post, he's simply best utilized playing as a backup Ant. Although I actually think their minutes could overlap a bit to some success. The issue of course is that this is also the best role for Ayo, but he would also do well moving up to the 1 when Melo sits. Ultimately I think Ayo has better "do stuff" capabilities and is a better defender that he would fill the 5th starring role best even if he would sacrifice some of his best abilities doing so. He's a complimentary basketball player tho and I think he would mold well into whatever role is asked of him.

This season currently hinges on Ayo being able to guard bigger wings and/or Clark developing a reliable outside shot.

If one or both of those things happen, Jaden playing the 4 suddenly makes a lot more sense.

Your post does crystallize what has been buried under the power forward conversation--- who the 6th man? Hell who's the 7th? This team has had a very set rotation for years now under Finch, largely in part to the caliber of player that Naz/ Dante and NAW were. This current iteration has more breadth of talent as opposed to depth, or in other words it's more redundant. I don't think that's a bad thing, but it does leave a lot of unanswered questions at the moment.

I think Drew does a nice job above explaining why Shannon should keep coming off the bench. I still like Ayo in that 6th starter role, whereby he'd come off the bench but play the 4th or 5th most minutes on the team.

Josh Green makes the most sense as our other starting forward IMO, but he'd probably play the 6th or 7th most minutes on the team. He just fits the best with the other four starters and I like the idea of Trey Lyles coming off the bench paired with Joan, as Joan needs a bit more size next to him than Rudy.

I agree with you about Green, but my biggest hope is that Clark takes the job. His defense would be such a difference maker if he can start hitting his shot as well.

LaMelo / Ayo / Bones
Ant / Shannon / Ayo / Green
Clark / Jaden / Green / Shannon
Jaden / Lyles / Shannon
Rudy / Beringer

If Clark is hitting 37% or better on three to six 3s per game that's such a winning group imo. The more I think about it, the more I realize how critical Clark could be to this team, question is where your optimism lies on his shot. Which I'll admit I'm not super optimistic.

[Lipoli390]

I like the following take I saw on Reddit:

“I'm sure soon after I post this, the Wolves will trade for someone else, ha! Or, better yet, maybe they sign another vet minimum guy (fingers crossed for Kevin Love). But there's no need to trade assests like DiVincenzo and/or Josh Green to make space for a Kuminga. I'm really coming around to the Wolves roster AS IT STANDS. Here's why:

- Jaden McDaniels can easily hold down the 4 spot

Jaden is stronger than he looks, does all the things you want (rebound, shoot/stretch, defend, etc) at the 4 spot. Plus, starting PFs in the NBA today are built exactly like Jaden (think skilled, thinner modern forwards like Chet Holmgren, Kevin Durant, etc). The heavy, physical mismatches at the 4 are far and few between these days, and players like Giannis, Julius Randle, and LeBron are over in the East anyway. Plus, as many have pointed out, teams are more "positionless" now versus the classic archetypes at each spot. Jaden can excel at the 4 here too.

- Josh Green MUST start (yes, over TSJ or Ayo)

While TSJ is the flashier downhill option, Green is the objectively better structural fit for the starting 5. LaMelo and Ant will dominate touches, so TSJ’s high-usage, on-ball style would be completely underutilized by forcing him to wait in the corner. Green, on the other hand, is a proven 42% three-point sniper and the ultimate low-usage glue guy who is perfectly content stretching the floor to keep driving lanes open for Ant. He's a pretty good point-of-attack defender too, so starting him allows him to handle the opposing team's best guard (insulating LaMelo), frees up Jaden to check modern forwards, and leaves Rudy to anchor the paint (with Jaden right behind him to grab boards and block shots).

But what about Ayo Dosunmu? Wouldn't it be better for the Wolves to just start the 5 best players? I don't think so, actually. Ayo is far more valuable anchoring the 2nd unit for the same reason TSJ should come off the bench. He needs the ball a lot and is a playmaker, so running alongside LaMelo and Ant diminishes his best attributes. Plus pairing his good perimeter defense with Jaylen Clark off the bench creates a solid, high-pressure backup backcourt that can disrupt opposing rotations while keeping balance within our starting 5.

Here's the possible 10-man rotation:

Starters/Bench

• PG: LaMelo Ball / Ayo Dosunmu

• SG: Anthony Edwards / Jaylen Clark

• SF: Josh Green / Terrence Shannon Jr.

• PF: Jaden McDaniels / Trey Lyles

• C: Rudy Gobert / Joan Beringer

Are we thin? Yeah a little. If Jaden gets injured we are in trouble (the case for another vet Big, imo). But if LaMelo is injured, we still have Bones, Isaiah Evans and even Zyon Pullin to step up. If we stay healthy, this roster is younger, faster, and more athletic than last year. We don't need to panic-trade Josh Green and/or DiVincenzo. Let the kids play!”

I’ll add that this rotation, which looks good to me, looks even better if you add Kevin Love (rebounding and shooting) or Jeremy Sochan (rebounding, defense, mobility).

[FNG]

Fair analysis, but there are several points I disagree with...of course, I'm still a charter member of the "Jaden is a SF" club, so I bring some prejudices to my analysis. I completely disagree with his (or her) assertion that the modern NBA PF looks like Jaden. Jaden does not look like the typical PF...his base is far slighter! The author mentions Chet and KD as similar slim guys, and he's right. But he neglects to mention that KD is a SF on the Rockets, not a PF! KD, like Jaden, is simply too slim to rebound effectively as a PF despite his great length...he averaged only 5.9 rebounds per 36 minutes in the most recent season he was forced to play PF with the Suns, not at all adequate for a PF. Chet also has a similar body type to Slim and is a very good rebounder. But like Wemby, Chet is more than half a foot longer than Jaden...that kind of length compensates a lot for a slighter build!

Phil Mackey is always entertaining on his Flagrant Howls pod, although I would say not as basketball knowledgeable as some other local analysts (I think we will miss Chris Hine who announced yesterday he is following LeBron to Philly...you can tell he is a coach's son). But I'm on board with his view of the current roster he expressed in a recent pod. He's excited about the moves TC has made and thinks there is too much hand-wringing about the PF situation...he thinks we will be just fine. Any team with a defensive anchor like Rudy and a dynamic offensive backcourt is a playoff team (if healthy, of course). But he goes on to say we are still a move away from contending with teams like the Thunder and Spurs. I agree. The current roster is good enough to be a playoff team...I have then 5th or 6th if we go with Jaden at PF and a top 4 team if Lyles is good enough to be an everyday starting PF. But as Mackey says, we are still one move away from contending. And I continue to think that move will involve trading away one or more of our many SGs for a serviceable starting PF...one who likely won't be one of our 5 best players, but is at least an average PF in terms of 3-point shooting, defense, rebounding and size. I'm still confident TC will get it done sometime this season, but if not, I agree with Mackey that we will be "fine"...especially in comparison to a typical Wolves team.