Minnesota Sports Forum

Ball - still heavy favorite at -190 even though he's been playing mediocre of late.
Haliburton - 3/1 moved up and staying really solid.
Edwards - 13/1 moved down. Probably a good bet but maybe I'm a homer.
Wiseman - 16/1 moved down and getting less minutes now. Probably out of it.

WolvesFan21 wrote:Ball - still heavy favorite at -190 even though he's been playing mediocre of late.
Haliburton - 3/1 moved up and staying really solid.
Edwards - 13/1 moved down. Probably a good bet but maybe I'm a homer.
Wiseman - 16/1 moved down and getting less minutes now. Probably out of it.

I guess in a "misery loves company" kind of way, it's nice to see Ball and Wiseman struggle a bit of late.

Another great game from Haliburton last night...21/4/3 and 5/9 on threes. He's moving further ahead on Ball in my ROY race with his efficient scoring (59 eFG%) and terrific A/TO ratio. Ball shot and scored well last night, but you don't want 3 assists and 6 TOs from your starting PG.

I think over time Ball will iron out some of his issues. He's heads and shoulders the most dynamic player of this draft. It's amazing how much better he looks in the NBA versus a far inferior pro league last season. That kind of improvement is likely to keep happening.

Q12543 wrote:I think over time Ball will iron out some of his issues. He's heads and shoulders the most dynamic player of this draft. It's amazing how much better he looks in the NBA versus a far inferior pro league last season. That kind of improvement is likely to keep happening.

As you know, I dig Haliburton, especially for the Wolves. A LOT.

But one thing about his game is very concerning. He had 4 free throws in his first NBA game. He's taken only 8 in the next 18, including only one attempt in his last 10 games.

That's approaching Trenton Hassell levels... and it might speak volumes about some of his limitations as more than a secondary option and ball mover on offense.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

Q12543 wrote:I think over time Ball will iron out some of his issues. He's heads and shoulders the most dynamic player of this draft. It's amazing how much better he looks in the NBA versus a far inferior pro league last season. That kind of improvement is likely to keep happening.

As you know, I dig Haliburton, especially for the Wolves. A LOT.

But one thing about his game is very concerning. He had 4 free throws in his first NBA game. He's taken only 8 in the next 18, including only one attempt in his last 10 games.

That's approaching Trenton Hassell levels... and it might speak volumes about some of his limitations as more than a secondary option and ball mover on offense.

Yeah, he seems to be a cautious, safe player when I have watched him and also not an exceptional athlete, so foul-creating drives to the basket may be scarce. Still, a 59% eFG% is extraordinary for a guy not shooting free throws.

Halliburton is one of these high floor type guys - you know he's not going to actively harm your team when on the floor. Edwards was always the most risky choice IMO.

I do think Rosas has comported himself pretty well with the undrafted and late round picks. Naz, McLaughlin, Nowell, and McDaniels all seems like guys that you can tuck in around the edges of a good core and you'll be just fine. Our problem is finding the good core.

Q12543 wrote:Halliburton is one of these high floor type guys - you know he's not going to actively harm your team when on the floor. Edwards was always the most risky choice IMO.

I do think Rosas has comported himself pretty well with the undrafted and late round picks. Naz, McLaughlin, Nowell, and McDaniels all seems like guys that you can tuck in around the edges of a good core and you'll be just fine. Our problem is finding the good core.

Love the word comported, and pissed that you found a way to use it in this forum before myself. Well done.

Hoopshype has the latest rookie rankings for this season. Not surprisingly, LaMello is #1 and deservedly so. Haliburton is #2 and that also makes sense. Sadly, Edwards is #8 and I think that's fair. Here's the write-up on Edwards:

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Anthony Edwards as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft and the results have been a mixed bag thus far.

Even though he has made just three appearances in the starting lineup, per Cleaning the Glass, he is a ball-dominant player whose usage rate ranks in the 88th percentile among all forwards in the NBA. The offense is running through Edwards, whose 13.6 points per game is the highest among all first-year players.

Unfortunately, though, the Timberwolves have been outscored by 100 points when Edwards has been on the floor, which is the second-worst mark among rookies.

The good news is that Edwards is both explosive and incredibly athletic. He has some ferocious vertical pop and there have been times that he looks set to be a dominant scorer in the NBA. If he can become more effective when he takes jumpers off the bounce, he can climb on these rankings in the future.

I think Ball is the only rookie I would trade Edwards for right now.