KAT is a major disap....I mean, success!

[SameOldNudityDrew]

LaVine definitely has star potential (that was apparent early in his rookie year). Watching him play these days is definitely exciting because he has a star's skill set and makes superstar plays, and it's really exciting to think he could turn into a star wearing a Wolves jersey.

What I appreciate about him this year is that it's not just in "wow" plays but that he has been (with a couple recent exceptions) producing consistently for us. Not surprisingly his PER has gone from 11.2 last year to 17.2 this year.

He also has had a more positive impact on the team than last year, although he still has a ways to go. His real plus-minus this year is -1.9, which is ranked 46th out of all PGs. That may not sound great, but last year it was -6.87, which was the worst RPM for a PG in the league by a long shot. RPM is a problematic stat, but it's valuable enough to know that a guy who goes from -6.87 to -1.9 has probably improved. Unfortunately, it also means that your second best player should probably do better than 46th at his position in the league. Listed at the 2, LaVine would rank 38th out of all SGs in RPM this year. But as people have pointed out, LaVine's RPM is better at the 2 than at the 1, so he would actually rank much higher (this is also why playing him at the 2 makes sense).

If you look at http://espn.go.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/3064440/zach-lavinehis stats and compare last year to this year, the numbers are pretty similar. But it's most helpful to check out his game logs, and doing so shows he basically made a huge step up last year in mid-March when he started getting almost 40 minutes per game. Compared with some gaudy end-of-year numbers, LaVine's stats this year aren't as big, but he is still producing in 25 minutes. Unfortunately, his shooting percentages have taken a small step back this last month.

The potential is obviously there, but he still needs to produce more, and more efficiently, if he's going to be our second best player. Sam giving him more minutes could help jumpstart that.

[SameOldNudityDrew]

Towns is unbelievable. I can hardly believe he plays for us. It's like after all these long years of disappointment, here's hope that feels real.

I'm not as enamored with Towns' ball-handling. It's pretty good, but I feel like we're almost always better off if we're in a situation where he doesn't have to dribble more than once or twice--he can just score or pass. And while he has shown great vision on some passes, he still makes as many bad passes as good ones trying to force the issue at times.

What I love most about Towns is his hustle to get offensive rebound putbacks and his defensive presence. These things tell me he's got the mentality to excel in the dirty work. A star center with range on his jumper could easily just focus on the flashy stuff. (And for the record, some of Towns' passes and that Rondo ball fake he has shown a couple times are places I'd rather see a more straightforward choice.) By contrast, Towns' dirty work helps us out a lot in the game, and also shows that he's got his priorities straight as a player.

The historic comparisons are crazy. Look at the names of those guys in the comparison! And Towns is right there among them but with 3 point range and he can hit his FTs better. Holy cow. And the fact that we're legitimately debating whether or not a current rookie could be better at anything than KG, the best player in our franchise's history, is mind-boggling. I have never been as excited about a young Wolves player as much as I am excited about Towns. I think we should all say a nightly prayer for his continued health/avoidance of injuries.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I don't know who will eventually be our second best player behind KAT. All I know, is that it sure is hell better not be Rubio. And I don't say that because I dislike Rubio, but because in order for us to contend, Ricky Rubio should be no more than our 3rd or 4th best player. We need Wiggins and LaVine to keep getting better and better.....And dammit, can one of them please - pretty please - develop a killer 3-point shot?

[AbeVigodaLive]

Just to push the secondary theme of the thread...
Per 36 minutes:

Wiggins: 22.0 ppg / 3.9 reb / 1.7 ast / 44.0%
LaVine: 21.4 pg / 5.0 reb / 5.0 ast / 43.5%

[Coolbreeze44]

I've been a Zach supporter from day #1, and I love the way he is developing. Keeping in mind how raw he was coming in, I think a near best case scenario has unfolded. Channeling my inner Hubie Brown - Now, I don't see him becoming a bigger piece than Wiggins, but if he does you can pretty much start planning the parade. I mean Andrew Wiggins as your 3rd best player? That would be something to see.

[TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]]

I love Wiggins's potential, but he's not one of our 3 best players right now. He's got so much natural talent, but he's so raw too-his shot selection, passing, poor hands and handle are things that need work. KAT and Ricky are our clear top two players and Dieng and Zach are next based on advanced stats. Zach is developing quicker than Wiggins, but its hard to say who will end up being better among the two. I clearly see KAT as the best player on the team by next year and for many years to come.

[thedoper]

Wiggins is our best player right now, I hope Towns and him will both be unbelievable. I love Zach's improvements but don't see him being able to completely take over a game like Wiggins or Towns can.

[Coolbreeze44]

I love Wiggins's potential, but he's not one of our 3 best players right now. He's got so much natural talent, but he's so raw too-his shot selection, passing, poor hands and handle are things that need work. KAT and Ricky are our clear top two players and Dieng and Zach are next based on advanced stats. Zach is developing quicker than Wiggins, but its hard to say who will end up being better among the two. I clearly see KAT as the best player on the team by next year and for many years to come.

Only 12 teams have a player averaging more points than Andrew. If he's not one of our best 3 players, we should be the best team in the league.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Wiggins is our best player right now, I hope Towns and him will both be unbelievable. I love Zach's improvements but don't see him being able to completely take over a game like Wiggins or Towns can.

Wiggins is not our best player right now. He's not even our second best player. He's probably our 3rd or 4th best player. I'd say Rubio and Towns are #1 and #2, depending on the night. Wiggins is somewhere in the mix after that along with LaVine and Dieng.

Honestly, someone could make the case for KG being one of our top 2 or 3 guys simply because of how the team performs when he's on the court. But he doesn't play enough minutes IMO to qualify.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I love Wiggins's potential, but he's not one of our 3 best players right now. He's got so much natural talent, but he's so raw too-his shot selection, passing, poor hands and handle are things that need work. KAT and Ricky are our clear top two players and Dieng and Zach are next based on advanced stats. Zach is developing quicker than Wiggins, but its hard to say who will end up being better among the two. I clearly see KAT as the best player on the team by next year and for many years to come.

Only 12 teams have a player averaging more points than Andrew. If he's not one of our best 3 players, we should be the best team in the league.

There is a lot more to the game than inefficient scoring. Shabazz and LaVine can both put up 20+ PPG if given the minutes. I'm not suggesting either are better or will be better than Wiggins, but Wiggins isn't the only guy on the team that can put the ball in the hoop in volume.