Minnesota Sports Forum

Yeah I think a Tyus/Dunn backcourt looks good right now, Shabazz and Belly popping 3's and Big Cole manning the paint should be a nice team (not in a hockey shift way, but just that I think they all could be good replacements)

bleedspeed177 wrote:I am feeling really good about our PG position going into the season. I think Rubio will have his best year after not having to rehab this offseason. I think Dunn will need some time to grow and will play as much SG as PG this year. Tyus is a steady hand as a third string PG that can control the tempo in relief. I was not supporting picking him, but am glad he is here. The move for him was not nearly as bad as the Payne move at the time and certainly is not now. Lets hope Payne is gone before the season starts.

I agree Bleed! Before Summer League I wondered if Thibs might look elsewhere for a veteran PG to compete with Dunn for the backup minutes. But the growth Tyus has exhibited since he was drafted has left me, and hopefully Thibs, comfortable with the depth we currently have at PG.

Kudos to Tyus!

As I recall, I was noncommittal on the Jones pick. I wanted to really like it because of the home town hero bit, but I also had reservations about his physical attributes and ability to excel at the next level...still have them to some extent. But he has really made SL fun this year, and I'm looking forward to seeing how he plays tonight against bigger competitors (although he played well last week against Mudiay despite the size/athleticism disadvantage).

I love his desire to win. Yes, it's "only" Summer League, but some of us get very competitive for a pickup game, and it's refreshing to see a pro with such passion...Ryan Saunders too, I might add. I liked his post-game interview yesterday...poised, well-spoken, respectful and confident. When the interviewer asked him if his wrist would be a factor in the finals, he merely said "no Ma'am" and walked off.

Wouldn't it be fun if the home-town kid could turn into a real NBA player. One thing I'm fairly confident about...he's caught Thibs' eye, if he hadn't before.

BizarroJerry wrote:Yeah I think a Tyus/Dunn backcourt looks good right now, Shabazz and Belly popping 3's and Big Cole manning the paint should be a nice team (not in a hockey shift way, but just that I think they all could be good replacements)

And Rush, if Bazz doesn't cut it with Thibs. Seems like we have two very different options backing up Wig depending on the matchup Thibs likes best.

Some more summer hype for Tyus.

http://kstp.com/sports/apple-valley-native-tyus-jones-timberwolves-guard-working-hard-this-summer/4237504/

The main take away (maybe only take away) I have is Tyus looks noticeably slimmer or sleeker and if he weighs 10 lbs more now than last year that's good. I added his draft express page below with his measurements from when he was drafted if you want to do a quick comparison. I'd say he looks more physically ready to contribute now. It may not translate and he still has a ways to go but it won't hurt. Remember this guy turned 20 a couple months ago he can certainly physically mature some yet and he has taken a step in the right direction in the last few months. It's nice to have another young talent like him that has shown something and with his age it feels like he is plenty worthy of hoping he can turn into a nice player.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Tyus-Jones-46062/

monsterpile wrote:Some more summer hype for Tyus.

http://kstp.com/sports/apple-valley-native-tyus-jones-timberwolves-guard-working-hard-this-summer/4237504/

The main take away (maybe only take away) I have is Tyus looks noticeably slimmer or sleeker and if he weighs 10 lbs more now than last year that's good. I added his draft express page below with his measurements from when he was drafted if you want to do a quick comparison. I'd say he looks more physically ready to contribute now. It may not translate and he still has a ways to go but it won't hurt. Remember this guy turned 20 a couple months ago he can certainly physically mature some yet and he has taken a step in the right direction in the last few months. It's nice to have another young talent like him that has shown something and with his age it feels like he is plenty worthy of hoping he can turn into a nice player.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Tyus-Jones-46062/

I was surprised when he was listed at 185. He seemed so much smaller/scrawnier than that.

To be fair, he still seems skinnier than 190. For example, Westbrook is listed at 6'3" and 200. The difference between the two seems to be a lot more than that...

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

monsterpile wrote:Some more summer hype for Tyus.

http://kstp.com/sports/apple-valley-native-tyus-jones-timberwolves-guard-working-hard-this-summer/4237504/

The main take away (maybe only take away) I have is Tyus looks noticeably slimmer or sleeker and if he weighs 10 lbs more now than last year that's good. I added his draft express page below with his measurements from when he was drafted if you want to do a quick comparison. I'd say he looks more physically ready to contribute now. It may not translate and he still has a ways to go but it won't hurt. Remember this guy turned 20 a couple months ago he can certainly physically mature some yet and he has taken a step in the right direction in the last few months. It's nice to have another young talent like him that has shown something and with his age it feels like he is plenty worthy of hoping he can turn into a nice player.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Tyus-Jones-46062/

I was surprised when he was listed at 185. He seemed so much smaller/scrawnier than that.

To be fair, he still seems skinnier than 190. For example, Westbrook is listed at 6'3" and 200. The difference between the two seems to be a lot more than that...

It's interesting how different guys body makeup can be. Look up Westbrook as a HS player skinny but ripped. I couldn't believe Tyus was 6.5% body fat when he was at the draft combine. He just looked more pudgy than that. I'm not saying I thought he was fat but 6.5% body fat is pretty low.

I'm trying to not get too excited about Tyus, but I'm failing. Here's what we know about him: On the positive side, he's a proven winner who distributes and protects the ball well and can be a scorer when needed. On the negative side, he's a below average athlete and lacks ideal NBA size, and his defense has been questioned.

I like that he has packed on some muscle and reduced body fat...he really didn't look like an NBA player to me last year, but he resembles one in appearance now. He obviously had a terrific Summer League FWIW. He showed that he can step up his scoring when the team doesn't have many other options...just like he did in the NCAA championship game. That said, he is a good distributor and I would prefer to see him more in a facilitating role, because I think this roster has plenty of scoring potential. One thing that surprised me in Vegas was his vertical...his lateral movement appears below average to me, but he does have better hops than I thought. It's only SL, but he rebounded very well out there. Also, ha somewhat makes up for his athletic deficiency on defense with smarts and quick hands.

I'll be happy if Kris Dunn impresses Thibs enough in pre-season to become the backup PG, but if not, I'm excited to see what Jones and Dunn can do at backup PG and SG, respectively.

Tyus is not someone we should forget when contemplating the future of this team. I don't think we want him in a starting role, but he has the attributes to play a significant role. I feel good about the point guard position on this team today. It's one reason I've argued against the idea of bringing in another vet at that position.

Match up dependant as to who will get game time between Jones and Rush in my opinion.