Minnesota Sports Forum

Coolbreeze44 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 6:28 pm Point Ant can only be effective for short stretches

Short, to the point and absolutely correct, Cool!

I'll say it again....I believe NAW is effectively a backup 1.5 guard. When Conley is healthy, NAW will come in for him midway through the 1st quarter and finish the quarter with Ant. While neither of those guys are pure PGs, they did demonstrate last year that they can be effective together. Dillingham can then sub in for Ant at the beginning of the 2nd quarter and then Mike will come in for Dillingham after 5-6 minutes.

There is NO way the Wolves aren't playing Dillingham unless he is absolute trash or has a poor attitude. But they don't have to play him 20 MPG. They can ease him in for 5-6 minutes at the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd quarters for a total of 10-12 MPG to start the season.

Now if Conley gets hurt, I believe they will start NAW and then the Wolves will have to decide if they keep Dillingham at that same level of minutes and use Nix for the other backup PG minutes or if they ratchet up Dillingham more significantly...it will depend on how he's playing I guess.

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 7:12 pm I'll say it again....I believe NAW is effectively a backup 1.5 guard. When Conley is healthy, NAW will come in for him midway through the 1st quarter and finish the quarter with Ant. While neither of those guys are pure PGs, they did demonstrate last year that they can be effective together. Dillingham can then sub in for Ant at the beginning of the 2nd quarter and then Mike will come in for Dillingham after 5-6 minutes.

There is NO way the Wolves aren't playing Dillingham unless he is absolute trash or has a poor attitude. But they don't have to play him 20 MPG. They can ease him in for 5-6 minutes at the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd quarters for a total of 10-12 MPG to start the season.

Now if Conley gets hurt, I believe they will start NAW and then the Wolves will have to decide if they keep Dillingham at that same level of minutes and use Nix for the other backup PG minutes or if they ratchet up Dillingham more significantly...it will depend on how he's playing I guess.

You’re in denial, Q. Get ready to watch Daishen Nix 20 minutes per game playing PG for the Wolves and then playing 30+ minutes when Conley is out for injuries or rest. . You’ll eventually have to embrace him.

Seriously, I think you’re right about how things will play out. But from now on every time Nix plays, which might be very little, I’ll picture you watching him and pulling your hair out.

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 8:16 pm

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 7:12 pm I'll say it again....I believe NAW is effectively a backup 1.5 guard. When Conley is healthy, NAW will come in for him midway through the 1st quarter and finish the quarter with Ant. While neither of those guys are pure PGs, they did demonstrate last year that they can be effective together. Dillingham can then sub in for Ant at the beginning of the 2nd quarter and then Mike will come in for Dillingham after 5-6 minutes.

There is NO way the Wolves aren't playing Dillingham unless he is absolute trash or has a poor attitude. But they don't have to play him 20 MPG. They can ease him in for 5-6 minutes at the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd quarters for a total of 10-12 MPG to start the season.

Now if Conley gets hurt, I believe they will start NAW and then the Wolves will have to decide if they keep Dillingham at that same level of minutes and use Nix for the other backup PG minutes or if they ratchet up Dillingham more significantly...it will depend on how he's playing I guess.

You’re in denial, Q. Get ready to watch Daishen Nix 20 minutes per game playing PG for the Wolves and then playing 30+ minutes when Conley is out for injuries or rest. . You’ll eventually have to embrace him.

Seriously, I think you’re right about how things will play out. But from now on every time Nix plays, which might be very little, I’ll picture you watching him and pulling your hair out.

Heh, yeah, it's not often that guy from my own team that is actually pretty effective (at least in Summer League) annoys me!

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 7:12 pm I'll say it again....I believe NAW is effectively a backup 1.5 guard. When Conley is healthy, NAW will come in for him midway through the 1st quarter and finish the quarter with Ant. While neither of those guys are pure PGs, they did demonstrate last year that they can be effective together. Dillingham can then sub in for Ant at the beginning of the 2nd quarter and then Mike will come in for Dillingham after 5-6 minutes.

There is NO way the Wolves aren't playing Dillingham unless he is absolute trash or has a poor attitude. But they don't have to play him 20 MPG. They can ease him in for 5-6 minutes at the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd quarters for a total of 10-12 MPG to start the season.

Now if Conley gets hurt, I believe they will start NAW and then the WolveNs will have to decide if they keep Dillingham at that same level of minutes and use Nix for the other backup PG minutes or if they ratchet up Dillingham more significantly...it will depend on how he's playing I guess.

NAW at point guard is just a terrible idea. Watched him play and struggle. He is not a natural point and he loses ability to play good defense when he has to focus on point.

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 8:54 pm

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 8:16 pm

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 7:12 pm I'll say it again....I believe NAW is effectively a backup 1.5 guard. When Conley is healthy, NAW will come in for him midway through the 1st quarter and finish the quarter with Ant. While neither of those guys are pure PGs, they did demonstrate last year that they can be effective together. Dillingham can then sub in for Ant at the beginning of the 2nd quarter and then Mike will come in for Dillingham after 5-6 minutes.

There is NO way the Wolves aren't playing Dillingham unless he is absolute trash or has a poor attitude. But they don't have to play him 20 MPG. They can ease him in for 5-6 minutes at the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd quarters for a total of 10-12 MPG to start the season.

Now if Conley gets hurt, I believe they will start NAW and then the Wolves will have to decide if they keep Dillingham at that same level of minutes and use Nix for the other backup PG minutes or if they ratchet up Dillingham more significantly...it will depend on how he's playing I guess.

You’re in denial, Q. Get ready to watch Daishen Nix 20 minutes per game playing PG for the Wolves and then playing 30+ minutes when Conley is out for injuries or rest. . You’ll eventually have to embrace him.

Seriously, I think you’re right about how things will play out. But from now on every time Nix plays, which might be very little, I’ll picture you watching him and pulling your hair out.

Heh, yeah, it's not often that guy from my own team that is actually pretty effective (at least in Summer League) annoys me!

I just finished watching the Sixers game and Nix was certainly a mixed bag. To me the question I have is whether Nix plays petal to the metal offensively if he gets any kind of legit minutes this season or does he sort of takes a step back and plays a more complimentary role. I think he may actually be able to do that he looked more like that type of guy in the games last year to me but idk. He feels like a very different player than McLaughlin in so many ways which is both good and bad. It's kinda nice having a big grown man at PG when 2 other guys aren't the biggest guys.

Meanwhile Dillingham's defense in that last game was actually promising and he definitely showed playmaking skills in SL which is what the usually skeptical Q wanted to see.

KG4Ever wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 10:44 pm

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 7:12 pm I'll say it again....I believe NAW is effectively a backup 1.5 guard. When Conley is healthy, NAW will come in for him midway through the 1st quarter and finish the quarter with Ant. While neither of those guys are pure PGs, they did demonstrate last year that they can be effective together. Dillingham can then sub in for Ant at the beginning of the 2nd quarter and then Mike will come in for Dillingham after 5-6 minutes.

There is NO way the Wolves aren't playing Dillingham unless he is absolute trash or has a poor attitude. But they don't have to play him 20 MPG. They can ease him in for 5-6 minutes at the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd quarters for a total of 10-12 MPG to start the season.

Now if Conley gets hurt, I believe they will start NAW and then the WolveNs will have to decide if they keep Dillingham at that same level of minutes and use Nix for the other backup PG minutes or if they ratchet up Dillingham more significantly...it will depend on how he's playing I guess.

NAW at point guard is just a terrible idea. Watched him play and struggle. He is not a natural point and he loses ability to play good defense when he has to focus on point.

Timberwolves were a +3.6 per 100 possessions last year when NAW was in the court without a PG (so when Naw and Ant played point). So even though it might not look pretty it was effective last year

KG4Ever wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 10:44 pm

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 7:12 pm I'll say it again....I believe NAW is effectively a backup 1.5 guard. When Conley is healthy, NAW will come in for him midway through the 1st quarter and finish the quarter with Ant. While neither of those guys are pure PGs, they did demonstrate last year that they can be effective together. Dillingham can then sub in for Ant at the beginning of the 2nd quarter and then Mike will come in for Dillingham after 5-6 minutes.

There is NO way the Wolves aren't playing Dillingham unless he is absolute trash or has a poor attitude. But they don't have to play him 20 MPG. They can ease him in for 5-6 minutes at the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd quarters for a total of 10-12 MPG to start the season.

Now if Conley gets hurt, I believe they will start NAW and then the WolveNs will have to decide if they keep Dillingham at that same level of minutes and use Nix for the other backup PG minutes or if they ratchet up Dillingham more significantly...it will depend on how he's playing I guess.

NAW at point guard is just a terrible idea. Watched him play and struggle. He is not a natural point and he loses ability to play good defense when he has to focus on point.

It's not like he's a pure PG while he's out there. It's basically a shared responsibility between him and Ant. It may not be ideal, but it's something those two already did during the regular season last year with decent success (as Kek points out) and they did it in the playoffs as well. Defensively it also makes it hard to target anyone.

Q I'm actually with you on Nix being guy that isn't exactly doing all the right stuff making good decisions etc. Like you brought up in another thread he isn't the Jordan McLaughlin steady guy. What he does bring is a guy that can defend multiple positions. I think it was the Houston game he was switched onto a big and that guy was planning on backing Nix down. Nix didn't even remotely budge. Recently there have been some decent bench guys with Nix physical makeup. It's nice to have a guy like that when Connelly Dilly and even NAW are far from bulky guys.

The Wolves have a few guys that are more caretakers at PG who also play off the ball. I don't think Nix if he gets into games at the NBA level is basically gonna go bonkers and play as a high usage guy but he sure seems like he is going to push the issue more than a Mclaughlin or NAW would. I think he might have some traits that will help him have some sort of success doing so although there will be some ugliness too. Since becoming a wolf he has not been shy about putting up 3's. Whether or not he can hit them at an acceptable rate remains to be seen but we have seen plenty of guys that aren't willing to let it fly. McLaughlin had value because he was so steady a true PG that got he offense going in his way. He also brought a bit of energy to the floor as a smart quick PG on defense. Nix seems like an absolute energy dude that could come in and energize a team and also be one of those guys people don't want to have to play against. Other than Edwards we haven't had guards with the physically to really push people around. NAW doesn't back down from anyone and players stronger than he looks. This one was thing Troy Brown brought the games he was here. Shannon is a nice addition in that regard too but he isn't a PG. I think if Nix plays minutes at the NBA level he is gonna play hard but I think he will probably dial things back a bit. I would say the same for Minott offensively.

I still think Nix is more of a 2-way guy than an NBA dude. He still isn't shooting well in summer league and doesn't have a history of being remotely efficient offensively. I thought he might deserve that 2-way deal and he got it and now has gone out in summer league and showed he deserved it. Hopefully if the Wolves need him this season he can help in his way. He is a bit of a unique guy and in some ways he is easy to cheer for but also is a bit maddening. I think it would help if he was playing in a more structured known environment.

kekgeek wrote: ↑Fri Jul 19, 2024 8:50 am

KG4Ever wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 10:44 pm

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Thu Jul 18, 2024 7:12 pm I'll say it again....I believe NAW is effectively a backup 1.5 guard. When Conley is healthy, NAW will come in for him midway through the 1st quarter and finish the quarter with Ant. While neither of those guys are pure PGs, they did demonstrate last year that they can be effective together. Dillingham can then sub in for Ant at the beginning of the 2nd quarter and then Mike will come in for Dillingham after 5-6 minutes.

There is NO way the Wolves aren't playing Dillingham unless he is absolute trash or has a poor attitude. But they don't have to play him 20 MPG. They can ease him in for 5-6 minutes at the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd quarters for a total of 10-12 MPG to start the season.

Now if Conley gets hurt, I believe they will start NAW and then the WolveNs will have to decide if they keep Dillingham at that same level of minutes and use Nix for the other backup PG minutes or if they ratchet up Dillingham more significantly...it will depend on how he's playing I guess.

NAW at point guard is just a terrible idea. Watched him play and struggle. He is not a natural point and he loses ability to play good defense when he has to focus on point.

Timberwolves were a +3.6 per 100 possessions last year when NAW was in the court without a PG (so when Naw and Ant played point). So even though it might not look pretty it was effective last year

Good info, Kek. I still don’t think NAW is enough to give us what we need behind Mike Conley until Dilly’s ready to step into the main backup role as a net positive for a championship contender. Maybe NAW and Nix can combine to give us what we need. I really do like what we’ve seen from Nix in summer league and I still see more upside there.