Backup point guard options this summer

[Q-is-here]

To be more clear... I don't think Dillingham is ready or even close to ready. I don't know if he'll ever be. And this is just offensively. The defensive deficiencies will always be there regardless. Ask Cleveland fans about Garland right now.

I’d like to see the Wolves move Dillingham this summer when he has value. Jones could offer a longer ramp up than Conley to whoever they can find… or when/if Edwards becomes that sort of all-dominant player with the ball.

I think two objective people can look at Dillingham and come to opposite conclusions about his future, but I can't remember you being out on a prospect so early in his career. Is it just the small stature or is there more?

Yeah. I try to be about as pragmatic (to a fault) as I can be.

Obviously, the size/strength is an issue. But it's more about his "feel" for the game. PGs should have an almost supernatural feel for the game ahead of everyone else. I can't exactly explain it, but it's like the best ones lead guys to buckets even before the opportunity surfaces.

Call it a hunch. Call it a guy who is kneejerk reactionary when it comes to evaluating his favorite position in sports. But I haven't been this out (this quickly) on a PG since I watched Troy Hudson take 312 straight jump shots out of the pick-and-roll before he hit the roller.

That doesn't mean bust, just like it didn't make Hudson a bust. But it does severely lower the ceiling.


[Note: I will, however, hope I'm wrong. And I will try to temper my Dillingham angst to avoid becoming a one-trick poster.]

I agree he isn't a PG in the purest, instinctual sense, but I've seen him make some impressive passes in his short stint with the Wolves so far and think he can continue to improve his ability to read the game.

I like him for his dynamism. I like that he has the potential to stroke the 3 and space the floor for Ant AND put the ball on the deck and shift the defense, something Conley can't do anymore (or Tyus Jones for that matter). I like that he plays with pace which I think would fit well with Shannon, who I'm also high on. I like that he has the offensive potential that the opposing team has to game plan for both him and Ant.

But whether he can deliver all of that with efficiency while not giving up too much on defense is pure speculation at this point.

[rapsuperstar31]

I dig the idea of a Tyus Jones/A.Edwards backcourt.

How much will it cost though? Jones was woefully underpaid last season, so he'll want closer to market value this time. Can the Wolves get there... because the fit is a good one. As a bonus, it means the Wolves might move Dillingham, which I'd rather do now than in two or three years when it's already painfully obvious he's not going to make it.

The one rub is the obvious overlap between Conley/Jones. They're caretakers, so a burst of energy off the bench would be helpful.

I think you would have to move on from Conley. If you are under the tax apron on the first day of free agency, you can sign Tyus to part of an exception and trade Mike for nothing maybe a 2nd round pick swap to a team that wants a veteran, there is always a team in need of a veteran point guard on a one year deal. Tyus value has tanked quite a bit, he even got benched on a team that missed the playoffs. He will need to sign a shorter deal to increase his value around the league. There aren't a lot of teams with cap space this summer to sign him to more than an exception.

I've always been a fan of Tyus, but I believe he got benched this year because the Suns realize he can't play defense...his defensive metrics this season were horrible. Mike on the other hand not only looked lively, engaged and smart on defense, but his numbers support it. Personally, I would much prefer a Mike/Rob tandem at PG to a Tyus/Rob tandem.

For me it's more you sign Tyus to 4-6 million to get off of Mikes 10.7 million deal. I would take Mike at 4-6 over Tyus at 4-6, but that little bit of savings might be needed to keep whichever players Tim wants to keep here between Naz, Randle, and Naw, or whatever other trades he lines up this offseason.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I think you would have to move on from Conley. If you are under the tax apron on the first day of free agency, you can sign Tyus to part of an exception and trade Mike for nothing maybe a 2nd round pick swap to a team that wants a veteran, there is always a team in need of a veteran point guard on a one year deal. Tyus value has tanked quite a bit, he even got benched on a team that missed the playoffs. He will need to sign a shorter deal to increase his value around the league. There aren't a lot of teams with cap space this summer to sign him to more than an exception.

I've always been a fan of Tyus, but I believe he got benched this year because the Suns realize he can't play defense...his defensive metrics this season were horrible. Mike on the other hand not only looked lively, engaged and smart on defense, but his numbers support it. Personally, I would much prefer a Mike/Rob tandem at PG to a Tyus/Rob tandem.

For me it's more you sign Tyus to 4-6 million to get off of Mikes 10.7 million deal. I would take Mike at 4-6 over Tyus at 4-6, but that little bit of savings might be needed to keep whichever players Tim wants to keep here between Naz, Randle, and Naw, or whatever other trades he lines up this offseason.

I think Jones is looking at $10M+... I mean he was making $14.5M annually by the end in Memphis.

Which probably clears up your thoughts on the swap even more.

[rapsuperstar31]

I've always been a fan of Tyus, but I believe he got benched this year because the Suns realize he can't play defense...his defensive metrics this season were horrible. Mike on the other hand not only looked lively, engaged and smart on defense, but his numbers support it. Personally, I would much prefer a Mike/Rob tandem at PG to a Tyus/Rob tandem.

For me it's more you sign Tyus to 4-6 million to get off of Mikes 10.7 million deal. I would take Mike at 4-6 over Tyus at 4-6, but that little bit of savings might be needed to keep whichever players Tim wants to keep here between Naz, Randle, and Naw, or whatever other trades he lines up this offseason.

I think Jones is looking at $10M+... I mean he was making $14.5M annually by the end in Memphis.

Which probably clears up your thoughts on the swap even more.

The only teams that were willing to pay him that last summer were bad teams, and he tanked his value even more. Beasley for instance similarly signed for the min 2 years ago in Milwaukee hoping to up his value, and did up it to 6 million this past year for Detroit. Now Beasley outplayed that 6 million this year, and will get paid more this summer. I don't think Tyus is going to get paid very well this summer, after the season he just had, and he may even get the Lonnie Walker treatment where no one signed him and he was forced to play overseas until someone called him up. Or Markelle Fultz that no one signed, and Sacramento eventually picked him up halfway through the season.

[AbeVigodaLive]

For me it's more you sign Tyus to 4-6 million to get off of Mikes 10.7 million deal. I would take Mike at 4-6 over Tyus at 4-6, but that little bit of savings might be needed to keep whichever players Tim wants to keep here between Naz, Randle, and Naw, or whatever other trades he lines up this offseason.

I think Jones is looking at $10M+... I mean he was making $14.5M annually by the end in Memphis.

Which probably clears up your thoughts on the swap even more.

The only teams that were willing to pay him that last summer were bad teams, and he tanked his value even more. Beasley for instance similarly signed for the min 2 years ago in Milwaukee hoping to up his value, and did up it to 6 million this past year for Detroit. Now Beasley outplayed that 6 million this year, and will get paid more this summer. I don't think Tyus is going to get paid very well this summer, after the season he just had, and he may even get the Lonnie Walker treatment where no one signed him and he was forced to play overseas until someone called him up. Or Markelle Fultz that no one signed, and Sacramento eventually picked him up halfway through the season.

We'll see... but I think Tyus Jones is viewed more favorably than either of those guys.

He's not flashy, but he has been a plus player for several years and has shot 41% on threes in back to back seasons. Lonnie Walker has a career -1.0 VORP. Fultz has a +1.2... but he's only been above +0.2 only once (+1.2). Jones is +9.3 with 9 straight positive VORP seasons, including +1.1, +1.3, +1.4, and +1.7 the past four years.

That's why I think he'll be signed somewhere between the vet min. and what he used to make.

[Wolvesfan21]

I think two objective people can look at Dillingham and come to opposite conclusions about his future, but I can't remember you being out on a prospect so early in his career. Is it just the small stature or is there more?

Yeah. I try to be about as pragmatic (to a fault) as I can be.

Obviously, the size/strength is an issue. But it's more about his "feel" for the game. PGs should have an almost supernatural feel for the game ahead of everyone else. I can't exactly explain it, but it's like the best ones lead guys to buckets even before the opportunity surfaces.

Call it a hunch. Call it a guy who is kneejerk reactionary when it comes to evaluating his favorite position in sports. But I haven't been this out (this quickly) on a PG since I watched Troy Hudson take 312 straight jump shots out of the pick-and-roll before he hit the roller.

That doesn't mean bust, just like it didn't make Hudson a bust. But it does severely lower the ceiling.


[Note: I will, however, hope I'm wrong. And I will try to temper my Dillingham angst to avoid becoming a one-trick poster.]

I agree he isn't a PG in the purest, instinctual sense, but I've seen him make some impressive passes in his short stint with the Wolves so far and think he can continue to improve his ability to read the game.

I like him for his dynamism. I like that he has the potential to stroke the 3 and space the floor for Ant AND put the ball on the deck and shift the defense, something Conley can't do anymore (or Tyus Jones for that matter). I like that he plays with pace which I think would fit well with Shannon, who I'm also high on. I like that he has the offensive potential that the opposing team has to game plan for both him and Ant.

But whether he can deliver all of that with efficiency while not giving up too much on defense is pure speculation at this point.

I'm with you on Dilly, he fills gaps that we struggle with. The ability to slash and play make with an elite handle and quickness. He likely has the best handle and quicks on this entire team. I wonder if he'll become strong enough to be OKish enough on defense and his finishing around the rim is pretty raw against elite NBA defenders also, thats what I've picked up anyways in his limited time.

He's still so young though that it's just a hunch on anyones part if his positves will ultimately outweigh the possible future negatives. My hunch is that in 2-3 years they will. I can see him paired up with Ant and TJ on the break just pushing the ball constantly and destroying opponents.

That is one area where Ant could even learn a thing from watching TJ play. Just how quickly he sees a gap and hits it. No need to wait for the defense or defender to get set up, beat them down the court. Similar to how Simmons and GIannis would destroy us all the time, grab a board and push it. It's hard to stop that freight train, Ant has that skill but doesn't hardly use it.

Especially punish teams for offensive rebounding. If they are going to leave a couple guys especially bigs crashing the O-glass, then make them pay. You need to. Grab the board don't let the big get back to the paint. Beat him to it.

[thedoper]

Dillingham has to play a hell of a lot more before I would make a call on him. He is lightning quick and has good vision from what I can see so far. On the flip side he seems streaky and not always in control. Then his D. I really hope he actually plays next year.

[FNG]

Yeah. I try to be about as pragmatic (to a fault) as I can be.

Obviously, the size/strength is an issue. But it's more about his "feel" for the game. PGs should have an almost supernatural feel for the game ahead of everyone else. I can't exactly explain it, but it's like the best ones lead guys to buckets even before the opportunity surfaces.

Call it a hunch. Call it a guy who is kneejerk reactionary when it comes to evaluating his favorite position in sports. But I haven't been this out (this quickly) on a PG since I watched Troy Hudson take 312 straight jump shots out of the pick-and-roll before he hit the roller.

That doesn't mean bust, just like it didn't make Hudson a bust. But it does severely lower the ceiling.


[Note: I will, however, hope I'm wrong. And I will try to temper my Dillingham angst to avoid becoming a one-trick poster.]

I agree he isn't a PG in the purest, instinctual sense, but I've seen him make some impressive passes in his short stint with the Wolves so far and think he can continue to improve his ability to read the game.

I like him for his dynamism. I like that he has the potential to stroke the 3 and space the floor for Ant AND put the ball on the deck and shift the defense, something Conley can't do anymore (or Tyus Jones for that matter). I like that he plays with pace which I think would fit well with Shannon, who I'm also high on. I like that he has the offensive potential that the opposing team has to game plan for both him and Ant.

But whether he can deliver all of that with efficiency while not giving up too much on defense is pure speculation at this point.

I'm with you on Dilly, he fills gaps that we struggle with. The ability to slash and play make with an elite handle and quickness. He likely has the best handle and quicks on this entire team. I wonder if he'll become strong enough to be OKish enough on defense and his finishing around the rim is pretty raw against elite NBA defenders also, thats what I've picked up anyways in his limited time.

He's still so young though that it's just a hunch on anyones part if his positves will ultimately outweigh the possible future negatives. My hunch is that in 2-3 years they will. I can see him paired up with Ant and TJ on the break just pushing the ball constantly and destroying opponents.

That is one area where Ant could even learn a thing from watching TJ play. Just how quickly he sees a gap and hits it. No need to wait for the defense or defender to get set up, beat them down the court. Similar to how Simmons and GIannis would destroy us all the time, grab a board and push it. It's hard to stop that freight train, Ant has that skill but doesn't hardly use it.

Especially punish teams for offensive rebounding. If they are going to leave a couple guys especially bigs crashing the O-glass, then make them pay. You need to. Grab the board don't let the big get back to the paint. Beat him to it.

I'm on the fence with Rob...his college performance (as well as how highly he was regarded prior to college) makes me think he will be an above average NBA starter. I've also observed some flashes of brilliance in the limited moments he has played. But my optimism is guarded though, because his overall play his rookie year has not been impressive. His injury and limited minutes might likely had a big impact on his rookie year, so I'm deciding to mostly give him a pass on what I observed this season.

But despite Rob's speed and athleticism, I don't think our pace of play will change much when he joins the rotation. This is always going to be Ant's team, and Ant simply isn't a fast-paced player. As much as we would love to see Ant flying up and down the court, it's just not his style of play. He prefers to bring the ball up deliberately, observe the defense, and determine the best way to attack. I've posted before about how much more effective Ant could be if he moved more like Curry and got more catch and shoot opportunities, and Q has corrected me a couple times saying we can hope for Ant to turn into a different style of player, but ultimately he is what he is...and quite good at it. Ant will make some tweaks to his game as he matures, but I don't see his overall nature changing much. Frankly, he probably fits better with a Tyus Jones type PG than Rob.

[Q-is-here]

Dillingham has to play a hell of a lot more before I would make a call on him. He is lightning quick and has good vision from what I can see so far. On the flip side he seems streaky and not always in control. Then his D. I really hope he actually plays next year.

Yep, we'll learn a lot about what the organization thinks of him this offseason and next pre-season. My bet is he becomes our primary backup PG next season.

[Q-is-here]

I agree he isn't a PG in the purest, instinctual sense, but I've seen him make some impressive passes in his short stint with the Wolves so far and think he can continue to improve his ability to read the game.

I like him for his dynamism. I like that he has the potential to stroke the 3 and space the floor for Ant AND put the ball on the deck and shift the defense, something Conley can't do anymore (or Tyus Jones for that matter). I like that he plays with pace which I think would fit well with Shannon, who I'm also high on. I like that he has the offensive potential that the opposing team has to game plan for both him and Ant.

But whether he can deliver all of that with efficiency while not giving up too much on defense is pure speculation at this point.

I'm with you on Dilly, he fills gaps that we struggle with. The ability to slash and play make with an elite handle and quickness. He likely has the best handle and quicks on this entire team. I wonder if he'll become strong enough to be OKish enough on defense and his finishing around the rim is pretty raw against elite NBA defenders also, thats what I've picked up anyways in his limited time.

He's still so young though that it's just a hunch on anyones part if his positves will ultimately outweigh the possible future negatives. My hunch is that in 2-3 years they will. I can see him paired up with Ant and TJ on the break just pushing the ball constantly and destroying opponents.

That is one area where Ant could even learn a thing from watching TJ play. Just how quickly he sees a gap and hits it. No need to wait for the defense or defender to get set up, beat them down the court. Similar to how Simmons and GIannis would destroy us all the time, grab a board and push it. It's hard to stop that freight train, Ant has that skill but doesn't hardly use it.

Especially punish teams for offensive rebounding. If they are going to leave a couple guys especially bigs crashing the O-glass, then make them pay. You need to. Grab the board don't let the big get back to the paint. Beat him to it.

I'm on the fence with Rob...his college performance (as well as how highly he was regarded prior to college) makes me think he will be an above average NBA starter. I've also observed some flashes of brilliance in the limited moments he has played. But my optimism is guarded though, because his overall play his rookie year has not been impressive. His injury and limited minutes might likely had a big impact on his rookie year, so I'm deciding to mostly give him a pass on what I observed this season.

But despite Rob's speed and athleticism, I don't think our pace of play will change much when he joins the rotation. This is always going to be Ant's team, and Ant simply isn't a fast-paced player. As much as we would love to see Ant flying up and down the court, it's just not his style of play. He prefers to bring the ball up deliberately, observe the defense, and determine the best way to attack. I've posted before about how much more effective Ant could be if he moved more like Curry and got more catch and shoot opportunities, and Q has corrected me a couple times saying we can hope for Ant to turn into a different style of player, but ultimately he is what he is...and quite good at it. Ant will make some tweaks to his game as he matures, but I don't see his overall nature changing much. Frankly, he probably fits better with a Tyus Jones type PG than Rob.

Ant doesn't have to sprint full bore if the pace is being pushed. He's extremely valuable as a trail guy because of how he can step into 3s.

Also, talent trumps fit, and if Dillingham lives up to his potential (which is a question mark for sure), his ability to be a primary play maker and scorer will relieve a huge amount of pressure from Ant and make teams pay for blitzing and doubling him. Tyus's ceiling in that regard is pretty limited.