Iowa Wolves

[Q-is-here]

Iowa moves to 10-2 on the season after last night's win, led by Leonard Miller's 38 points.

Here are key stat updates on our main guys under contract through 12 games:

Miller Standard - 23.4 pts/12.4 rebs/3.7 assts/3.5 TOs/49.3 FG%/30.4 3pt%/86.1 FT%
Miller Advanced - 20.4 PER/61.9 TS%/+12.6 Net Rating

Clark Standard - 13.7 pts/4.6 rebs/2.8 assts/1.3 TOs/44.7 FG%/37.9 3pt%/71.4 FT%
Clark Advanced - 16.1 PER/58.1 TS%/+14.1 Net Rating

Edwards Standard - 11.8 pts/6.6 rebs/1.8 assts/1.7 TOs/67.4 FG%/n.a. 3pt%/59.1 FT%
Edwards Advanced - 20.4 PER/73.7 TS%/+7.2 Net Rating

I didn't update Nix and Shannon since they aren't regular players down there at this point. These three guys above have played all 12 games for Iowa so far.

[FNG]

Q, wow 38 points! Did you watch the game? If so, how does Miller get his points...paint, midrange, 3-pointers? Love the 86.1 free throw %. If Randle or Naz got hurt, would he be a viable option at the 4 right now, or is he simply a G League monster?

[Q-is-here]

Q, wow 38 points! Did you watch the game? If so, how does Miller get his points...paint, midrange, 3-pointers? Love the 86.1 free throw %. If Randle or Naz got hurt, would he be a viable option at the 4 right now, or is he simply a G League monster?

FNG, He gets a bunch of his points in the mid-range and close mid-range. He's not unlike Naz in that he has a nice touch from fairly awkward distances - like that 4-10 foot range. He's a decent outside shooter although the 3-ball is still a bit up and down. His FT% is a good indicator that he can probably become a more legit 3-point threat eventually.

I'd say he's the most point guard-y of the Miller/Naz/Randle trio. He can definitely rebound and lead the break and he can make some pretty clever interior passes. On the other hand, similar to Randle, he can get very sloppy at times with a high and loose dribble. He also tries home run passes that don't always connect. As a result, his assist to turnover ratio is pretty poor.

I think he's probably at the point now where he could be in a legit NBA rotation as a PF. But for the Timberwolves specifically, I think Finch would probably opt for playing Jaden and Minott more at the 4 if Randle or Naz got hurt and then getting Shannon some time at the 3.

The fact the Wolves still have him as an everyday G-League player tells us a lot (like, I don't see Shannon or Minott down there anymore). While he is very talented, his b-ball IQ on both sides isn't the greatest.

But even if Miller isn't a fit long term with the Wolves, his value as a trade asset has to be increasing, as he is still very young and flashing great potential.

[Q-is-here]

Iowa finished up the Tip-Off Tournament portion of the season with a 114-113 win over the Motor City Cruise last night. They won the Central Division with an 11-3 record and will now move on to compete in the Showcase Cup as part of the 8 team tournament. Daishen Nix was back in action and started along side Jaylen Clark, Jesse Edwards, and Leonard Miller. It was a very balanced effort with those four guys all scoring between 16 and 23 points, with Clark and Edwards being the most efficient.

[FNG]

I get excited sometimes about some of the numbers we see coming out of Iowa, like Miller's 38 points. But then I put in some context...Bronny James scored 30 the other night! And this is a guy who had a high on college of 15 and averaged 4.8. Still, it's important to compare stats with prior years to gauge progress. Also, I appreciate the eye test reports (formerly monster...now mostly Q).

[Q-is-here]

I get excited sometimes about some of the numbers we see coming out of Iowa, like Miller's 38 points. But then I put in some context...Bronny James scored 30 the other night! And this is a guy who had a high on college of 15 and averaged 4.8. Still, it's important to compare stats with prior years to gauge progress. Also, I appreciate the eye test reports (formerly monster...now mostly Q).

Right, you can't assume that someone that performs statistically well in Iowa can replicate that in the NBA. However, you probably can assume that if they struggle in the G-League they will for sure struggle in the NBA! So by performing well in the G-League you at least can hold out hope that it might translate to the next level.

I think one of the things you need to look at when someone is killing it in the G-League is a) their age/professional experience level, and b) their physical profile.

If you have a guy like TJ Warren averaging 27 PPG (yes, he's played 10 games in the G-League this year) that is less impressive than the just-turned-21 year-old Leonard Miller averaging 24 PPG.

You also have some highly skilled guys in the G-League that just can't match up physically or athletically at the next level. So they kick butt statistically in the G-League, but just don't have the size or speed to match up at the next level.

Fortunately, our two main guys down there (Clark and Miller) are both still reasonably young/inexperienced AND have NBA-level size and athleticism. And they are the two best players on one of the best teams in the G-League this season.

[Lipoli390]

Thanks for the ongoing reports on Iowa, Q. Very encouraging news on Miller. Clark, Nix and Edwards also seem like guys to watch as potential NBA players.

[Q-is-here]

Iowa Wolves now 1-2 in the G-League regular season, which started anew after the Showcase Cup.

Leonard Miller has been up with the big league team along with Nix of late, so Iowa is down to Jaylen Clark and Jesse Edwards as the only two under contract with the Wolves. Neither are naturally high usage offensive players, so the team struggles to score. While that's not great for wins and losses, it is great developmentally since Clark especially needs to get better at shot creation and play making and he's getting more opportunities now that Miller and Nix aren't down there.

[Lipoli390]

Iowa Wolves now 1-2 in the G-League regular season, which started anew after the Showcase Cup.

Leonard Miller has been up with the big league team along with Nix of late, so Iowa is down to Jaylen Clark and Jesse Edwards as the only two under contract with the Wolves. Neither are naturally high usage offensive players, so the team struggles to score. While that's not great for wins and losses, it is great developmentally since Clark especially needs to get better at shot creation and play making and he's getting more opportunities now that Miller and Nix aren't down there.

I find it interesting that the organization has had Miller up with the NBA team recently. We don’t have any injuries and Minott has continued to play well. Do you think there’s some sort of trade brewing that has the organization wanting Miller to get more familiar with the big-league squad in practice so he’s prepared to fill an upcoming void?

[Q-is-here]

Iowa Wolves now 1-2 in the G-League regular season, which started anew after the Showcase Cup.

Leonard Miller has been up with the big league team along with Nix of late, so Iowa is down to Jaylen Clark and Jesse Edwards as the only two under contract with the Wolves. Neither are naturally high usage offensive players, so the team struggles to score. While that's not great for wins and losses, it is great developmentally since Clark especially needs to get better at shot creation and play making and he's getting more opportunities now that Miller and Nix aren't down there.

I find it interesting that the organization has had Miller up with the NBA team recently. We don’t have any injuries and Minott has continued to play well. Do you think there’s some sort of trade brewing that has the organization wanting Miller to get more familiar with the big-league squad in practice so he’s prepared to fill an upcoming void?

Perhaps. I can't believe Connelly isn't at least picking up the phone if calls for Randle come in or perhaps he's quietly making calls. Not because I think the front office have totally given up on Randle, but just because he plays a position where the Wolves actually have some depth in and can probably afford to backfill with an existing player (i.e. Naz Reid).

The other reason is that this is Miller's third year playing in the G-League and I kind of feel like there is an unspoken limit to how much a drafted player should be expected to play down there. In addition, he's actually improved and was a major factor in their winning record during the first segment of the season. He may be at the point where there isn't much more the G-League can offer him and the front office believes he's better served scrimmaging and being with the big league team.