Updates from Milt Newton

[TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]]

Bennett, Payne and Zach are in the Bottom 8 in RPM:

467 Adreian Payne, PF ATL/MIN 32 23.1 -3.14 -3.10 -6.24 -1.77
468 Johnny O'Bryant III, PF MIL 34 10.8 -4.72 -1.52 -6.24 -0.89
469 Martell Webster, SF WSH 32 11.0 -3.40 -2.89 -6.29 -0.83
470 Archie Goodwin, SG PHX 41 13.0 -3.95 -2.51 -6.46 -1.39
471 Zach LaVine, PG MIN 77 24.7 -2.53 -4.34 -6.87 -5.34
472 Anthony Bennett, PF MIN 57 15.7 -3.78 -3.21 -6.99 -2.63
473 Gary Harris, SG DEN 55 13.1 -4.66 -2.39 -7.05 -2.20
474 Brandon Rush, SG GS 33 8.2 -4.20 -3.26 -7.46 -0.93

[TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]]

I love Zach's potential, but I'm not sure why he doesn't get more criticism for his horrible defense. Would love to get a defensive minded coach to work with our young guys.

[Lipoli390]

I listened to a Milt Newton interview on Mackey & Judd yesterday. Some of the same stuff, including the fact that Wiggins has grown another inch. That's really interesting. It just solidifies Wiggins place in my mind as a SF, not SG.

In his Mackey/Judd interview Newton talked a lot about Wiggins. The good news was the additional inch. The troubling part was Newton's reference to Wiggins' motor issues. Newton mentioned several times the need for a more consistent effort from Wiggins. As one example, Newton said Wiggins wasn't practicing hard to the point where Flip called him a name that Newton said would cause a lot of guys to take a swing at Flip. He gave several other examples and mentioned that these were the same issues he had in college. He also discussed the need for Wiggins to play more instinctively as a scorer.

I'm not alarmed, but I am troubled. Wiggins is a good egg and extremely talented. But it is passion, drive and intensity that separates the good from great players in the NBA. No one ever had to scream at KG or MJ to get them to practice hard. And no one ever saw them show anything less that hyper-intensity in games. Wiggins is young and time will tell. However, I'm concerned because skills can be developed, but passion and intensity are character traits and the extent to which you possess those traits is generally set by age 20.

[TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]]

When asked if Bazz is viewed as a long term starter, Milt said Bazz has to bring more intensity when he plays defense. Glad to hear that.

[Papalrep]

Lipp----Wiggins is young and time will tell. However, I'm concerned because skills can be developed, but passion and intensity are character traits and the extent to which you possess those traits is generally set by age 20.

Great Point Lip. If we had a young KG in Wiggs, we'd know it by now.

Reading Team Ricky's posts on Zach and Bazz - this is concerning as well. "Defensive Intensity"? He means effort, right? Who do we have to teach/demand this? Defense ain't Flips thing.

I still like Flip a whole lot more as a GM than a coach.

[Papalrep]

Question - is there anything in Andre Miller's skill set and experience that he can impart on Ricky and make him better?

[TeamRicky [enjin:6648771]]

I believe Andrew's got plenty of passion for the game and he is a superstar in the making, but his personality is more KD/Kawhi than Kobe/KG and as he asserts himself more and more, this concern will go away.

[Monster]

Those are some interesting comments about Wiggins and I am not surprised though to a certain extent. I am not like others who get to see things more up close but I sense that Sam Mitchell is good for Wiggins. He was a guy that would speak up and step up his game when he was a player and we know he has no problem doing the same as a coach. He seems to be a guy that's often talking to wiggins during or after games. Does anyone else have thoughts on that?

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Bleed and cam- I don't necessarily disagree that Dieng is likely not a starter, but I think it's our future center, not PF, that might not be on the roster right now. I seem to be in the minority when it comes to Towns' best position in the future. I can see him being either a very good center or PF, but it seems to me he can be better utilized as a stretch 4. His 3-point shooting and off-the-ball shot blocking could really make him a transformational PF. Why do you guys see him more as a center?

Ultimately, I suspect Towns is versatile enough that his position will be determined by need more than where he fits best. If AB were ever to regain his college confidence, and put up double doubles like he is this summer, a front court consisting of three young # 1's (Towns, AB, and Wiggins) would be pretty exciting. Or if Dieng takes a quantum leap over last year and can be effective like he has been this summer in Africa, Towns may be better utilized as a PF. I guess I have to agree with you guys that most likely neither Dieng or AB is a future starter on this team, and one piece is still missing.

Towns could be even more transformational as a stretch 5, because who cares if he can pull the likes of Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Derrick Favors, and Draymond Green out of the paint? That still leaves DeAndre Jordan, Timofey Mozgov, Rudy Gobert and Andrew Bogut's asses planted firmly in the paint awaiting anyone that dares to go there.

He could transform our offense by dragging these defensive-oriented 5's out of the paint and allowing our wings and guards to go to work. It really puts opposing defenses that are so reliant on their 5 to zone up in the paint at a huge disadvantage.

But alas, my guess is that Flip will force Towns to play mostly in the paint this season as a post-up and roll threat. And while I don't think that's an ideal use of Towns skills, it may not be an entirely bad thing if he learns how to mix it up down low early in his career so that he knows how to expose teams when they try to put a smaller guy on him in the future.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Question - is there anything in Andre Miller's skill set and experience that he can impart on Ricky and make him better?

No. Rubio already has one of the highest basketball IQs on the team and there is nothing Miller can teach him that is going to materially impact his game. That's not to say there won't be a little tip or trick here and there that can be imparted, but I don't see Andre Miller taking Rubio "under his wing". Rubio doesn't need mentorship - he needs better players around him!

Andre Miller's primary value is to the younger guys he will play with on the floor. It's much more beneficial for the likes of Shabazz, Payne, AB, Towns, etc. to play with a pass-first veteran backup PG than a shoot-first vet like Mo Williams or a rookie like Tyus Jones. We now have two PGs in Rubio and Miller whose primary mission in life is to get others involved.

That being said, while I think Andre can help bring the best out of the younger guys along with Rubio, he himself isn't going to help much in the two areas we need the most: Defense and outside shooting.