Minnesota Sports Forum

Looking less and less like hes the answer to anything.

thedoper wrote:Looking less and less like hes the answer to anything.

Yep just another guy. The big underling story the season is how our bench has been really bad since the all star break.

Jmac has been terrible
Prince just not the same
Naz terrible defender and has been just ok offensively since the break.
Nowell terrible
Rivers has been arguably the worst player in the NBA since his suspension
NAW super inconsistent
Moore, Minott, knight don't play
Garza has been solid but is really close to getting our of NBA eligibility

I'm actually not sure why Prince was in the game down the stretch instead of NAW. He had at least hit a couple shots. Prince has been channeling his inner Ryan "wallflower" Gomes lately.

Phenom's_Revenge wrote:I'm actually not sure why Prince was in the game down the stretch instead of NAW. He had at least hit a couple shots. Prince has been channeling his inner Ryan "wallflower" Gomes lately.

I thought either NAW or McLaughlin had played better than Prince and could have should have been in but it also made sense to play the solid vet Prince in a close game. It wasn't the right move.

Boom. Dude just helped us get into the playoffs with his defense tonight. He was really the only guy who could stop SGA (well, the zone helped too at the end). NAW's offense comes and goes, but his defense has been great since we brought him in. It might not show up in the boxscores, but I've watched every minute of every game this year, and he's a difference-maker on that end, and he was again tonight when it counted most.

SameOldNudityDrew wrote: ↑Fri Apr 14, 2023 11:54 pm Boom. Dude just helped us get into the playoffs with his defense tonight. He was really the only guy who could stop SGA (well, the zone helped too at the end). NAW's offense comes and goes, but his defense has been great since we brought him in. It might not show up in the boxscores, but I've watched every minute of every game this year, and he's a difference-maker on that end, and he was again tonight when it counted most.

Yep. I have to admit I had started to give up on NAW. But he's starting to flash again when it really matters. I don't know what to believe. As far as re-signing him...I'd still be scared to pay full price for him because of that inconsistency. But I'd be fine bringing back on a reasonable deal. Of course if he blows up in the playoffs, then Glen better pay the man what he wants.

To me, I think there's no question we need to bring this guy back, right? He was a really great on-ball defender (which is such a valuable thing to have) and showed enough offensively that he has to be a priority. Yes, Murray had some big games, but that was just some unstoppable offense against great individual defense (because we basically never doubled Murray). NAW made a lot a great defensive plays for us from the time we got him, and we'll still need that next year even with McDaniels back. His quickness almost makes him even more valuable on smaller, quicker guards, which would allow us to keep McD on dangerous wings. I love the energy and hustle he brings and while, theoretically, Moore might someday play a similar role, we never really saw that Moore would be able to contribute in that kind of way.

SameOldNudityDrew wrote: ↑Wed Apr 26, 2023 3:00 pm To me, I think there's no question we need to bring this guy back, right? He was a really great on-ball defender (which is such a valuable thing to have) and showed enough offensively that he has to be a priority. Yes, Murray had some big games, but that was just some unstoppable offense against great individual defense (because we basically never doubled Murray). NAW made a lot a great defensive plays for us from the time we got him, and we'll still need that next year even with McDaniels back. His quickness almost makes him even more valuable on smaller, quicker guards, which would allow us to keep McD on dangerous wings. I love the energy and hustle he brings and while, theoretically, Moore might someday play a similar role, we never really saw that Moore would be able to contribute in that kind of way.

I agree Drew. In my opinion, he is basically a better version of Austin Rivers - low usage defensive guard that can hit some 3's and make some plays off the bounce. Should be our 8th or 9th man next season and in the regular season rotation.

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Wed Apr 26, 2023 3:59 pm

SameOldNudityDrew wrote: ↑Wed Apr 26, 2023 3:00 pm To me, I think there's no question we need to bring this guy back, right? He was a really great on-ball defender (which is such a valuable thing to have) and showed enough offensively that he has to be a priority. Yes, Murray had some big games, but that was just some unstoppable offense against great individual defense (because we basically never doubled Murray). NAW made a lot a great defensive plays for us from the time we got him, and we'll still need that next year even with McDaniels back. His quickness almost makes him even more valuable on smaller, quicker guards, which would allow us to keep McD on dangerous wings. I love the energy and hustle he brings and while, theoretically, Moore might someday play a similar role, we never really saw that Moore would be able to contribute in that kind of way.

I agree Drew. In my opinion, he is basically a better version of Austin Rivers - low usage defensive guard that can hit some 3's and make some plays off the bounce. Should be our 8th or 9th man next season and in the regular season rotation.

I’ll add my one cent to the bring back NAW sentiment. I liked him coming out of college. I soured on him after he came to the NBA. I’ve gone back and forth on him since he arrive in Minnesota. But after watching him since he’s been here, especially down the stretch and in the playoffs, I’m convinced the Wolves should retain him. There’s no doubt he’s a really good on-ball defender. He’s also a high IQ player on both sides of the ball. He’s a very good ballhandler with a pretty good knack for dribble drive scoring even though he’s not particularly athletic. I like that he can play both guard positions. And again, I love his defense. His perimeter shot comes and goes, but he can be very good from behind the arc in stretches. If he can develop into a consistent three-point shooter, which is possible at his age, he will be a terrific 3 and D rotation player for the Wolves.

The Wolves should sign him to a multi-year deal. I think he likes it here and sees a significant opportunity for himself with this team. So I think the Wolves can sign him to something like a 3-year deal at $4 million per year ($12M total). I’d do that deal if I were TC.

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 29, 2023 12:51 pm

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Wed Apr 26, 2023 3:59 pm

SameOldNudityDrew wrote: ↑Wed Apr 26, 2023 3:00 pm To me, I think there's no question we need to bring this guy back, right? He was a really great on-ball defender (which is such a valuable thing to have) and showed enough offensively that he has to be a priority. Yes, Murray had some big games, but that was just some unstoppable offense against great individual defense (because we basically never doubled Murray). NAW made a lot a great defensive plays for us from the time we got him, and we'll still need that next year even with McDaniels back. His quickness almost makes him even more valuable on smaller, quicker guards, which would allow us to keep McD on dangerous wings. I love the energy and hustle he brings and while, theoretically, Moore might someday play a similar role, we never really saw that Moore would be able to contribute in that kind of way.

I agree Drew. In my opinion, he is basically a better version of Austin Rivers - low usage defensive guard that can hit some 3's and make some plays off the bounce. Should be our 8th or 9th man next season and in the regular season rotation.

I’ll add my one cent to the bring back NAW sentiment. I liked him coming out of college. I soured on him after he came to the NBA. I’ve gone back and forth on him since he arrive in Minnesota. But after watching him since he’s been here, especially down the stretch and in the playoffs, I’m convinced the Wolves should retain him. There’s no doubt he’s a really good on-ball defender. He’s also a high IQ player on both sides of the ball. He’s a very good ballhandler with a pretty good knack for dribble drive scoring even though he’s not particularly athletic. I like that he can play both guard positions. And again, I love his defense. His perimeter shot comes and goes, but he can be very good from behind the arc in stretches. If he can develop into a consistent three-point shooter, which is possible at his age, he will be a terrific 3 and D rotation player for the Wolves.

The Wolves should sign him to a multi-year deal. I think he likes it here and sees a significant opportunity for himself with this team. So I think the Wolves can sign him to something like a 3-year deal at $4 million per year ($12M total). I’d do that deal if I were TC.

How many times have we wished for this over the years? After a gazillion tries, we may have finally found someone like this in Jaden McDaniels and he still has runway to grow further. But man, have we struggled more than any franchise in the NBA to find or develop these types of players, which makes me think NAW's 3-pointer will probably start to go down hill if he signs with us!