kekgeek1 wrote:I think the wolves have 4 players that make everyone better offensively and that is Dlo, Jmac, Kat and Slow-Mo. Now 2 of those guys have been out the majority of the year and Slow Mo has been in and out.
The version of the wolves goes how Dlo goes and he is super inconsistent. He is shooting 9% worse in losses than wins what I get Dlo is what he is but this version with the injuries nobody can provide for others when Dlo is struggling with his shot. Don't have Jmac to create for others, don't have Kat gravitational pull of defenses to help others succeed, Anderson is solid but he is in and out, Ant at this point of his career does not make others better with him being 1 of 2 players leading his team in turnovers but not in the top 2 in assists (Poole the other) and him and Jalen Green the bottom 2 in AST % in the top 50 in usage, Ant at the moment does not make others better. Nowell development has been shockingly bad and is a shabazz and mccants type player. Rivers is not a playmaker, Mcdaniels doesn't create for others, and Forbes and Ryan are one trick ponies. Naz has been good but not a playmaker.
And that is where the problem is. Dlo is inconsistent but he is by far the best current playmaker the wolves have [s]but when the shot isn't falling he is a massively liability on offense and defense.[/s]
The bolded sentences or fragments, if you will, are what I agree with most from your comment.
1. The Timberwolves are short on shot creators, or playmakers, which puts an excessive amount of pressure on those four that you listed to not only be available, but to play well. An off-night or inability to suit up from any one of them let alone multiple places a significant strain on the rest of the team. This is also an issue that doesn't get solved by trading D'Angelo Russell or allowing him to walk, as I've noted before, but rather it makes it much worse.
2. Specifically, it would appear that the offense goes as Russell goes because when he's aggressive he's making shots and finding scoring opportunities for teammates. When he's overly comfortable deferring to Anthony Edwards in isolation or even playing too much in isolation himself, is when the offense breaks down and stalls. It's also why the offense should have been built to include a heavy dose of spread pick-and-roll involving our main ball-handlers and the All-NBA center this organization traded a premium to acquire. That was supposedly one of the reasons for making the trade and it's been severely underutilized all season. Go figure.
3. Minnesota's youth has a long way to go. Anthony Edwards is supremely-gifted, but until he can consistently impact the game without scoring the basketball he'll never become the championship-level cornerstone they need him to be. And that involves becoming a much smarter basketball player -- one that moves without the ball, engages in his defensive matchup no matter who it is, and makes the right play over the flashy play on a routine basis. Currently, at the young age of 21, he doesn't do any of those things consistently.
Jaden McDaniels is another guy that teases a high-impact game, but I'm not confident his outside shot will ever become dangerous enough to punish defenses for leaving him open, and his inability or unwillingness to rebound the basketball -- despite his physical tools -- is beyond frustrating. Add to that the limited playmaking potential and we have a role player who might not be good enough in his role (if he doesn't get better).
4. D-Lo has certainly earned a reputation for being inconsistent, but I think he's actually been less streaky this season and avoided any long cold spells. He's scored in double-digits in 28 out of 35 games this season and shot over 40-percent from the floor in 24 out of 35 games this season. Arbitrary measures, admittedly, but my point is that he's produced way more often than not this year from a scoring standpoint and his assist numbers remain above average for his position -- all while his usage has taken yet another step back, though I'm not sold that's a good thing.
Anyways, Russell is by far this team's best playmaker and likely the best that they could realistically hope to obtain this summer. That's the truth of the matter. Removing him from the roster just creates even more holes.