Minnesota Sports Forum

Q -- I think your comparison of LaVine and Muhammed is dead on. My only caveat is that I think LaVine's floor is significantly higher than Shved's. LaVine not only has skills. He also has instincts. Watching LaVine in the Target Center scrimmage and in Summer League playing the point made it clear that LaVine has real basketball instincts. Shved's main problem is that is has no feel for the game. Note that the ball rarely died in LaVine's hands and he rarely took reckless drives to the bucket only to leave his feet and toss the ball up for grabs as he headed out of bounds behind the basket. Of course, that's what we typically see from Shved.

I was at the live Target Center scrimmage and the two went head to head the entire game. I can tell you it wasn't even close. LaVine completely dominated Shved on both ends. LaVine looked like the two-year vet while Shved looked like the rookie coming off his freshman year in college.

No doubt LaVine has a very high ceiling. How close he comes to that ceiling and how fast are open questions. But his floor is unquesionably higher than Shved's.

Lip, Good information. Keep in mind that Shved was a very effective player at CSKA Moscow. He shot the ball much better in Euroleague play than LaVine ever did at UCLA. Their physical profile is very similar in terms of height and weight. LaVine is the better athlete, but I would argue Shved is better at getting into the teeth of a defense. Both can be characterized as just plain old guards, meaning they can play either the 1 or 2.

I'm not sure what happened to Shved upon entering the NBA. It seems like he's never been really comfortable and I'm not sure he has the work ethic or grit to persevere through adversity. It seems like LaVine has a certain level of swagger which could serve him well. On the other hand, Rashad McCants and Jonny Flynn had swagger too. Look at where they ended up.....

Lesson learned: Never underestimate the degree of disappointment a Timberwolves draft pick is capable of delivering.