Ha! Yeah, we'll see what the coaches do. It does seem unlikely that we'll be fielding our A-team.
SL Game 4 - Wolves vs. Suns
Re: SL Game 4 - Wolves vs. Suns
Finished this one last night.
Leonard miller made a nice impact down the stretch in this game. I'm becoming more willing to think he could do some shit here and there if called upon.
Dillingham really cooked in that 4th and part of the time it was against an NBA player. He still has a ways to go but that was a pretty nice stretch of play. His defense continues to be a solid development and not that it's so amazing but the effort the signs of awareness as a team defender means he has some sort of base to work with to get better.
I'm not really dying to keep either Bailey or Newton as a 2-way guy at this point. Both are a mixed bag. Newton is clearly the better defender he looks like a guy that might be a lesser smaller NAW. Bailey looks to be better as a scorer but he still looks like a guy that isn't there yet. Defensively he is ok but Newton is able to be more aggressive and impactful. I might go with Newton at this point if I had to pick because a combo guard that can defend seems like a bigger need than a combo guard that kind kinda score. Both guys could be better playing off better players.
Beringer continues to looks like a nice pick.
It would have been nice to see the Wolves get to the playoffs but oh well they won every game so that's something.
Leonard miller made a nice impact down the stretch in this game. I'm becoming more willing to think he could do some shit here and there if called upon.
Dillingham really cooked in that 4th and part of the time it was against an NBA player. He still has a ways to go but that was a pretty nice stretch of play. His defense continues to be a solid development and not that it's so amazing but the effort the signs of awareness as a team defender means he has some sort of base to work with to get better.
I'm not really dying to keep either Bailey or Newton as a 2-way guy at this point. Both are a mixed bag. Newton is clearly the better defender he looks like a guy that might be a lesser smaller NAW. Bailey looks to be better as a scorer but he still looks like a guy that isn't there yet. Defensively he is ok but Newton is able to be more aggressive and impactful. I might go with Newton at this point if I had to pick because a combo guard that can defend seems like a bigger need than a combo guard that kind kinda score. Both guys could be better playing off better players.
Beringer continues to looks like a nice pick.
It would have been nice to see the Wolves get to the playoffs but oh well they won every game so that's something.
Re: SL Game 4 - Wolves vs. Suns
Beringer definitely showed some frustration today but I also didn't see him stop playing hard. Like Lip said I thought his shot looked ok I wasn't hiding under a blanket or something when he took a shot. We also saw why Malauch was drafted where he was. He looked pretty good. Beringer does seem to have a pretty high BBIQ. Even though he played at a lower level in Europe the fact that he was playing around 20mpg and starting down the stretch for a team trying to win games probably means something.FNG wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 7:52 pmYeah, his passing has been a big surprise for me. Tells me that he has very good BB instincts. He doesn't seem to panic when he gets the ball. Very good sign.Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 4:35 pmI had the same take as you on Beringer’s passing. I agree it’s indicative of what appears to be a pretty high basketball IQ and/or mental processor for the game. It’s shown in some other aspects of his game as he appears to typically be in the right spot at the right time and generally makes good decisions with the ball. He has a lot of work to do in a number of areas, including shooting. But I actually like his form and balance on his mid-range shot and he hits his free throws. So I’ve very positive about the future development of his overall game on both sides of the ball. But right how, he’s still very raw.AbeVigodaLive wrote: ↑Thu Jul 17, 2025 9:59 am - Maluach and Beringer combined for 13 fouls. Beringer has 14 in the past two games. It's all part of the learning experience for the very raw rookie.
- Maluach was physical early. The kind of leaning, poking, bumping, shoving kind of physical, even in-between plays. I don't know if that's how Maluach plays everyone, but it was definitely intentional in this one.
- Overall, Beringer was rough. He looked overmatched. And it's all fine.
- One thing that gives me hope (I think) is Beringer's willingness (and ability) to pass on the interior. Granted, it's in part because he has no scoring skills with the ball in his hands right now. He needs to get rid of it. BUT... he's made 4 or 5 decent to solid interior passes in the two games I've watched. That's very rare in young bigs, and some bigs forever. I don't know what this means if he can't figure out to score a little bit... but I think it's pretty rare for such a raw, inexperienced player. And I think that's because it's almost all instinctual at this point. Tells me he has an ability to see/process the game.
Re: SL Game 4 - Wolves vs. Suns
I think in general Rocco is about a year behind Beringer in development despite being the same age which isn't a bad thing obviously. I'd guess that the talent/basketball jump might be a little higher from NBL to SL. Beringer's athletic profile plays in SL way better than Rocco's. SL benefits perimeter players and Beringer can move very well. I think the Rocco pick was a good one and it should be interesting to see him get minutes in Iowa.Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 16, 2025 11:03 pm As SL has progressed we can see the value of sample size. As the sample increases the cream rises and you get a better measure of who has what it takes to be an NBA player and who doesn’t.
Here’s a list of those who do:
1. Terrence Shannon Jr. — TSJ showed it right away because he’s that good and so advanced as a 24/25 year old with five years of college experience. TC said yesterday that he sees TSJ becoming and elite two-way player and I agree.
2. Jalen Clark — Clark continues to show elite defense and with more games we’ve seen his shooting come around. He’s obviously ready right not to contribute at the NBA level.
3. Rob Dillingham — Before today, Dilly was a mixed bag but a positive overall, showing flashes but also having lapses with turnovers and missed shots at the rim. Nevertheless, he was the starting PG on a 3-0 Wolves team before today and he had a lot to do with that success. Today, it took it up a notch and showed nearly the whole package in the 2nd half, especially the 4th quarter. He put the team on his back and carried the Wolves to this win over a very good Suns SL team and he did it without TSJ. The only thing missing from his game in the second half was three-point accuracy. Otherwise, he was hitting mid-range shots as he had been in the first three games but also finishing at the rim and not turning the ball over. His defense in the 4th quarter was outstanding. Take a look in particular at his defense in on possession with around 2:30 left in the game. I have no doubt he’s ready, although because of his age and inexperience as well as the demands of his position, he’ll have struggles the older more experienced guys like TSJ and Clark won’t.
4. Leonard Miller — Yes, I’m including him. It’s uncomfortable watching him sometimes because of the way he plays but the guy rebounds and scores at a high level consistently every single game. He can handle the ball pretty well too. What I’ve noticed over the last couple games, especially today, is that he’s improved his defense a lot. I thought he was terrific defensively today. He’s also shown the ability to pass the ball. Today he had one especially impressive bounce pass on a fast break in the 4th. Is he ready to step in right now and give quality positive minutes at the NBA level. I think so, although I don’t see him at the sale level as TSJ, Clark or Dilly right now.
5. Tristin Newton — I now understand why the Wolves front office has him pegged for our third two-way contract. I had profound doubts after the first two games but I can now see that he brings a pretty mature game and high basketball IQ along with good physical strength and toughness.
6. Joan Beringer — I remain convinced he has what it takes to be an NBA player and perhaps a really good one down the road. But the larger the sample size the more it’s become apparent to me he’s not ready. He should get a lot of G-League minutes and perhaps he’ll be NBA-ready by the second half of the season. I love the potential but he has a lot of development ahead of him.
7. Rocco — He hasn’t played much or been particularly impressive in his limited minutes. But you can’t write off an 18 year old with a 9’7” standing reach. I thought he showed very good hands and pretty good agility and speed for someone his size. I loved how he competed, including diving to the floor for the ball in the first or second game. Does he have what it takes to be an NBA player? I’m not sure but I think so.
I have serious doubts about the NBA potential of any of our other SL players we’ve seen on the court thus far. I had high hopes for Bailey after the first few games, but I’m having a hard time overlooking his utterly terrible he looked today. I want to believe in the potential of Edwards and I’ve gone back and forth on him to date. Thinking about what we’ve seen from him over the full four games he’s played, I’ve finally concluded he’s not an NBA caliber player and never will be. I’m not sure about Cain. I like him and I’m not ready to dismiss the notion that he might have NBA potential.
No matter what happens the rest of this year’s SL, we should be very pleased with what we’ve seen and the young talent we have in this organization.