SL Game 2- Wolves vs. Pacers GDT

[Monster]

I just finished watching this game and this time I haven't read any posts in the forum about this game.

Dillingham had an excellent game showing off something in pretty much every facet of what you could hope from him even some plays defensively. Was he perfect? No but this was more like the performance we probably hoped for/expected.

TSJ was pretty good again. I have to point out his defense. He was so good getting through screens at times he will have it tougher in the NBA when everyone is better and knows what they are doing but it really feels like he could be a 2-way player sooner rather than later.

Nix had a good game but was a bit of a mixed bag also. Still his defense was very good and he did way more good than bad on the other end.

My take on Miller is that he isn't a center right now and even moreso than Naz was at this point of his career. I don't see effort being a problem as much as he just sorta gets lost sometimes and while he isn't a weak guy he just doesn't affect the game with his size and strength. Now if he was playing next to another pretty big dude or maybe playing against a team that went small then sure. Now on offense he has talent but idk where exactly he fits with this team. I was thinking oddly at one point about reading him for more of a do shit big that plays defense.

Which brings us to Minott. After watching game 1 back I had a more positive review on him. He isn't even always playing as a big but personally I think he is the best big on this summer league roster. He gets in trouble when he tries to do too much on offense but in a regular season game I don't think that's going to be an issue. I don't know about his upside at this point but I do think he could be ready if called on in limited minutes with the right matchup. I feel like he does some things that vets know how to do in addition to his effort and energy.

Jesse Edwards. Look he doesn't suck he does some good things and maybe he develops but right now there is at least one other player on the roster that is easily outperforming him that doesn't have an NBA deal. He is weak ina number of ways and while he moves pretty well he isn't exactly switchable.

Which brings us to Hifi. The guy is a defensive pest and uses the athletic abilities he has to play with some real force on that end. His offense has been as advertised which is still a bit of a pleasant surprise because you never know if a guy is gonna look good or not but the guy is making an impression. I don't know if it makes sense to sign him with all the guards and wings on the roster but he has looked good.

Jaylen Clark he looks and plays bigger than his size. Dude was everywhere. That one 3 he took and made actually looked pretty good. It would be interesting to see what his shot looks like in a practice setting. It wasn't the best looking shot in college so he could have used a whole year plus to completely rework it. At this point he looks like a guy worth having on a roster just for his D.

Leedee meh although I think he does have some talent. He needs to figure out how to use his body.

Overall this team continues to look good defensively much of the time although the Pacers shot well. They ended up forcing 23 turnovers in a 40 minute game while only turning over the ball 9 times themselves which in a summer league game is pretty impressive and it's not like they are playing with a bunch of veteran players or have some guy that's a vet PG type unless you want to count Nix as that guy...but he has a penchant for turnovers. Lol

At this point I would be looking for a rugged big/center type on other summer league rosters to add to the roster in some way.

[KG4Ever]

Miller looks like this stage is to big for him. He easily gets outplayed by the competition and his shot looks more like a heave and a prayer. Minott could do well as a rebounder and screen and roller, but still needs to show more on defense. I hope Finch has a plan to play some of these guys with the top 8. 4 starters and Minott would look better than 4 subs and Minott.

Keep in mind that TSJ wasn't an NBA caliber player at Miller's age. It took him 5 years and a weak draft to get the NBA scout's attention. Maybe, Miller becomes a bust or maybe he's a late blooming impact player, but given that we have Dozier and open spot on the roster, I'm really happy to have Miller who is making less than any regular roster player.

And that’s why I’m not writing Miller off even as I give him low grades for poor play. Same for Minott. What troubles me about Miller, however, is that he seems (stress on the word seems) to lack the foundational competitive fire, intensity and basketball instincts essential for development into an NBA caliber player. Minott has those foundational characteristics along with great length and athleticism. So the question for Minott is simply whether he’ll develop the key skills and polish to be an NBA player. Miller needs to develop those skills and polish too, but I fear he lacks the foundational stuff. I could be wrong and sure hope I’m wrong because Miller’s ceiling is very high - certainly higher than Minott’s in my view.

I really don't get the negativity hurled on Lenny Miller. He was the toast of the Wolves a year ago as a rookie in summer league. He was noticeably agressive last year when I watched him and to be honest, I haven't focused on him as much as I focus on watching the new guys and he got banged up and has played less, but his statline seems fine, not great, but certainly not terrible or worrisome. Of course, during the regular season Finchy doesn't play him much at as he keeps a tight bench and I don't think he was expected to play. But his stats actually were good in the few minutes he got. He shot 65% and 40% from three, and on a 30 minute basis, he got 12 boards, 5 assists, less than one turnover, one steal, one block. He can't produce if he isn't playing. And he's younger than anyone not named RD. I put very little stock in summer league, but he's still shooting 40% which is better than RD, Clark and Minott, yet I haven't seen Lip post that they are terrible. You do realize that Lenny got whacked in the eye in the first game, the same injury that really did a number on SloMo. I just think you and kek are going off the deep end making Lenny your favorite whipping boy. His upside alone is worth rostering at his age. Hopefully, Lenny gets more opportunity to shine with SloMo gone.

[Monster]

Now I don't know whose fault it was, but that's the kind of play Miller seems to find himself in the middle of quite often. Botched in-bounds pass (could he have sealed off better?) and then the weak foul on the transition for the and-one.

I agree but he also got fouled at least once on that play.

[Monster]

Keep in mind that TSJ wasn't an NBA caliber player at Miller's age. It took him 5 years and a weak draft to get the NBA scout's attention. Maybe, Miller becomes a bust or maybe he's a late blooming impact player, but given that we have Dozier and open spot on the roster, I'm really happy to have Miller who is making less than any regular roster player.

And that’s why I’m not writing Miller off even as I give him low grades for poor play. Same for Minott. What troubles me about Miller, however, is that he seems (stress on the word seems) to lack the foundational competitive fire, intensity and basketball instincts essential for development into an NBA caliber player. Minott has those foundational characteristics along with great length and athleticism. So the question for Minott is simply whether he’ll develop the key skills and polish to be an NBA player. Miller needs to develop those skills and polish too, but I fear he lacks the foundational stuff. I could be wrong and sure hope I’m wrong because Miller’s ceiling is very high - certainly higher than Minott’s in my view.

I really don't get the negativity hurled on Lenny Miller. He was the toast of the Wolves a year ago as a rookie in summer league. He was noticeably agressive last year when I watched him and to be honest, I haven't focused on him as much as I focus on watching the new guys and he got banged up and has played less, but his statline seems fine, not great, but certainly not terrible or worrisome. Of course, during the regular season Finchy doesn't play him much at as he keeps a tight bench and I don't think he was expected to play. But his stats actually were good in the few minutes he got. He shot 65% and 40% from three, and on a 30 minute basis, he got 12 boards, 5 assists, less than one turnover, one steal, one block. He can't produce if he isn't playing. And he's younger than anyone not named RD. I put very little stock in summer league, but he's still shooting 40% which is better than RD, Clark and Minott, yet I haven't seen Lip post that they are terrible. You do realize that Lenny got whacked in the eye in the first game, the same injury that really did a number on SloMo. I just think you and kek are going off the deep end making Lenny your favorite whipping boy. His upside alone is worth rostering at his age. Hopefully, Lenny gets more opportunity to shine with SloMo gone.

I think Miller not thinking the game quickly is something I can see. I'm not sure I agree with the lack of competitive fire. Dude has been in scrums at times fighting for loose balls. I think him looking like he isn't going hard it more about him getting lost and not knowing what to do. It's also worth remembering he wasn't really a true big till he started playing with the G-league ignite. He played more as a guard. There are a lot of nuances in playing as a big as a defensive player. I'm not saying he will get it but it's worth remembering. Heck I'll tell you that Jared Vanderbilt wasn't exactly a defensive savant at the age of 20. He really made some legit progress and development on that end. Like Lip I'm not giving up on the guy and the offensive talent is there and he has some physical tools especially as a PF who looks like he could physically switch onto perimeter players but he has quite a ways to go.

[Monster]

Miller looks like this stage is to big for him. He easily gets outplayed by the competition and his shot looks more like a heave and a prayer. Minott could do well as a rebounder and screen and roller, but still needs to show more on defense. I hope Finch has a plan to play some of these guys with the top 8. 4 starters and Minott would look better than 4 subs and Minott.

I’m not sure how much more Minott can show on defense. His on-ball defense has been consistently excellent in these first two summer league games. It’s been fun to watch that along with him attacking the boards and catching long passes and finishing. He has terrific hands and solid body control.

My remaining issue with Josh is the lack of any offensive game beyond catching and finishing on the break. His handle is better than two years ago and he’s actually a good passer. But he doesn’t appear to have the skill development yet to score on dribble penetration. And his three point shot isn’t quite there although his mechanics look good.

One thing about Josh I forgot to mention is that he is definitely taller than he was two years ago. We saw him standing right next to Miller just 10 feet in front of us and he’s now at least as tall as Miller. Miller is listed at 6’10, Josh at 6’8. Josh must have grown 2 inches since we drafted him. And he looks even more athletic than he did 2 years ago in summer league.

I wouldn’t put money on Josh getting rotation minutes with the Wolves next season or the season after (last two years of his contract). But I wouldn’t bet against it either. I’m convinced he’ll eventually be an NBA rotation player somewhere a la Josh Okogie, but longer and possibly a better shooter.

Lip thanks for the comments on Minott's size. Someone on Twitter said they thought he looked bigger and in this game I was like like yeah he does look taller. I'll probably rewatch this game but IF Minott can actually defend a lot of wings and rebound and provide lots of energy with his length and athletic ability...idk how much he needs to have in his offensive bag to be worthwhile on a roster. Obviously more is better and because of his length he can play more as a big than Okogie and so his shooting (or lack thereof) becomes a little less problematic.

[Q-is-here]

Miller looks like this stage is to big for him. He easily gets outplayed by the competition and his shot looks more like a heave and a prayer. Minott could do well as a rebounder and screen and roller, but still needs to show more on defense. I hope Finch has a plan to play some of these guys with the top 8. 4 starters and Minott would look better than 4 subs and Minott.

I’m not sure how much more Minott can show on defense. His on-ball defense has been consistently excellent in these first two summer league games. It’s been fun to watch that along with him attacking the boards and catching long passes and finishing. He has terrific hands and solid body control.

My remaining issue with Josh is the lack of any offensive game beyond catching and finishing on the break. His handle is better than two years ago and he’s actually a good passer. But he doesn’t appear to have the skill development yet to score on dribble penetration. And his three point shot isn’t quite there although his mechanics look good.

One thing about Josh I forgot to mention is that he is definitely taller than he was two years ago. We saw him standing right next to Miller just 10 feet in front of us and he’s now at least as tall as Miller. Miller is listed at 6’10, Josh at 6’8. Josh must have grown 2 inches since we drafted him. And he looks even more athletic than he did 2 years ago in summer league.

I wouldn’t put money on Josh getting rotation minutes with the Wolves next season or the season after (last two years of his contract). But I wouldn’t bet against it either. I’m convinced he’ll eventually be an NBA rotation player somewhere a la Josh Okogie, but longer and possibly a better shooter.

Lip thanks for the comments on Minott's size. Someone on Twitter said they thought he looked bigger and in this game I was like like yeah he does look taller. I'll probably rewatch this game but IF Minott can actually defend a lot of wings and rebound and provide lots of energy with his length and athletic ability...idk how much he needs to have in his offensive bag to be worthwhile on a roster. Obviously more is better and because of his length he can play more as a big than Okogie and so his shooting (or lack thereof) becomes a little less problematic.

I think one of the problems with Minott is that for the better part of two years he's been trying to fashion himself as a legit offensive weapon with the ball in his hands, when in fact he really should be focusing on being a cutter, defensive disruptor, rebounder, and transition threat. I actually think he's been pretty good at the latter three areas in the first two games of summer league, but his inability to make much happen while on the ball has sort of overshadowed some of the good things he does.

Guys like Vando and more recently NAW found their way into NBA rotations by carving out a more narrowly defined identity and then just doubling-down on it with 110% effort. Minott should forget about being a scorer for now other than off cuts, transition, and wide open catch and shoot opportunities.

[Lipoli390]

I’m not sure how much more Minott can show on defense. His on-ball defense has been consistently excellent in these first two summer league games. It’s been fun to watch that along with him attacking the boards and catching long passes and finishing. He has terrific hands and solid body control.

My remaining issue with Josh is the lack of any offensive game beyond catching and finishing on the break. His handle is better than two years ago and he’s actually a good passer. But he doesn’t appear to have the skill development yet to score on dribble penetration. And his three point shot isn’t quite there although his mechanics look good.

One thing about Josh I forgot to mention is that he is definitely taller than he was two years ago. We saw him standing right next to Miller just 10 feet in front of us and he’s now at least as tall as Miller. Miller is listed at 6’10, Josh at 6’8. Josh must have grown 2 inches since we drafted him. And he looks even more athletic than he did 2 years ago in summer league.

I wouldn’t put money on Josh getting rotation minutes with the Wolves next season or the season after (last two years of his contract). But I wouldn’t bet against it either. I’m convinced he’ll eventually be an NBA rotation player somewhere a la Josh Okogie, but longer and possibly a better shooter.

Lip thanks for the comments on Minott's size. Someone on Twitter said they thought he looked bigger and in this game I was like like yeah he does look taller. I'll probably rewatch this game but IF Minott can actually defend a lot of wings and rebound and provide lots of energy with his length and athletic ability...idk how much he needs to have in his offensive bag to be worthwhile on a roster. Obviously more is better and because of his length he can play more as a big than Okogie and so his shooting (or lack thereof) becomes a little less problematic.

I think one of the problems with Minott is that for the better part of two years he's been trying to fashion himself as a legit offensive weapon with the ball in his hands, when in fact he really should be focusing on being a cutter, defensive disruptor, rebounder, and transition threat. I actually think he's been pretty good at the latter three areas in the first two games of summer league, but his inability to make much happen while on the ball has sort of overshadowed some of the good things he does.

Guys like Vando and more recently NAW found their way into NBA rotations by carving out a more narrowly defined identity and then just doubling-down on it with 110% effort. Minott should forget about being a scorer for now other than off cuts, transition, and wide open catch and shoot opportunities.

I agree, Q!

[Monster]

Lip thanks for the comments on Minott's size. Someone on Twitter said they thought he looked bigger and in this game I was like like yeah he does look taller. I'll probably rewatch this game but IF Minott can actually defend a lot of wings and rebound and provide lots of energy with his length and athletic ability...idk how much he needs to have in his offensive bag to be worthwhile on a roster. Obviously more is better and because of his length he can play more as a big than Okogie and so his shooting (or lack thereof) becomes a little less problematic.

I think one of the problems with Minott is that for the better part of two years he's been trying to fashion himself as a legit offensive weapon with the ball in his hands, when in fact he really should be focusing on being a cutter, defensive disruptor, rebounder, and transition threat. I actually think he's been pretty good at the latter three areas in the first two games of summer league, but his inability to make much happen while on the ball has sort of overshadowed some of the good things he does.

Guys like Vando and more recently NAW found their way into NBA rotations by carving out a more narrowly defined identity and then just doubling-down on it with 110% effort. Minott should forget about being a scorer for now other than off cuts, transition, and wide open catch and shoot opportunities.

I agree, Q!

Ironically Vando who has significantly more ability as a playmaker it was clear at least one season here he was NOT to do anything with the ball brining it up the court but pass the ball off. Part of Minott fitting into his role is the coaching staff telling him what they want him to do. It's summer league I'm ok with him trying to make a play here and there. If nothing else maybe it shows him that he shouldn't do any of that stuff and just play his butt off. I think he has always had a feel of doing some of those off ball things anyways but I think this summer league he has gotten even better at some of them.