Surprise Wolves player of 2020-2021

[Monster]

So who do you got as the guy that is the biggest surprise or the guy that exceeds expectations?

My guy is Culver. Basically he is the forgotten guy and it's understandable. One thing I find interesting is he is considered to be a lesser player to Okogie. If you compare there rookie season it's more similar than not except that dreaded FT% for Culver. I could see Culver surpassing Okogie this year Because I think he is more likely to be a better overall offensive player and they both have potential as defenders. I also see Edwards having to fight for minutes because both of those guys play well enough to make him earn them. I think Culver is gonna surprise people and if he does that's going to help this roster quite a bit.

[Coolbreeze44]

You will be surprised how good Jaden McDaniels will be on defense.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I was just thinking about what would need to happen to really elevate the future outlook of this Wolves roster. The obvious answers to that rhetorical question are the continued development of Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell as well as the ascent of first overall pick Anthony Edwards. Both would be major in the Wolves' chances of contending. There is no doubt about that. Most of us would agree that there is incredible room for improvement for all three because of their high talent level and physical gifts.

But the real piece that can change everything for the Wolves is Jarrett Culver. Oddly enough, I think I'm becoming the most optimistic poster here in regards to Culver. Who saw that one coming? Everyone forget your impressions of him through his rookie season. I know his first year was a big disappointment. Wipe the slate clean for a second. Now, think about the "what if" when it comes to him -- if Culver figures it out and becomes what he was projected to be just a year ago. That changes everything for Minnesota whether it's as a valuable role player in between a couple stars or as a trade chip to bring in another star.

Culver has the tools and the talent to be a versatile wing defender that can guard 1-3 affectively. He has the court vision and handle to be a secondary ball-handler in the half-court as well as grab-and-go threat in transition.

He also has some history that suggests his three-point shot is capable of a bounce back next year. He was a 38.2 percent shooter from deep his freshman year in legitimate minutes as a role player. Obviously, we know his shooting regressed his sophomore season with a greater role in the offense, but bear with me. We're establishing some sense of a track record of acceptable shooting ability. The first three months of his rookie year he shot a miserable 27-108 (25-percent) in 31 games. That's not going to get the job done at all. However, the following three months of his rookie year he shot 39-113 (34.5-percent) in 32 games. I'm not saying Culver's the next Klay Thompson or anything comparable, but making 1.2 3P per game on 3.5 3PA in what was essentially the second half of the season isn't terrible. If he's able to build off of that second half and approach the 35 or 36-percent mark, then we really do have value with him as he provides complimentary skills that fit the team needs.

Or forget that his rookie season even happened. He's a 6'7", 194-pound wing with a 6'8" wingspan, 45-inch vertical, and solid fundamentals on the defensive end. He's not even 22-years old yet. I'm not ready to completely rule out Culver as an important part of this franchise. He feels like rotten goods because of his draft slot, the trade up, and other players that outperformed him last year, but these kids develop over time. He could be a key player to watch this upcoming season as his growth could significantly change this franchise's future for the better.

I'm reposting this from the "Timberwolves Roster" thread because it seems fitting. I'm standing by Jarrett Culver as my answer.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I saw Darren Wolfson posted a video of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson getting up shots in the gym and I envisioned him fitting nicely with the four other projected starters for the Wolves. He's not an ideal forward by any means, but he would be a positive defender that can also rebound and play a fast-paced game. He doesn't require any touches to make an impact and with the number of scorers this team has that'd be a good thing. He's another non-shooter on the team, but that can be mitigated somewhat by playing next to Karl-Anthony Towns or Naz Reid as both centers can stretch the floor.

Hollis-Jefferson also has the most proven history as a starter out of the alternative options in Minnesota. He's started 153 games in his career. In those games, he's averaged 11.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 0.6 BPG in 26.3 MPG on 44.8 FG%, 26.9 3P%, and 76.0 FT% shooting while mixing in starts at the three and the four. At first glance, the versatility sticks out, but the numbers aren't overwhelmingly good. They look more respectable when we extrapolate them to 36 minutes -- 15.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 0.8 BPG -- but I understand and agree with the shaky nature of relying on per-36 numbers. I do think those numbers are in the ballpark of what he's capable of considering his 2017-18 season in Brooklyn, though.

Frankly, his numbers are better than what Juan Hernangomez has put up in the 51 games he's started in his career, and that's without acknowledging that the Hollis-Jefferson is a superior defender. Hernangomez is the better perimeter shooter, but that's basically the only skill he can truly be relied on for.

Hollis-Jefferson would certainly have to be played with other floor-spacers, but his strengths are legitimate and fit the needs of this team. Can we trust Ryan Saunders to get the most out of him and utilize him the best possible way? I'd say no, but that has nothing to do with the player, unfortunately. Regardless of that, I think he's more than worthy of an NBA deal and a rotation spot, if not the starting job.

I'm also reposting this from the "Off-Season Rumors" thread because Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is unquestionably the best four on this roster right now. He's my honorable mention for the topic of Wolves surprises because I think he'll get his deal guaranteed and at some point take over the starting job.

Edit: Hollis-Jefferson vs. Hernangomez (2019-20) https://stathead.com/tiny/9ff3n

[thedoper]

I think if he's healthy Layman will surprise people in how much playing time he gets. He's a good complimentary piece and will help this team.

I love Okogie too and hope he improves his shot this year. It would be nice to see a developmental success story for this team finally.

[worldK]

Im with monster and cam with regards to culver. He can be a game changer for us. I see him as being better and has the most potential out of himself,okogie, beasley and layman as the wing players that should get minutes outside of edwards.

[Lipoli390]

I can't go with Okogie or Culver as my surprise. That's because I actually have pretty high expectations for both of them. They both start with a foundation as good defenders with the potential to be elite on that end of the court. They are also both physically gifted, although not as physically gifted as Edwards. They both simply need to refine their offensive skills.

For Okogie, it's shooting and ball-handling, although I think he improved his ball-handling a lot last season. Note that Okogie shot 38% from behind the arc in both of his college seasons. He's also been a consistently good free-throw shooter throughout his college and NBA careers thus far. So there is reason to believe that his three-point shot will improve substantially.

Culver is already a good ball-handler who looks like he can eventually play three positions, including some PG. He obviously has a long way to go with his shooting, but he already showed marked improvement in his three-point shooting at the end of last season. He was also a good three-point shooter as a college freshman.

For both of them, it's important to keep in mind that, historically, most players make their biggest improvements between their first and second seasons and even more so between their second and third.

So I EXPECT substantial improvement from both. Hence, I can't honestly project either one as a surprise. The surprise for me would be KAT or DLO becoming a good defender. If both became good defenders it would be a double surprise. I don't expect much from Edwards this season and I still see him becoming a long-term disappointment. So if he explodes on the scene and puts himself in the running for ROY, that will be another surprise. Just for fun, I'll predict that DLO will surprise all of us by becoming a good defender.

[60WinTim]

My surprise player vote is Mr. Team Defense. Consider the overwhelming doom and gloom forecasts about Mr. Team Defense keeping us from even sniffing the playoffs, we will enter the playoffs, look back, and say it was Mr. Team Defense that helped get us here.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

Multiple thoughts here, even though Monster just wanted one.....

- I agree that Culver and Okogie are massive X-factors for this team, If either one develops a reliable 3-ball, they could really help this team turn a corner. If not, they will continue to be OK-ish defensive role players that wouldn't get much playing time on most playoff-caliber teams.

- I agree with Cam that RHJ is our best PF Day One. He's who Vandy can become before rocketing to Siakim heights in a couple years :). It's kind of incredible to me that RHJ could be had so cheaply, but I think the problem is most teams still use a Center that isn't known for volume 3s, so these guys kind of occupy the same space on offense as most Centers. Not the case with the Wolves.

- Having said all of that, I think Malik Beasley is a guy that could pick up where he left off last season and put up career numbers. He's my pick.

[FNG]

My surprise pick is Anthony Edwards. Yes, choosing the #1 pick in the draft to be a surprise contributor is underwhelming at best- I mean, do you think any New Orleans fans picked Zion as their surprise contributor last year? But Edwards is not Zion and this board is quite skeptical about him, so a 16/6/2 season with 45% shooting (which I think is highly possible and would complement D-Lo and KAT well) would qualify as a surprise. I like Culver as a good choice too, but I think the production of Beasley and Edwards may limit his playing time. Edwards is my pick.