Graham

[crazy-canuck [enjin:18955461]]

Just saw a stat that he is shooting 14.3% from 3 where there is no defender within 6 feet of him at 2.3 attempts per game.

Teams simply arent guarding him.

How long does he stay a starter?

[kekgeek]

For awhile. He dosen't need the ball to be successful. Does a lot of little things well. And any shooting # six games in are statistically insignificant. He makes his next 5 wide open 3s. He is shooting about 40%. So a terrible shooter becomes a good shooter all based on 5 shots

[Monster]

He simply isn't that bad of a shooter. I'm not suggesting he is good but no way he sucks that bad. Napier has played well and shooting bad also. That trend won't continue either.

[AbeVigodaLive]

He simply isn't that bad of a shooter. I'm not suggesting he is good but no way he sucks that bad. Napier has played well and shooting bad also. That trend won't continue either.

Bad is a relative term.

Graham is a career 34.9% three point shooter... right on the cusp of mediocrity for an NBA wing. But he's 41 - 146 (28%) the past two seasons. His free throw shooting is also meh (74%). But I think the lack of attempts (about 1 per game) is actually more revealing. He doesn't do anything else I've seen offensively to make up for being a mediocre or below average shooter.

Maybe he can be a plus defender and stay in the rotation for 20 mpg for the year. Or even another year. But that's probably best-case scenario. It's much more likely that he'll be a below average player we'll all forget about soon enough in the long line of forgettable Timberwolves as soon as the team finds a viable replacement.

As for that replacement... can Okogie improve to be a viable upgrade to Graham, or is he just another version?

[Monster]

He simply isn't that bad of a shooter. I'm not suggesting he is good but no way he sucks that bad. Napier has played well and shooting bad also. That trend won't continue either.

Bad is a relative term.

Graham is a career 34.9% three point shooter... right on the cusp of mediocrity for an NBA wing. But he's 41 - 146 (28%) the past two seasons. His free throw shooting is also meh (74%). But I think the lack of attempts (about 1 per game) is actually more revealing. He doesn't do anything else I've seen offensively to make up for being a mediocre or below average shooter.

Maybe he can be a plus defender and stay in the rotation for 20 mpg for the year. Or even another year. But that's probably best-case scenario. It's much more likely that he'll be a below average player we'll all forget about soon enough in the long line of forgettable Timberwolves as soon as the team finds a viable replacement.

As for that replacement... can Okogie improve to be a viable upgrade to Graham, or is he just another version?

Last year he was a starter for a chunk of games for a playoff team and he played some of those game with a bad shoulder so there is some context when considering his viability as a starter or rotation guy or whatever.

I'm a bit confused about your 1 attempts per game stat. He has been shooting a much higher volume with the Nets and Wolves.

[AbeVigodaLive]

He simply isn't that bad of a shooter. I'm not suggesting he is good but no way he sucks that bad. Napier has played well and shooting bad also. That trend won't continue either.

Bad is a relative term.

Graham is a career 34.9% three point shooter... right on the cusp of mediocrity for an NBA wing. But he's 41 - 146 (28%) the past two seasons. His free throw shooting is also meh (74%). But I think the lack of attempts (about 1 per game) is actually more revealing. He doesn't do anything else I've seen offensively to make up for being a mediocre or below average shooter.

Maybe he can be a plus defender and stay in the rotation for 20 mpg for the year. Or even another year. But that's probably best-case scenario. It's much more likely that he'll be a below average player we'll all forget about soon enough in the long line of forgettable Timberwolves as soon as the team finds a viable replacement.

As for that replacement... can Okogie improve to be a viable upgrade to Graham, or is he just another version?

Last year he was a starter for a chunk of games for a playoff team and he played some of those game with a bad shoulder so there is some context when considering his viability as a starter or rotation guy or whatever.

I'm a bit confused about your 1 attempts per game stat. He has been shooting a much higher volume with the Nets and Wolves.

He's taken 7 ft attempts in 6 games. He took 22 attempts in 35 games last season. 59 attempts in 63 games before that.

[Monster]

He simply isn't that bad of a shooter. I'm not suggesting he is good but no way he sucks that bad. Napier has played well and shooting bad also. That trend won't continue either.

Bad is a relative term.

Graham is a career 34.9% three point shooter... right on the cusp of mediocrity for an NBA wing. But he's 41 - 146 (28%) the past two seasons. His free throw shooting is also meh (74%). But I think the lack of attempts (about 1 per game) is actually more revealing. He doesn't do anything else I've seen offensively to make up for being a mediocre or below average shooter.

Maybe he can be a plus defender and stay in the rotation for 20 mpg for the year. Or even another year. But that's probably best-case scenario. It's much more likely that he'll be a below average player we'll all forget about soon enough in the long line of forgettable Timberwolves as soon as the team finds a viable replacement.

As for that replacement... can Okogie improve to be a viable upgrade to Graham, or is he just another version?

Last year he was a starter for a chunk of games for a playoff team and he played some of those game with a bad shoulder so there is some context when considering his viability as a starter or rotation guy or whatever.

I'm a bit confused about your 1 attempts per game stat. He has been shooting a much higher volume with the Nets and Wolves.

He's taken 7 ft attempts in 6 games. He took 22 attempts in 35 games last season. 59 attempts in 63 games before that.

Gotcha thanks for clarifying I should have figured it out tho.

Just to clarify my stance on Graham is as a solid starter/rotation guy this season not as a significant piece going forward.

[AbeVigodaLive]

He simply isn't that bad of a shooter. I'm not suggesting he is good but no way he sucks that bad. Napier has played well and shooting bad also. That trend won't continue either.

Bad is a relative term.

Graham is a career 34.9% three point shooter... right on the cusp of mediocrity for an NBA wing. But he's 41 - 146 (28%) the past two seasons. His free throw shooting is also meh (74%). But I think the lack of attempts (about 1 per game) is actually more revealing. He doesn't do anything else I've seen offensively to make up for being a mediocre or below average shooter.

Maybe he can be a plus defender and stay in the rotation for 20 mpg for the year. Or even another year. But that's probably best-case scenario. It's much more likely that he'll be a below average player we'll all forget about soon enough in the long line of forgettable Timberwolves as soon as the team finds a viable replacement.

As for that replacement... can Okogie improve to be a viable upgrade to Graham, or is he just another version?

Last year he was a starter for a chunk of games for a playoff team and he played some of those game with a bad shoulder so there is some context when considering his viability as a starter or rotation guy or whatever.

I'm a bit confused about your 1 attempts per game stat. He has been shooting a much higher volume with the Nets and Wolves.

He's taken 7 ft attempts in 6 games. He took 22 attempts in 35 games last season. 59 attempts in 63 games before that.

Gotcha thanks for clarifying I should have figured it out tho.

Just to clarify my stance on Graham is as a solid starter/rotation guy this season not as a significant piece going forward.

Yeah. A stopgap. And a big part of his lower ceiling will probably be his mediocre-at-best shooting.

[crazy-canuck [enjin:18955461]]

If we continue to play small, maybe we should consider playing culver with the starters as an off ball player.

https://www.thestepien.com/2019/11/02/nba-notes-jarrett-culver-team-context-related-possibility-failure/

[apollotsg [enjin:6592798]]

With a handful of games into the season, I think the most glaring issue (not counting high 3pt% shooting) we have is the lack of structure to the 2nd unit - oftentimes they look like they are pretty much guessing at what to do because the first look/option didn't pan out and they resort to headless chicken basketball.

From where I sit, I think a 1st unit consisting of Towns, Covington, Wiggins, Okogie, and Napier might be our most effective unit. I don't think it is a coincidence that all the shifts with Okogie on it are DRAMATICALLY better in DEFRTG, most times Napier is also in that lineup. That group has Towns as the focal point on offense, as it should be, and rest fill in their roles - and both Napier and Okogie do not need the ball in their hands to play that part - they can rely on Towns and Wiggins to be the focal point.

This unit can play fast and has a significant defensive advantage and turn that into points.

This allows the 2nd unit to be run by Teague - something that his experience and skill level is sorely needed with that unit. Layman, Graham, Vonleh, and Culver all need a table-setter right now, someone to bring calm and order to that group. Teague's reluctance to shoot the 3 is hindering the style of the first unit - he wants to be a distributor and only take select shots - again, something best suited for this 2nd unit.

This unit can play slower and rely on Teague, the vet, to maximize the shooting this unit has and give Culver a better chance than throwing him into the chaos of what we run out there now.