First Half of the Year - Player Grades Updated
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 7:43 pm
I originally put this together after the first 20 games. Now that we are just over the halfway mark, here are updates to my original write-up. Generally, speaking, everyone but Gorgui is trending up based on improved team defense, with a couple guys trending up more than others.
Andrew Wiggins: He started off hot, but has since cooled off and his advanced stats like TS%, PER, and WS/48 are back down to where they were last year, which is basically average. He has hardly moved the needle in the "do shit" stats. And anyone that is playing the most minutes on one of the worst defenses in the league simply will never get a top grade. I would have given him a solid B if he had continued the efficient scoring we saw early in the year. The one area that is really promising for him is the 3-point shot, but while that has been a very solid 39%, his 2-point shooting percentage is at a career low right now. Wiggins got off to inefficient starts the last two years too, so hopefully he gets back on track. Grade: C
UPDATE: Wiggins has flat-lined this year in terms of his impact. He had a really hot start, but since then has posted mediocre shooting efficiency, rebounding, assist, and other "do shit" numbers. He is a gifted scorer in the diversity of ways he can make a basket and the ease with which he makes it look at times, yet isn't super good at any one type of shot, thus he struggles to score a lot of points without also putting up a ton of shots. That being said, there are glimmers of improvement in little pockets of his game, but until it translates to better overall results, it's hard to give him a big grade boost. Grade: C+
Karl-Anthony Towns: He is our most productive player when you look at the stat sheet. Every night, you see him do something which seems unreal for someone his size. Unfortunately, he too often gets caught up in his own hype and tries to do too much, especially on offense. This leads to some ill-advised shots and missing wide open team mates. Defensively, his self-importance prevents him from challenging enough shots and getting physical. Unfortunately, Thibs has done nothing to simplify things for KAT. But of all the players we have on our roster, I think he's the one most likely to put it all together some day. He has the absolute ideal mix of talent, work ethic, competitiveness, and IQ. He's also the least experienced pro of all five starters. Grade: B-
UPDATE: KAT has absolutely picked his game up a notch and is one of the key reasons we have been playing better lately. All of his numbers have been trending up and he is beginning to take the next step in what could be a hall of fame career. Grade: B+
Zach LaVine: Zach is one of our "big three", and as such, he deserves just as much credit (or blame) as the other two for our poor start. Unfortunately, his defense continues to be an issue, although the effort is certainly there. His rebounding and 3 pt % have also fallen off a bit since last season. I definitely like him spending more minutes with the 4 second unit guys. Grade: C
UPDATE: Zach is now posting the worst +/- numbers of our starting 5, which is a little troublesome. It suggests to me that his defense and decision making is still an issue. That being said, it's hard to discount the strides he's made in terms of pure production. He's on his way to becoming one of the game's better shooters. Grade: C+
Ricky Rubio: Ricky is probably one of my favorite Wolves ever, but he has gotten off to a poor start. We can make excuses, such as the elbow bothering him and Thibs' reduced reliance on his natural gifts, but it is what it is. His 3-pt shooting is below his already low historical standards and his defense has suffered as well. I do think he's played better the last few games, but man, he had a poor start. Grade: D+
UPDATE: I think Ricky's improved play has been a key ingredient to our gradual corner turning. That being said, he got off to a terrible start and that still weighs on his overall grade. Grade: C
Gorgui Dieng: Dieng plays opposing Centers on defense and therefore he spends the most time of any of our players in and around the paint. Unfortunately, protecting the paint is not his strong suit. He gets out-muscled too often or chooses poor angles against penetrating guards as opposed to getting square and walling up. His rebounding has steadily declined every year since entering the league, which is troubling. Yet, despite all of this, he's probably STILL our most effective team defender. If KAT wasn't so weak defensively, I wouldn't have as much of a problem with Dieng starting. But you just can't have two starting bigs that have problems protecting the paint. Offensively, Gorgui is a glue guy that knows his role and has enough moxie to punish teams that sag off him too far or allow him to roll to the hoop with a head of steam. However, his mid-range jumper has recently become less reliable. Grade: C+
UPDATE: Gorgui continues to be a solid glue guy. If our big three weren't so weak defensively, he'd be fine in his current role. But until/unless those guys come around, we need our Center to be a dominant paint protector. That is something Gorgui just isn't cut out to do. Grade: C+
Andrew Wiggins: He started off hot, but has since cooled off and his advanced stats like TS%, PER, and WS/48 are back down to where they were last year, which is basically average. He has hardly moved the needle in the "do shit" stats. And anyone that is playing the most minutes on one of the worst defenses in the league simply will never get a top grade. I would have given him a solid B if he had continued the efficient scoring we saw early in the year. The one area that is really promising for him is the 3-point shot, but while that has been a very solid 39%, his 2-point shooting percentage is at a career low right now. Wiggins got off to inefficient starts the last two years too, so hopefully he gets back on track. Grade: C
UPDATE: Wiggins has flat-lined this year in terms of his impact. He had a really hot start, but since then has posted mediocre shooting efficiency, rebounding, assist, and other "do shit" numbers. He is a gifted scorer in the diversity of ways he can make a basket and the ease with which he makes it look at times, yet isn't super good at any one type of shot, thus he struggles to score a lot of points without also putting up a ton of shots. That being said, there are glimmers of improvement in little pockets of his game, but until it translates to better overall results, it's hard to give him a big grade boost. Grade: C+
Karl-Anthony Towns: He is our most productive player when you look at the stat sheet. Every night, you see him do something which seems unreal for someone his size. Unfortunately, he too often gets caught up in his own hype and tries to do too much, especially on offense. This leads to some ill-advised shots and missing wide open team mates. Defensively, his self-importance prevents him from challenging enough shots and getting physical. Unfortunately, Thibs has done nothing to simplify things for KAT. But of all the players we have on our roster, I think he's the one most likely to put it all together some day. He has the absolute ideal mix of talent, work ethic, competitiveness, and IQ. He's also the least experienced pro of all five starters. Grade: B-
UPDATE: KAT has absolutely picked his game up a notch and is one of the key reasons we have been playing better lately. All of his numbers have been trending up and he is beginning to take the next step in what could be a hall of fame career. Grade: B+
Zach LaVine: Zach is one of our "big three", and as such, he deserves just as much credit (or blame) as the other two for our poor start. Unfortunately, his defense continues to be an issue, although the effort is certainly there. His rebounding and 3 pt % have also fallen off a bit since last season. I definitely like him spending more minutes with the 4 second unit guys. Grade: C
UPDATE: Zach is now posting the worst +/- numbers of our starting 5, which is a little troublesome. It suggests to me that his defense and decision making is still an issue. That being said, it's hard to discount the strides he's made in terms of pure production. He's on his way to becoming one of the game's better shooters. Grade: C+
Ricky Rubio: Ricky is probably one of my favorite Wolves ever, but he has gotten off to a poor start. We can make excuses, such as the elbow bothering him and Thibs' reduced reliance on his natural gifts, but it is what it is. His 3-pt shooting is below his already low historical standards and his defense has suffered as well. I do think he's played better the last few games, but man, he had a poor start. Grade: D+
UPDATE: I think Ricky's improved play has been a key ingredient to our gradual corner turning. That being said, he got off to a terrible start and that still weighs on his overall grade. Grade: C
Gorgui Dieng: Dieng plays opposing Centers on defense and therefore he spends the most time of any of our players in and around the paint. Unfortunately, protecting the paint is not his strong suit. He gets out-muscled too often or chooses poor angles against penetrating guards as opposed to getting square and walling up. His rebounding has steadily declined every year since entering the league, which is troubling. Yet, despite all of this, he's probably STILL our most effective team defender. If KAT wasn't so weak defensively, I wouldn't have as much of a problem with Dieng starting. But you just can't have two starting bigs that have problems protecting the paint. Offensively, Gorgui is a glue guy that knows his role and has enough moxie to punish teams that sag off him too far or allow him to roll to the hoop with a head of steam. However, his mid-range jumper has recently become less reliable. Grade: C+
UPDATE: Gorgui continues to be a solid glue guy. If our big three weren't so weak defensively, he'd be fine in his current role. But until/unless those guys come around, we need our Center to be a dominant paint protector. That is something Gorgui just isn't cut out to do. Grade: C+