Minnesota Sports Forum

Different skill set but….

Both had good rookie years and looked like they both were going you be professional scorers in the NBA. Both players efficiency drop in the next couple of years. Both out of the rotation in their year 23 season, Naw with the Jazz and Bones with the clippers both on their second team. Both looking like they might be out of the league. Both get traded/signed to the wolves as 24 year olds as after thoughts. Both got an opportunity and are running with it and we are seeing the best version of both players off the bench for the wolves. Connelly might of found another above average rotation piece on the margins what is so huge for long term success. Good on both players

kekgeek wrote: ↑Wed Jan 14, 2026 12:21 am Different skill set but….

Both had good rookie years and looked like they both were going you be professional scorers in the NBA. Both players efficiency drop in the next couple of years. Both out of the rotation in their year 23 season, Naw with the Jazz and Bones with the clippers both on their second team. Both looking like they might be out of the league. Both get traded/signed to the wolves as 24 year olds as after thoughts. Both got an opportunity and are running with it and we are seeing the best version of both players off the bench for the wolves. Connelly might of found another above average rotation piece on the margins what is so huge for long term success. Good on both players

Nice take, kek!

Yeah, really interesting. One of Finch's great strengths is integrating vet players, whatever place they may be in their career - young vets, overlooked vets, older vets, etc. - and over time maximizing their role on the team.

As for guys drafted into his program.......not a good track record there other than Jaylen Clark and some positive early returns with Joan. But perhaps that's more on Connelly (Wendell Moore Jr., Spagnola, Minott, Miller, Dillingham, Shannon....that's a lot of duds so far).

Bones also appears to be very coachable. He has an engaging personality...perhaps second only to Ant on the team...and I've always liked him. But I regarded him as a gunner who was not a real point guard...not what we were looking for. But it seems to me that he has focused on being pass first since he entered the rotation, and he has averaged 6.2 assists and only 2 turnovers per 36. But as we learned post game, Finchy told Bones we were going to need some scoring with Ant out, and he needed to be more aggressive. And Bones listened. I still didn't feel like he forced his shots and he finished with 5 assists (and no turnovers), but his 16 shots were second only to Ju's 18, and by far the most shot attempts he has taken in a game all season. Listening to the coach and following the game plan...what a unique idea!

It's looking like it. He was pretty arrogant early in his career, and too cocky thinking he should have been playing a lot more in Denver. He seems to have let that all go, and is playing team basketball. Hopefully it can continue, and we can get him locked into a nice little contract for several years to help not just at the point guard spot but also with the cap.

I love what Bones has brought so far, and in terms of looking promising as a guy on his third team, sure, I see the comparison.

We definitely need another ballhandler and shotmaker, so he definitely fits a need too, in the same way that NAW came in and gave us quality minutes at the guard spot that we needed at the time.

I do think NAW's defense was really so great though, and we shouldn't forget that. Having a guy like him alongside Jaden is so crucial, especially in the playoffs, when we will need to be able to shut down star guards with the ball in their hands. As good as Ant can be for stretches, you don't want to rely on him to do that, and really, I think NAW was honestly probably our best on-ball defender last year, while also being somewhat versatile on the other end. There's a reason he got the contract he did. We had to let one of Randle, Naz, or NAW go over the summer for tax reasons, and while I sometimes wonder whether it would be better to have NAW than Naz, that was a totally logical decision when it looked like TSJ and Clark would give us better depth in the backcourt than what we could count on from Miller and Minott in the front court.

Theoretically, Clark could provide the defense NAW gave us, but he hasn't gotten there yet (it feels like he gambles more so he picks up lots of steals, but also gives up more penetration), and his offense just isn't nearly as good. Bones looks like an offensive sparkplug, but I need to see more from him on defense before I'd say he's as valuable as NAW was, though I see the comparison.

In a sense, you could also say Bones is the new TSJ? Though he's doing it in a different way, he's bringing offense that it looked like TSJ would bring this year. We'll see if TSJ can get back on track, but for now, it's definitely nice to see Bones step in and help us fill a glaring hole as a ballhandler and shotmaker.

Actually, Bones is what we hoped Dilly would be…

60WinTim wrote: ↑Wed Jan 14, 2026 5:00 pm Actually, Bones is what we hoped Dilly would be…

Yeah, that's pretty much it. But Bones was better than Dilly when he was Dilly's age.