After spending some time out of the Timberwolves‘ rotation, Taurean Prince delivered his best game of the season on Thursday with 13 points and three rebounds in 15 minutes, writes Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune.
Prince, who was acquired from the Cavaliers in an offseason trade, has been putting up the worst numbers of his career since coming to Minnesota. He’s been particularly bad as a three-point shooter, connecting at just 19% before Thursday’s game. After sinking three of his five shots from long distance vs. San Antonio, Prince hopes the worst is over.
“Maybe a couple years ago I would’ve felt some type of way or acted a certain way,” he said of the reduced playing time. “But now I’m to the point where I just want to hoop. I’m with a great organization. We got something going here. … For me to feel any type of way about playing time right now would be — it’d be a little bit selfish on my behalf. Just try to stick together, see it all through and things will come together.”
There’s more from Minnesota:
- Jaden McDaniels has struggled with foul trouble in his second NBA season, but apart from that he has been tremendous on defense, Hine adds in the same story. Coach Chris Finch rates him as an “A or A-minus” defender and says opponents are starting to take notice. “Every game pretty much we have some opponent coming over saying to our bench he can really guard,” Finch said. “(Suns guard) Chris Paul said it the other day: ‘Who is this guy? He can really guard.'”
- Since moving into the starting lineup five games ago, Jarred Vanderbilt has provided an edge to the first unit, notes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Minnesota doesn’t have a traditional power forward, so the undersized Vanderbilt tries to fill the role by outworking opponents. “Very aware, very self-aware. Mature,” Finch said of Vanderbilt. “Understands who he is as a basketball player. That’s 90% of the battle of getting better in this league.”
- Malik Beasley‘s shot has been off this season, but he has been able to hold onto his rotation spot by improving on defense, Krawczynski adds. Beasley credits studying film with helping him to better understand what opposing players are trying to do.
Big trade is absolutely needed
Wolves inefficient
FG%
Edwards 42%
Russell 38%
Beasley 32%
Wiggins weakness
can’t shoot
FG 48% last season
42% shooting may be inefficient for a center, but certainly not for a wing.
Especially when you’re talking about a player just starting his 2nd season.
FG
Bridges Suns 55%
Maxey 50%
Ja Morant 50%
Scottie Barnes 49%
Brunson 49%
Wiggins 48.4%
Those Wolves are not efficient
Not a Wiggins’ bigger problem; career 45% FG.
This season is a relatively small sample size and so a cold spell to start the year was rough but all three of these guys are starting to pull it together. As their numbers have improved the Timberwolves have also been winning more games. A trade would only disrupt the team cohesion that is starting form.
Furthermore, The need for a massive trade implies you can actually get someone wildly more efficient than these three in a trade and that may simply be false. Not even Wiggins is available from the list of more efficient players you listed, so who might you recommend the wolves go and get?
My belief is that it’s going to take more than one season to completely change the losing culture that has been the Timberwolves franchise so any belief that they NEED to immediately blow things up and trade future assets to win now would be completely foolish and premature.
Finch is doing exactly what he needs to with these guys and if they happen to make the playoffs, great but no one really thinks they can make any noise this year when they get there. We just need to keep plugging away and keep learning how to play the game right and maybe next season it would be worth making significant moves toward improving this team. Right now just enjoy the hell out of this hot streak and keep hoping for continued improvement and prolonged success. Let’s Go Wolves!
McDaniels had those early comparisons to KD. I think it hurt him. Cause we all expected too much. He’s a talented player with size for the 3. Fact he’s playing D better now. Is a great sign if you ask me. Haven’t watched him a lot. But what I saw in college. Is an athletic big 3. With lots of upside. Still very young. Thought it was a great pick for Minny. Rooting for him.
The early comparisons to KD didn’t help Bruno Caboclo either.
WOW !!
Just look at the number of comments this generated !!
You would have thought the team was based in either New York or California !!