Improving the Timberwolves
Re: Improving the Timberwolves
Towns a very poor defensive center but TWolves really sucking on defense in his absence. New guys stretching wings on offense but giving up more.
Re: Improving the Timberwolves
Beasley, Johnson and Hernangomez with the 3 worst raw plus minuses on team over last 10 games. Enjoying minutes and good shooting but losing overall badly.
Re: Improving the Timberwolves
Beasley's raw on and on / off sharply down. TWolves player pairs go from some weak to many horrible. Modest positive in 50 minutes with Towns. Need more data on that before free agency. Traded for him so likely have committed feelings but...
Re: Improving the Timberwolves
Team shooting efficiency is up some in last 10 games but shot defense and defensive rebounding are down. The net effect is that they are losing by more than twice as much as before.
Re: Improving the Timberwolves
As unimpressive as the Towns era has been in terms of team results with him at center, I would think him at PF should be tried to a meaningful level. At least 300 - 500 minutes early next season. With Naz Reid at center and / or someone new. (Should have tried more with Dieng.) Try and evaluate (along with other lineup changes).
Re: Improving the Timberwolves
Seems likely Timberwolves move from 2nd worst record in west this season to worst next season. But lots of decisions to be made. Bad contracts could make the bottom last longer.
If Teague were retained (no idea if it is being considered or will happen), one lineup I'd try would be Teague Russell Culver Layman Towns. Layman is by far Town's best pair partner. Culver and Teague were neutral with Towns, an accomplishment for this team. Russell included as concession to commitment. I'd see what happens in a couple hundred early minutes. But will this lineup get 50 minutes? More than zero? We'll see. Probably not.
Coach will do tons of other stuff. With Beasley, Okogie, Hernangomez, the draft picks, Johnson, other recent acquisitions, additional free agents if acquired, etc. Such a lineup would probably be viewed as insult to Russell. Go ahead, take it that way. I'd have more hope on this lineup than Russell without another PG.
It is a guess but I think it has more potential than a lot of others. Still, try many of the one change from this base lineups too. Increase time for the better ones, eliminate some of the worst as time goes by.
If Teague is gone, find someone to fill the slot with the other 4. One option would be Reid, as mentioned generically in previous post. Another would be to insert Beasley. I don't think a big contract is wise and don't expect him to have a net positive impact. But if they pay him, have to at least look at him with starters. Then re-assess.
If Teague were retained (no idea if it is being considered or will happen), one lineup I'd try would be Teague Russell Culver Layman Towns. Layman is by far Town's best pair partner. Culver and Teague were neutral with Towns, an accomplishment for this team. Russell included as concession to commitment. I'd see what happens in a couple hundred early minutes. But will this lineup get 50 minutes? More than zero? We'll see. Probably not.
Coach will do tons of other stuff. With Beasley, Okogie, Hernangomez, the draft picks, Johnson, other recent acquisitions, additional free agents if acquired, etc. Such a lineup would probably be viewed as insult to Russell. Go ahead, take it that way. I'd have more hope on this lineup than Russell without another PG.
It is a guess but I think it has more potential than a lot of others. Still, try many of the one change from this base lineups too. Increase time for the better ones, eliminate some of the worst as time goes by.
If Teague is gone, find someone to fill the slot with the other 4. One option would be Reid, as mentioned generically in previous post. Another would be to insert Beasley. I don't think a big contract is wise and don't expect him to have a net positive impact. But if they pay him, have to at least look at him with starters. Then re-assess.