An NFL Fan’s Guide to the 2015-16 Timberwolves

Mar 19, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves small forward

(22) reacts with point guard

(8) during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Timberwolves defeated the Knicks 95-92 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY SportsBasketball players are constantly compared to one another. It starts as early as high school, as players are anointed as “the next ,” or, more recently, as “the next .” The comparisons are more frequent for college players, as teams try to explain their game and figure out what type of player they will be in the NBA.

Basketball players are constantly compared to one another. It starts as early as high school, as players are anointed as “the next Michael Jordan,” or, more recently, as “the next LeBron James.” The comparisons are more frequent for college players, as teams try to explain their game and figure out what type of player they will be in the NBA.

Rookies are compared to each other from the second they come into the league as people debate who should win Rookie of the Year. MVP candidates are compared to each other, role players are compared to each other, and many comparisons involve retired players (e.g. Steph Curry is the evolution of Steve Nash, etc.).

Comparisons are helpful in all sports. They help put into perspective how somebody plays and what to expect from them in the future. Comparisons are also really fun, because they ignite discussions as fans try to find the perfect match to a player. But you know what is even more fun than these comparisons?

Cross-sport comparisons.

Most of these comparisons are a bit clunky and don’t exactly fit, like when Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles said earlier this year that he was “the LeBron of the NFL.” He wasn’t really comparing their style of  play, just their respective dominance, and that still didn’t really work. It’s difficult to find good cross-sport comparisons, but when you find one that works, it’s way more exciting than finding an in-sport comparison, since that basically happens 24/7.

With football season now upon us and basketball season quickly approaching, I thought it would be apt to take a few Wolves players and see which football players they resemble.

A quick example so that you understand my train of thought here: Lorenzo Brown is the NBA equivalent of Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith. Neither is particularly flashy, you wouldn’t feel comfortable if either had to carry the team, but they are floor/field generals that will limit mistakes and give the team a chance to win.

That was a fairly simple comparison based on how each player approaches the game, but some of these will be a bit more complex. I didn’t feature every Wolves player here because I couldn’t find a good comparison for some.

If you think of a comparison for a player I missed or even have a better one for a player I did write about, we’d love to hear it in the comments.

Next: A Couple of Savvy, Veteran Quarterbacks