Wesley Johnson Rookie Update

Wes Johnson has had a typical rookie season so far for the Wolves. He has had a few moments where he has shown glimpses of all star talent, and has also had some performances that make us wonder how he was ever drafted at all. However, over the past 4 games, he has really stepped up his performance, and is showing that he belongs as a main cog on a young Timberwolves team. Over these last four games, he has averaged 16.25 points a game, with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and hitting threes at 43%. All of these numbers may not be something he has held up all season long, but one thing is for certain: this kid has a bright future in Minnesota if he is willing to work hard and stay focused.

Wes has more than just a picture perfect jump shot in his offensive arsenal. He also has the ability to run the floor and throw it down over would-be defenders with his impressive athletic ability. In this aspect many have commented that he has a Corey Brewer-esque ability to get on the highlight reel. Even with these amazing abilities, he hasn’t been able to get as many posterizing dunks as he may like. It is common for rookies to rely too heavily on their jump shots and be overly passive with the ball, and it seems Wes has fallen into this rookie-trap.

With all of his impressive abilities, Wesley has shown his faults thus far in the season as well. Part of the reason he seems to be hesitant in taking the ball to the rim is his shaky ball handling. He may not be the worst ball handler on the team (Brewer), but he has shown a lack of control when he doesn’t have an open lane to the hole. I see this as being something that may not ever be solved, as it seems most players with shaky handles have a very hard time correcting the problem. However, if Wes makes a conscious effort to improve this area and is willing to put in the time to improve his game, he can prove me wrong. If Wes can get this part of his game under control, it is hard to see him as not becoming a very good NBA player. The rest of his deficiencies are all curable with experience. As players become more accustomed to the NBA game, they learn to be more aggressive and attack the paint more often, which will get him to the line more often than the paltry 1.15 free throw attempts per game he is averaging right now. As he gains experience, his defensive awareness will improve as well, which can only mean good things for a player that is already considered one of our better defenders.

The last issue I want to talk about with Wes is the age factor. Yes, him being 23 makes him old for an NBA rookie, and yes that means we should have expected him to be more “NBA ready” upon entering the league. The problem I have with this thinking is that many fans seem to think that this also means he should be improving at a much faster rate than all of the other rookies as the season goes on. However, that is not how it works. Rookies improve with playing time, no matter their age, since the reason they struggle at first is the adjustment to their new teammates and the extremely high increase in talent in their opposition. This is something most players don’t become accustomed to until their third year or later. With Wes we should see some improvement by next year, but don’t expect him to be an all star that quickly. As for this year, what we see is what we get. And what we get is a very capable rookie.