A few months ago as Nate Wolters was being let go by the Milwaukee Bucks, our own Ben Beecken wrote this article that outlined many reasons that the Wolves should add Wolters to the squad.
I agreed with him then, and I still agree with him now.
Since Wolters was let go by the Bucks, he was able to play ten games for the New Orleans Pelicans before they decided to cut ties with him as well. For his NBA career, Wolters is averaging 5.6 points per game, 2.6 assists per game, 2.3 rebounds per game and 0.5 steals per game in 19 minutes per game. Wolters’ NBA field goal percentage stands at a fairly efficient 42.6%.
The Grand Rapids Drive in the NBA Development League were able to acquire Wolters on March 6th. Wolters has quickly been able to showcase his talent at the D-League level, as he has averaged 14.2 points per game and seven assists per game in ten games for the Drive. Additionally, Wolters is only playing just under 30 minutes per game for the Drive.
In a recent game against the Maine Red Claws, Wolters put up a triple-double that included 24 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Here’s the NBA D-League highlight video from their YouTube channel.
In his last eight games with the Drive, Wolters has put up double-figures in each of them while also dishing at least six assists in six of those games. His production is increasing with each game as he continues to get used to the team his minutes trend up.
Let’s break down some of the strengths and weaknesses of Nate Wolters’ game.
Sir Charles In Charge
Strengths:
The most obvious strength is how smooth Wolters is with the basketball. He’s a gifted ballhandler and has excellent court vision, which are arguably two of the most important skills necessary for a point guard.
Wolters can score the basketball as well, as he is pretty nifty at creating scoring opportunities for himself. He uses a quick first step to get around defenders and can finish around the rim or pull up and launch one of his running floaters that he makes look so easy.
Additionally, Wolters has excellent size for a point guard, listed at 6-foot-5 and 198 pounds. This usually gives him an advantage against opposing point guards that he’s matched up with.
Defensively, crafty is the word to describe Wolters. He has sneaky length that allows him to contest shots well and also defend passing lanes and swat passes or knock the ball away. Wolters also has great awareness on the defensive end and is a solid help defender.
Weaknesses:
Wolters does not possess elite speed or athleticism overall despite his good quickness and footwork. A more athletic player would likely be able to take advantage of this mismatch against Wolters.
While Wolters shot a solid 37.9% from three in his senior year at South Dakota State University in 2012-13, he has not been able to translate it to the professional level. In his ten games in the D-League, he’s just shooting 23% from three. For his NBA career, his three-point percentage is just 26.1%. However, he definitely has the ability to improve on this as he progresses.
Again, relating back to his athleticism, his on-ball defense has room for improvement and this is largely due to that gap in athleticism.
Lastly, Wolters has struggled at the free throw line in his professional career. In his NBA career, Wolters has made just 63.5% of his free throws. His D-League percentage isn’t better, as in those ten games he has shot 62.5% from the charity stripe.
What makes Wolters a fit for the Wolves?
When I look at the Wolves roster, I don’t see much at point guard besides Ricky Rubio. Zach LaVine has gotten a bunch of starting point guard reps this season, but has been largely underwhelming in that role. Lorenzo Brown has shown flashes of becoming a serviceable backup, but he needs to be more consistent with each game. In my mind, Wolters would definitely be an upgrade from Brown.
Wolters would be a great fit as the backup point guard to Rubio in Minnesota. Wolters is a similar mold of point guard to Rubio in that he sees the floor very well and can run an offense while being pesky defensively. Additionally, both players lack the elite athleticism that we see from some of the big-name point guards in the NBA. I’m not at all saying that Wolters would be able to come in and produce like Rubio because that simply isn’t realistic. However, the similarities in the way Wolters and Rubio play could benefit the team because it would allow the players to get comfortable with the point guard position easier.
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I don’t expect Flip Saunders to make a move on Wolters before the end of the regular season, but I feel that Wolters should at least be looked at heading into next season. Wolters, a St. Cloud, MN native, could have a homecoming celebration like his would-be teammate Kevin Garnett did.
Well, not quite.
There’s no doubt that Wolters has the skills necessary to become a rock solid point guard at the NBA level. He has the potential to help every NBA team win games, and it would be a shame to see the Timberwolves miss this opportunity.