Dunking With Wolves
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What do the Wolves need to add this summer?

By Tim Parochka

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It’s flippin’ awesome! The Wolves have the #1 overall pick for the first time ever, and we get to talk/write/tweet our opinions until draft day.

Our team desperately needs a big guy down low that can take us from what might be a potential eighth seed to an actual contender in the West. Wiggins-LaVine-Towns/Okafor could have the capability to be an elite squad for many years.

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Our foundation looks strong, but if we don’t start looking at the evolution of the NBA, we will still have trouble reaching the playoffs.

Take a look at what the NBA is. It’s a game of space and pace, threes, and defense. Instead of learning how to be productive low-post players, power forwards and centers are shooting from the outside more and more often.

Why are they learning how to shoot from the outside? Ultimately, it creates more opportunities for the athletic guards and wing players. The NBA is a guard-driven league. Guards control the ball the most, so big men are largely trying to create the best opportunities for them to succeed.

The Houston Rockets led the league in three-point attempts. The Cleveland Cavaliers were second, the Golden State Warriors were fourth, and the Atlanta Hawks were seventh. Yep, they were the four teams in the Conference Finals. In a related story, the Minnesota Timberwolves ranked dead last in three-point attempts.

I have no problem with teams not attempting threes if they don’t have three-point shooters on the roster. I do, however, have a problem with general managers not going after players who can shoot three-pointers effectively.

As a society, we like trends and shortcuts. If the iPhone is buzzing, people rush for the iPhone. If there’s something new that will make things easier and more efficient, we will buy it, but there’s always a stubborn ass that won’t.

What is buzzing in the NBA right now? Analytics. Some analytical stats are far more valuable than others. Sometimes analytics are blown out of proportion; the per 48 minutes statistic might be the dumbest statistic in sports history because it’s impossible for players to play 48 minutes per game. Some analytics are very valuable; where a player shoots most efficiently, what’s the most valuable shot, and when is the best time to shoot are all valuable.

The top-three point shooting teams in the NBA are following the new trend, but teams like the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves are being the stubborn ass that still thinks you have to work through the post.

The NBA in the 1990s revolved around working the ball into the post, but now, it’s the exact opposite. The NBA game is now dependent on the point guard being a play-maker both for himself and for his teammates. The two teams in the Finals do not have a legit post player that looks to score by himself on a regular basis. They have post players that largely rely on other players to help get them easy shots.

I would love to have Okafor and/or Towns on our team, because it’s still a good thing to have a post player that can score. It’s just more important and more valuable to your team if you are more dependent on perimeter players.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have one legitimate three-point shooter on the team in Kevin Martin. Whether in the draft or through free agency, the Timberwolves need to add more three-point shooting.

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