Timberwolves 2016 Year in Review: Front Court Reserves
Cole Aldrich
Playing time: 12.1 minutes per game (29 games played; zero starts)
Scoring: 11th (2.6)
Rebounds: 5th (3.6)
Assist: 10th (0.5)
Steals: tied for 7th (0.6)
Effective FG%: 2nd (54.4%)
At 6’-11”, Cole Aldrich is by far the team’s biggest bruiser and most traditional back-to-the basket center on the team.
He takes up space in the paint on the defensive end and gives the offense a decent pick and roll/dump off option near the rim. Although Gorgui Dieng plays quasi-center from time to time, Aldrich is really the only true center on the team outside of Karl-Anthony Towns. What he lacks in physical abilities he makes up for with his intangibles and hustle.
What he does well
Offensively, Aldrich plays well in the pick-and-roll. He does a good job setting screens, rolling to the basket and shows a nice touch around the rim, where he is currently finishing at a 70 percent clip when given the opportunity.
Aldrich uses his big body on the defensive glass and does a good job locating the ball when it’s in the air allowing him to come up with occasional offensive rebounds. He has active hands and does a good job of disrupting passing lanes.
What he doesn’t do well
Aldrich, of course, is not a threat to stretch the floor, which reduces the team’s space on the offensive end. All of his work has been done near the rim and the further he is away from the basket, the more his shooting percentage drops. He currently hitting on 40 percent (10-25) of his shots from 3 to 10 feet away and is 0-1 from beyond 10 feet.
Aldrich is athletically limited to say the least and it hinders him vertically on contested rebounds and laterally on the defensive end. Once teams get him moving, either through pick-and-rolls or ball movement, he becomes less of an impact player on that end of the court.
Impact on team
Surprisingly, Aldrich has the highest offensive rating on the team at 128 and ranks second on the team with a defensive rating of 106.
When he is on the court, Minnesota’s offensive rating goes up slightly from 109.6 to110.6, while opponents are scoring about 3 more points per 100 possessions, going from 110.4 when he’s off the court to 113.2 when he’s on. Aldrich ranks second on the team with a plus/minus of 1.7 per 100 possessions and 6th with a win share of 1.1.