Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 goals for Cole Aldrich
5. Scoring
This one isn’t as big of an issue now that Minnesota has a lot more scorers on the bench. Without a question, their bench is a lot better than last year. The additions of Gibson and Jamal Crawford was huge. It allows Minnesota to have a nice three-headed monster in Crawford, Shabazz Muhammad, and Gorgui Dieng.
In comparison from last year, scoring is not a big issue as it may have been last year. But, it’s still a nice thing to have in your back pocket when called upon. Here is a glance at his scoring stats from last season.
| Season | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | eFG% | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 8.6 | 0.7 | 1.4 | .523 | .523 | 1.7 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
One could assume that he would be able to score over two points if you’re playing a little over eight minutes per game. He only attempted 1.4 shots per game, and with a lot more talent on the bench, this stat may stay the same, if not decrease.
A big reason as to why he isn’t able to score the ball as well as some other players is his ability to shoot the ball. For one, he has no shooting range what’s so ever. He has yet to even attempt a three-point shot in his seven years.
According to NBASavant.com, Aldrich’s longest attempt was 18 feet, who did indeed miss. Ironically that did occur against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Looking at his shot chart throughout his career, one can easily estimate that over 95 percent of his shots are inside the paint.
It might be a little late for Aldrich to join the scoring party, but it would be a nice addition to have for the team.