The Minnesota Timberwolves could use help all over the back end of their roster. Having a young guard with a unique skill set could bring more to the backcourt, even if it is a smaller way.
Nate Hinton is a sophomore guard from the University of Houston that stands out in many ways. He can score, rebound, and be a secondary/tertiary playmaker that has brings decent efficiency. The Minnesota Timberwolves could use a guard like Hinton that brings distinctive traits.
Offensively, Hinton is mostly a two-guard. He can playmake minimally but it is unlikely any NBA team trusts him to run an offense for an extended period of time. The shooting should be there at the NBA level for Hinton, as well. He had good efficiency for a guard (splits of 41/39/76 as a sophomore) but was not spectacular either. Hinton was streaky at times but all in all, was a very solid shooter. Hinton brings a nice complementary offensive skill set to where he can fit on any team.
Hinton does often struggle to create his own shot. He does not have elite athleticism and cannot consistently get to the rim, nor can he create separation with his step-back jumper.
Defensively, Nate Hinton is an active on and off-ball defender. He generates turnovers, makes plays, and clogs passing lanes. Hinton had over a 3.5 defensive box-plus-minus in both of his seasons at Houston. Despite his defense being somewhat lackluster in comparison to his freshman year, he did take on more of an offensive role this past season.
Fit on the Timberwolves
Nate Hinton would be an interesting fit for the Timberwolves. He is a high-upside, low-floor type player that will likely take a lot of development. He brings shades of Malcolm Brogdon as a complementary player — especially next to D’Angelo Russell.
With Russell not being the best defender (in fact, he’s quite bad), along with Beasley being sub-par as well, Hinton brings much-needed defensive support that would, in essence, raise the overall floor of team defense for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Offensively, being able to stretch the floor and be a secondary playmaker may help surrounding players such as Jarrett Culver and Josh Okogie.
At his ceiling, Hinton provides a lot of versatility in the backcourt, creating for others, spacing the floor, and bringing high-level rebounding and defense. On the downside, if he struggles to score against NBA-level athletes, he may not be able to find a role at the next level.