Minnesota Timberwolves: Killian Hayes fits Wolves better than LaMelo Ball

Minnesota Timberwolves: Killian Hayes fits better than LaMelo Ball

Hayes is a better fit for the Wolves

Now that we’ve established that Ball and Hayes will both be credible floor generals from Day One as pros, what’s the biggest difference between the two, and why would the Wolves pick Hayes?

The main differentiator between the two is Hayes’ jump shot and defensive ability, which are both slightly ahead of what Ball brings to the table as a prospect.

No, Hayes hasn’t shot it extremely well from 3-point range overseas; his mark from deep over the past three years is just 27.4 percent. But he came on strong towards the end of the last season. In his 10 games with Ulm in France he hit on 16 of his 41 long-range attempts, or 39 percent. His form is far superior to Ball’s, and he’s clearly beginning to shoot it with more confidence.

Contrast that with Ball, who jacked up 6.7 attempts per game in 12 contests last year but hit on only 25 percent. Add a shaky form (that’s a kind way of putting it) and Hayes has a clear edge here.

While Ball profiles as a point guard through and through, Hayes has the potential to play off the ball at least part of the time. While the athleticism is a bit inferior to Ball, his feel in the mid-range and overall advantage in the shooting category help him pull even offensively.

On defense, Hayes is far from elite but at least has shown the ability to stay solid on his man and rotate within the defensive scheme. Again, the moderate athleticism hurts him, but the effort and general understanding of schemes show that there’s some clear upside defensively.

Ball is the type of player who will absolutely need the ball in his hands to be successful. He’s not going to operate quietly within an offense as a secondary ballhandler and spot-up shooter.

Hayes, not the other hand, can already step in and be a moderately successful shooter and should be comfortable playing a secondary creator role alongside Russell. There’s a world in which he becomes far more two-guard than point guard; a bigger version of CJ McCollum comes to mind.

A backcourt with a 6-foot-4 D’Angelo Russell and a 6-foot-5 Hayes could be a reality, and it would be a better fit than trying to cram a square peg into a round hole with Ball.