Okay, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded five players to the Utah Jazz. Their bench is a bit suspect.
Now what?
Former Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Malik Beasley led all Minnesota bench scorers in the 2021-22 season with 12.1 points per game (PPG). With his departure to Utah, who will take the spark plug mantle? His former teammate, Timberwolves shooting guard Jaylen Nowell will that’s who.
Nowell has often been an afterthought when national media members address the Rudy Gobert trade. But with Beasley gone, he’ll certainly get more run than his 15.7 minutes per game average from last season.
The 23-year-old shot-creator is primed for a breakout season with more opportunities almost certainly headed his way. Nowell is ideally suited for the off-the-bench bucket-getting role. You need 3-level scorers that can check in the game and immediately get buckets like they’ve been out there from the opening tip-off.
NBA coaches and general managers want a sparkplug player to be efficient as possible and Jaylen Nowell fits that bill. He was efficient at every spot on the floor in 2021-22 according to Cleaning The Glass, (Subscription required).
Nowell shot a scorching 57 eFG% (they scrap garbage time minutes). That mark ranked in the 89th percentile amongst combo guards. He’s a guard finisher positionally, a tough shot maker in the midrange, and holds a shot accuracy of 38 percent on catch and shoot three-point attempts. His ability to attack closeouts and generate rim pressure is valuable in this role.
Juiced bench player
Nowell has a little more juice with the ball in his hands than any Timberwolves bench player from a season ago. When teams close out hard because he’s a more than capable shooter, he has no problem putting the ball on the floor and making the right basketball play. We’ve seen flashes of beautiful off-hand skip passes attacking closeouts.
When needed, Nowell is a competent finisher. Boasting a 63 percent shooting at the rim, secondary defenders have to pick their poison on what to give up. He is very comfortable using either hand to finish. You can catch him using the rim as an extra defender as he glides to the rack for a reverse left-hand layup. His hang dribble followed by a right-to-left cross is a deadly combination.
His hang dribble keeps defenders honest; when they try to anticipate his movements, he can hard cross or keep the rock in his right hand and blow by defenders. Euro steps, left-handed scoop layups, spin moves into off-hand lays, Nowell has an entire array of finishes in his arsenal. His bag includes ridiculous midrange shot-making ability. That ability is a great relief option when plays break down.
The midrange is not dead. We see its value in the postseason time and time again. What do you do when teams stop initial play actions and the shot clock is running down? Those possessions aren’t ideal but it’s all in the game. It happens. Every team needs a player that can create something out of nothing. Nowell makes tough bailout jumpers in his sleep.
With his nearly elite acceleration and deceleration, he can stop and start on a dime before pulling up for his patented midrange. Jaylen Nowell shot at a 47 percent clip on all of his midrange shots. That puts him at an elite level in the NBA (84th percentile). Analytics say the midrange is a bad shot when bad mid-range shooters take them. Or when players are taking those longs two’s with a foot near or close to the three-point line. With short midranges (5 ft-13 ft) taking up 29 percent of his shot diet, his in-between game will be vital for the Timberwolves’ success next year.
Timberwolves’ new offensive spark
With Jaylen Nowell likely absorbing former teammate Malik Beasley’s minutes, he very well may jump from 15 to 25 minutes per game. More minutes, more shots, more responsibilities. And that is something that should be very exciting for Timberwolves fans to see this year.
On low volume (6.7 field goals attempted – FGA) Nowell scored 1.25 points per possession (PPP) according to statmuse. On far greater volume, players like Kevin Durant (1.27 PPP) and Steph Curry (1.19 PPP) had similar points per possession marks. If Minnesota has the regular-season record we hope they do, Nowell getting the nod for NBA 6th Man of the Year is not out of the question.
Of the previous five NBA 6th Man of the Year winners, four players have played on teams that made the playoffs and won at least 48 games. They include Miami Heat shooting guard Tyler Herro, Utah Jazz shooting guard Jordan Clarkson, and Atlanta Hawks combination guard Lou Williams. All members of this group have similar traits as Nowell.
They all have a knack for scoring the basketball while they can get to their sweet spots. This is a group of capable midrange shooters that routinely bail out their teams in worrisome situations. I expect the Timberwolves to compete for homecourt in the Western Conference playoffs. Up to 55 wins sound very realistic now that Minnesota should have at least a top-five-ish defense and offense (for the whole season). With that win total and Nowell making statistical improvements due to playing time, don’t count him out as the 2022-23 NBA 6th Man of the Year winner.