3 things to know about Timberwolves SL G Melvin Frazier

The Minnesota Timberwolves finished the NBA Summer League competition about as expected, with a 2-3 record. It’s summer league, and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ hokey-pokey roster selection process that did not finalize the players until the day before competition began certainly did not help the team’s chances of success.

But this is not about building a winning Summer League roster as much as it is about auditioning NBA hopefuls who continue to carry a torch for the chance to sign a contract and play for an NBA team.

After he was selected in the 2018 NBA Draft with the 35th overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Melvin Frazier signed a two-way contract with the team. He had subsequently been developing in the G-League over the past three seasons.

So how did he play in five games for the Timberwolves?

• Game     Mins Pts 3Pts Rebs Asts Stls +/-
  Game 1   13      2    0-1    0        1       0     +6
  Game 2   12      5    0-2    3        0       0     -7
  Game 3   DNP
  Game 4   13      2   0-0     2        1       0      -1
  Game 5   DNP
  Totals      38      9   0-3     5         2      0

While his play was minimal, he has time to regroup, work hard, and compete for a spot later this season or to land a spot on a G-League team. So what three things should you know about Melvin Frazier?

III – He has played three seasons in the NBA G-League

Melvin Frazier played for three G-League teams: the Lakeland Magic, the Oklahoma City Blue, and the Iowa Wolves. Throughout his play, he has flashes of NBA potential. But the inconsistency of play has been a bit frustrating at times. It seems as though he is ready to step up to the next level of competition. But once given the opportunity, his subsequent play suggests that he was not ready for tougher competition.

II –  He played 32 games in the NBA

He played 10 games for the Orlando Magic in 2018-19, 19 games for the Magic in 2019-20, and three games for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2021-22. His play for the Magic was frequent by very short duration, averaging six minutes of playing time per game. While only playing in three games for the Thunder, he averaged nearly 40 minutes per game.

Unfortunately, his production dropped considerably. He shot a low 27.1 percent from the floor and an abysmal 4.8 percent from the perimeter.

I –  Highly regarded in his draft profile that has yet to pay NBA dividends

The NBA Draft is a highly speculative undertaking. Standing 6-foot-6 and boasting a 7-foot-2 wingspan, the young man was touted as a potential 3-and-D prospect who had the potential to carve out a solid and lucrative NBA career. Unfortunately, that plan never made it from the chalkboard to the script.

Frazier still possesses all of the raw tools that make an NBA player successful. For whatever reason, the pieces have simply not come together for Melvin Frazier consistently enough to warrant a long-term commitment from an NBA team yet.