Amid the Minnesota Timberwolves’ quest for a power forward and pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga, it can almost be forgotten that the team signed Trey Lyles more than a month ago.
The 30-year-old played last season for Real Madrid after spending the previous 10 years in the NBA. Overseas, the 6-foot-9 Lyles did an excellent job knocking down 3-point shots.
That long-range shot has been inconsistent for him though at the NBA level. It would behoove Lyles to be reliable from distance to give himself the best opportunity to be a part of Chris Finch’s rotation.
Trey Lyles hasn’t been the most consistent 3-point shooter in his career
With Real Madrid, Lyles connected on 44.3 percent of his 3-pointers in 36 EuroLeague games and 39.0 percent in 25 Liga ACB outings. Keep in mind that the 3-point line is slightly closer to the hoop in the EuroLeague than it is in the NBA.
In his 10-year NBA career, Lyles has shot 34.7 percent from beyond the arc while making just shy of one per game. That is relatively close to the league average during that timeframe.
Going season by season, it’s noticeable how all over the place Lyles’ 3-point percentage has been. In three of those years, he shot no better than 32.1 percent. The 2018–19 season with the Denver Nuggets was a particularly miserable one for the 2015 first-round pick, as he made only 25.5 percent of his 3-pointers.
During his NBA career, Lyles also has four seasons in which he shot 38.1 percent or better from deep. Those four years are remarkably close in percentage as well, with his career-best mark being 38.7 percent in 2019–20 with the San Antonio Spurs.
That also shows the inconsistency of Lyles’ 3-ball. The year after his career-worst accuracy, he posted his career-best. So what will it look like in his return to the NBA?
Lyles spot in the Timberwolves' rotation is unclear
Looking at the Wolves' roster, Lyles is probably the only player whose natural position is power forward. He hasn't been talked about much in terms of slotting into the starting lineup, though.
While he has always been a rotational guy in the NBA, he has only started five games in his last three NBA seasons with the Sacramento Kings.
Right now, it’s unclear what kind of role Lyles is expected to have in his first year in Minnesota. It becomes even fuzzier if the Timberwolves sign Kuminga. Lyles needs to give Finch no doubt that he should play, and that will require improving his 3-point shooting consistency.
Add us as a preferred source on Google