The Wolves young core is probably the best in young core in basketball. Good drafting and luck have led them to a great combination of guys who actually compliment each other well.
If you were to rank the Wolves core, number one would pretty obviously go to Towns. He looks like a Horford/Duncan combo.
As I have been watching their games and looking at the stats, I'm starting to wonder if the second best prospect is Lavine, not Wiggins.
Don't get me wrong, Wiggins looks like an All-star, but there is something special about Lavine.
First, let me state that Wiggins just isn't as good as we would think. His scoring has been impressive, but virtually no other part to his game has been good. Most thought he would be an elite defender immediately, but he hasn't even been an average defender yet. He is not rebounding. His court vision is below average. His passing is meh.
And, even after his monstrous start to the season, his shooting is falling back to earth hard. He is shooting 27% from the field and 10% from 3 over the last 5 games. In a lot of ways, his game reminds me of DeRozan, which is still really good, but most people would recognize that, while DeRozan is a star, he is not the same kind of a star as the elite stars in the NBA.
Anyway, he's young. In a few years, he could still develop these parts to this game, but the part that concerns me the most is that he looks less like an elite basketball player and more like an above average basketball player with elite athleticism. His feel for the game is not there in the same way as a player like Towns, or ...
And that brings me to Lavine, who I'm starting to wonder about as the second best prospect on that team. In fact, if the hype machine had been switched between the two players, I wonder if we wouldn't already thing that way.
Lavine has been just as impressive as a scorer, if not moreso, than Wiggins this year: 20 ppg on 46%, 38%, and 89% (flirting with the 50, 40, 90 club). In fact, while he does not get to the line nearly as much as Wiggins (that is Wiggins' primary form of scoring), he is actually finishing at the rim at a higher rate (54% to 38%), even with his slight frame.
Lavine's entire game is actually based around his outside shooting. His form is quick, unorthodox, and consistent (it remind me a lot of T-mac's form). And, unlike Wiggins, he is a natural at all kinds of stepbacks and fadeways.
On top of that, his dribbling seems so natural. He has that feel for getting his defenders slightly off balance before breaking into his moves.
Wiggins is rebounding slightly better than Lavine (4 to 3), but considering Lavine plays guard and Wiggins forward, that seems like a wash.
He ran the point guard in his first few seasons, which allowed him to develop his passing skills. He is still not a point guard, but he shows the ability to find open teammates better, without turning the ball over, than Wiggins.
The real plus-minus stats also indicate Lavine has a slightly more positive impact than Wiggins. ORPM 2.41 to 2.03, DRPM -2.29 to -1.96.
Would Lavine's numbers jump up more if he had a usage rate like Wiggins (21 to 28)? Maybe. Sometimes that doesn't transfer over, but I lean towards yes.
Thoughts? I know your reflex might be to stick with Wiggins, but really consider the stats and watch them play. If you come to the conclusion that Wiggins is better, fine. But I'd like to discuss it some.
