Klomp wrote:Something to remember for McLaughlin.....he's not your normal undrafted rookie two-way player who only played 30 games. He played on the Nets summer league team before a training camp invite and spending last year with the LI Nets. Then spent this summer league with Minnesota before a training camp invite and getting time in Iowa before his call-up. The systems are pretty similar.
"Yes, it was very similar (in Brooklyn). Pretty much the same. Minnesota and Iowa run the exact same thing and have the same terms for everything, so it makes the transition of being a two way player (easier)."https://dunkingwithwolves.com/2020/03/27/minnesota-timberwolves-interview-jordan-mclaughlin-career-path/3/
Why should we "remember" this? is this a form of detracting from what he did as a first year player say as less special than someone who doesn't have a summer league or gleague run with the system prior to a rookie season? If it is, boy, that's reaching.
If that was your point, not saying it was, but if it was I would only point out all the second year players that win or get votes for ROY awards anyway, because it was their first year playing in the NBA. I would have loved it if JMac had gotten even 30 starts this season to see what he would have done with that. I think all you have to do is look at what he was already doing in college to realize he's just got that many skills and BBIQ and because of this it probably doesn't matter what scheme the team plays. But nobody is going to argue that it hurt him to already know the offense type, obviously we should assume that's one less thing he had to learn for this season. But Okogie knew the offense before this season, I didn't see his shooting get better. I didn't see Towns become a defensive star in this season. I didn't see Okogie's handles look in rare form. He did look like less of a chicken running around with his head cutoff this season. Some of the time anyway. That's the kind of thing you hope to see while being in the system for a second year. More knowing what to do and where to be. Being able to do anything you want with the ball in your hand tho, that's not really a system awareness thing. Maybe someone could say how well he was passing was due to knowing where everyone else should be and that's system based. Wouldn't you agree?
But I'm still thinking even that is more of his quick thinking on display and more of his general court awareness than anything else. To be able to do that with players you don't have even 700-1000 minutes playeing with was something else. Usually teams and players, even those in the same system every year, need much of the season together to start playing that well together. He was displaying an ability to bring a whole bunch of new players to him together as a whole unit when he was starting. I swear it's unique to see so young.
