shrink wrote:You guys have gotten me to re-examine how I look at roster building. For a couple decades, I’ve always thought that every team wants a third PG for emergencies, like a Jordan MacLaughlin, or a third center if they need to bang against another team with that size, like carrying a Greg Monroe. In the beginning of the season, I was even expressing that need at PG.
However, times are changing. Teams don’t need PG’s to do the play-making, because we are seeing it from stars at all positions. Suddenly, the passing of tiny PG’s doesn’t make up for their inability to defend switches on bigger players. I have always conceived of the traditional PG like Conley, but now you see the ball in the hands of a Luka or even Jokic, and that need for a third string PG may not be so great any more. After Conley, maybe we can get enough playmaking from Ant, DDV, Randle, NAW and a developing Dillingham to make it not worth a roster spot?
The same may be becoming true for traditional centers. In the modern NBA, the more a rim-protecting center can also be mobile and shoot three’s, the greater additional value he has. That said, last year we have been able to use our size to batter opponents because their roster construction didn’t have enough bigs for 48 minutes, when they had to go against multiple good 6-9 and bigger players (Gobert, Towns, SloMo, Jaden, Naz). I like having size as an advantage, and replacing Towns and Kyle Anderson with just Randle feels like, while they might not win, the 2023 Wolves could beat up the 2024 team with size.
Maybe I’m still old-fashion, but I’d like us to have one other really big guy available. I would hope with 18 roster spots, we could find the space.
The thing I think some forget is that Jaden can easily slide to the 4 giving us Rudy, Naz, and then Luka as possible centers, which is a pretty good 3 deep it just lacks somewhat defensively after Rudy. Jaden is the one guy who I think actually has a bad height and weight listing. We all know in general NBA players (and teams) give themselves an inch or two on team listings but I think Jaden is a legit 6'9" which in NBA terms makes him equivalent to closer to 6'11". If you stand him next to other guys listed at 6'9" he's obviously taller and was only an inch or two shorter than Karl who's listed a 7. As for his weight he's gotta be around 225-230. Side by sides of him as a rookie compared to today are striking. Last season he honestly started to look like a tank. Or at least a very fit Pterodactyl.
My guess is within a year or two he's a full time power forward who can defend the perimeter. Honestly I think it's easily his best position offensively since he can use his speed to get by slower 4's.
We could still use another rim protector, but IMHO we have plenty of size to throw at people.
