Rookie Play, Highlights & Discussion

[AbeVigodaLive]

Both Ball and Edwards had major concerns coming in surrounding their shooting. Edwards is showing flashes of greatness in his game, but still is only a 32% 3-point shooter to this point. LaMelo is obviously playing better, but I just don't know where to project him going forward. Do Charlotte fans think he's gonna improve from a 38% 3-point shooter to over 40%? His volume stats will improve by just playing more, but I'm not sure I'm seeing that improvement spot in his game that will take him to another tier. PG is also a much tougher position to climb. And neither Charlotte or Minnesota are great free agent destinations, so it'll be harder to find more running mates.

Again... there's no reason to put any larger cap on Ball's potential than Edwards, other than Edwards really sucked until recently.
If anything, the difference between the two is SO large right now that Edwards has an immense amount of ground to catch up.

Year 1: Wolves chose the wrong guy.

Obviously, that can change. Maybe year 2. Maybe year 3. Maybe year 4. But it might be even more likely that he never catches Ball. And who cares about some mythical PG tier. If Ball > Edwards, the Wolves screwed up.

[Trey24]

Why would anybody assume LaMelo Ball would suddenly stop improving/expanding his game?

He's only 19, just like Edwards. And he's already shown massive improvement... both in-season in Australia and then into his rookie season.

Not sure where this is coming from. Ball has shown improvement on a weekly basis since his first preseason game, and there is no indication of it stopping. I don't know how you go from that to "can he improve his game any more over the next 20 seasons"

Is this for me or Klomp?

Because I was basically asking the same thing you are...

Klomp, I was just adding to your point, sorry

[Trey24]

Both Ball and Edwards had major concerns coming in surrounding their shooting. Edwards is showing flashes of greatness in his game, but still is only a 32% 3-point shooter to this point. LaMelo is obviously playing better, but I just don't know where to project him going forward. Do Charlotte fans think he's gonna improve from a 38% 3-point shooter to over 40%? His volume stats will improve by just playing more, but I'm not sure I'm seeing that improvement spot in his game that will take him to another tier. PG is also a much tougher position to climb. And neither Charlotte or Minnesota are great free agent destinations, so it'll be harder to find more running mates.

If you can't spot the areas in Lamelos game that will improve with time, you need to watch him more. He is raw in MANY areas, and honestly his success this year has been mostly on feel and instinct.

Lamelos areas that will improve: body, physique, vertical, ability and mindset to finish above the rim. 1 on 1 defense (he is not good at staying in front of guys), at the basket defense (uses useless and non-effective verticality most of the time when protecting the rim.

More than anything, the biggest area of improvement that I see for him offensively is to use his size and athleticism more at the rim. He tends to go for finesse layups with little lift versus going to attack above the rim.

There are MANY other areas that he will improve, and I think he needs to shoot more 30-35 footers, defenses are guarding him 30 feet and in, but he has yet to shoot a shot longer than about that 30 foot range (I think it is a discipline thing, doesn't want to miss and be taken out)

[Klomp]

If Ball > Edwards, the Wolves screwed up.

I'll be waiting for your thread stating Houston screwed up in 1984.

[collidingNeurons]

rookie and draft pick threads can be some of the most annoying threads on any sports forums. Drafts are a crap shoot, always have been, every draft there's players that in retrospect should have been drafted higher and others lower. That will always be the case. GMs and scouts are human and make mistakes or players have qualities that were missed when being evaluated, like heart or work ethic or alpha personalities, or they are lazy, have family issues, don't like to play the game that doesn't show up in combines or 20 something college games.

you can pick out most any draft and see a star that was drafted after some non star, this becomes more apparent when the star is a super star or generational level player, but it happens constantly to a lesser degree every year and sometimes the player has one or two great years and then is average from then on.

Jokic was a second round pick so was Draymond Green and Goran Dragic, how many players were picked ahead of Giannis, Steph Curry, Dame Lilliard. Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert etc etc, Fans are notorious for having a revisionist memory and attitude about all of this for an example just go read the "How bout some love for Jordan and the Hornets" thread on the front page and see what people were saying about LaMelo preseason, and no one will admit it now but there was lots that had questions about Luka and his athleticism before he was drafted or Lilliard was too small and came from a small college and wouldn't translate or Curry was too small and unathletic but once all these players blow up and become stars those takes are white washed away and the GM is a moron and any average fan should have been able to see it.

[Quentin]

Just want the voters to know you can change your vote by reselecting and clicking submit.

[Han Solo]

Saddiq Bey is legit. He looks like he’s been in the league 10 years. Best draft pick for Detroit since Grant Hill. He’s going to be a star.

[theGreatRC]

Saddiq Bey is legit. He looks like he’s been in the league 10 years. Best draft pick for Detroit since Grant Hill. He’s going to be a star.

A killer for sure & i'm happy for DET. I don't want to say this early, but it really makes the Hayes pick a lot easier to swallow whether he turns out or not.

[brutalitops]

Both Ball and Edwards had major concerns coming in surrounding their shooting. Edwards is showing flashes of greatness in his game, but still is only a 32% 3-point shooter to this point. LaMelo is obviously playing better, but I just don't know where to project him going forward. Do Charlotte fans think he's gonna improve from a 38% 3-point shooter to over 40%? His volume stats will improve by just playing more, but I'm not sure I'm seeing that improvement spot in his game that will take him to another tier. PG is also a much tougher position to climb. And neither Charlotte or Minnesota are great free agent destinations, so it'll be harder to find more running mates.

Again... there's no reason to put any larger cap on Ball's potential than Edwards, other than Edwards really sucked until recently.
If anything, the difference between the two is SO large right now that Edwards has an immense amount of ground to catch up.

Year 1: Wolves chose the wrong guy.

Obviously, that can change. Maybe year 2. Maybe year 3. Maybe year 4. But it might be even more likely that he never catches Ball. And who cares about some mythical PG tier. If Ball > Edwards, the Wolves screwed up.

Edwards has played a lot better since he's been given more structure, rather then being told to just find buckets in a short time, He aint chucking 9 shots up in 5 minutes on a mis-match bench team. He's playing within KAT/Rubio working down defenses a little bit to make it easier for Edwards.

I think just throwing 18/19 year olds going "take 15 shots" and expecting them to be ultra efficient never works out. Charlotte obviously leashed Lamelo until recently so he could learn. While we just let him go whatever until the last 10-15 games and he's been much better for it.

[bwgood77]

It's amazing that for players who have shot over 100 3s from over 27 ft, LaMelo has the best FG%.

[Klomp]

One of the underrated parts of Edwards' game imo has been all of his finishes with his left hand. Say what you want about the percentages, but I'm not worried about them. I love seeing his ambidexterity.

[Klomp]

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[Domejandro]

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[Duke4life831]

Ya Ill take my plate of crow. Didnt think Edwards was going to be anything special. Thought he had potential but was very meh on him.

The more I watch him, the more it looks like he has "IT". Dude is super fun to watch and a hell of a foundation to build upon.

[Domejandro]

Ya Ill take my plate of crow. Didnt think Edwards was going to be anything special. Thought he had potential but was very meh on him.

The more I watch him, the more it looks like he has "IT". Dude is super fun to watch and a hell of a foundation to build upon.

Him being forced to not shoot midrange jumpers changed things substantially for him. He is a far better player, because of it.

[theGreatRC]

Ant is climbing up the ROY race after the all-star break..he's been having some really great games.

42/7/3 on 48% shooting. Took 31 shots though

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[peZt]

If the Wolves can get Suggs/Cade and trade D-Lo and Beasley for pieces that fit Suggs/Cade, Ant and KAT well, then watch out.
Suggs and Cade are exactly the kind of players, winners that can change the mentality of that organisation

[brutalitops]

If the Wolves can get Suggs/Cade and trade D-Lo and Beasley for pieces that fit Suggs/Cade, Ant and KAT well, then watch out.
Suggs and Cade are exactly the kind of players, winners that can change the mentality of that organisation

Beasley I think will be a good asset, Good value contract

D-lo is unmovable and with the form slump and issues we'll have to take on another horrid contract and give away assets.

Either Suggs or Cade is perfect, The idea of Suggs being a hometown pick would probably edge that out.

[Klomp]

If LaMelo did what Ant did last night, there would've been about 3 pages of discussion here plus a 10-page thread on the board. Ant does it and two non-Wolves fans have something to say.

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