6th Man & MIP Discussion

Post #81 » by **bwgood77** » Fri Feb 5, 2021 7:20 pm

I will add a poll and likely revise polls throughout the season as it plays out and either more candidates emerge or these guys fall off.

TheDominator273 · Post #82 » by **TheDominator273** » Fri Feb 5, 2021 7:47 pm

Malik Beasley should be in the discussion for MIP at least. He is for sure behind Grant but he's showing that his short stint to close the season last year wasn't a fluke.

Shaka_Zulu · Post #83 » by **Shaka_Zulu** » Fri Feb 5, 2021 8:07 pm

TheDominator273 wrote:Malik Beasley should be in the discussion for MIP at least. He is for sure behind Grant but he's showing that his short stint to close the season last year wasn't a fluke.

He has had a massive uptake in his game this season. Thing is I doubt anyone but Wolves fans watch him this season (except occasional game he is playing against you), nor would media care to report on him (except offcourt stuff like relationship with Larsa Pippen smh lol) or our players in general . So he goes under the radar a bit. He really shouldnt, is performing on near all star levels.

Performances like these has truly become the norm for him:

Watch on YouTube

Zach Lowe on Beasley:

Malik Beasley is legit

One bright spot in another dreary Minnesota season: Beasley is a legit starter, and not an empty-calories scorer on a bad team. He has been Minnesota’s best offensive player, and probably best player period, outside Karl-Anthony Towns.

Beasley is averaging 20 points and shooting 37.5% from deep. That’s down from last season, but fine considering the volume — almost nine jacks per 36 minutes — and degree of difficulty required in a second-option (and sometimes first-option) role he won’t play on a good team. Minnesota scores just 97.5 points per 100 possessions when Beasley rests, by far the lowest figure on the Wolves.

Beasley carried a rep as something of a gunner, but that hasn’t proved true. He’s a willing passer enjoying a mini-leap in playmaking. Most of that has come in the flow — hit-aheads in transition, extra passes, simple reads that keep the machine churning:

Every team needs plus shooters who make snap decisions. And Beasley can run a workable pick-and-roll in a pinch:

Notice how he freezes the key help defender by turning his gaze toward Ricky Rubio before flicking that no-looker to Reid. (Reid is playing solid two-way basketball. I’m not emotionally prepared to discuss Rubio’s performance.)

Beasley averages about 2.3 assists per game, a career high but nothing special. That’s acceptable for a wing playing next to a ball-dominant point guard, and for a team that ranks in the bottom 10 in shooting percentage from every range. (Seriously: the Wolves are 29th on 3s and shots at the rim, and 27th on midrangers. If they finish last in all three, we are naming that The Minny.)

Beasley’s defense is hit or miss, but he’s turning into a success story for a franchise that needed one.

Han Solo · Post #84 » by **Han Solo** » Sat Feb 6, 2021 7:45 pm

clyde21 wrote:this is a pretty stacked year for MIP, Grant, Wood, Randle, Sexton and Brown all have good cases for it, i'd even throw Sabonis in there as well

I agree with this post. There has been a ton of improvement this year with a lot of players.

Tykross · Post #85 » by **Tykross** » Sun Feb 7, 2021 3:15 am

Mike Conley ?

Ballerhogger · Post #86 » by **Ballerhogger** » Sun Feb 7, 2021 6:40 am

Grant should win MIP so far

Wargreymon · Post #87 » by **Wargreymon** » Sun Feb 7, 2021 2:29 pm

Jeremi Grant for MIP. Jordan Clarkson for 6th man

willywazza · Post #88 » by **willywazza** » Tue Feb 9, 2021 5:03 am

It's Jerami Grant for me. I never would've expected him to become an offensive go-to option. I expected him to just be a high energy hustle role player who could play D and make some threes.

He's doing what Trevor Ariza failed to do when he moved from the Lakers to Houston to take on a bigger role.

MarcusBrody · Post #89 » by **MarcusBrody** » Tue Feb 9, 2021 6:44 am

Han Solo wrote:
clyde21 wrote:this is a pretty stacked year for MIP, Grant, Wood, Randle, Sexton and Brown all have good cases for it, i'd even throw Sabonis in there as well

I agree with this post. There has been a ton of improvement this year with a lot of players.

I wouldn't put him in the MIP list, but I have been impressed with Kuzma's improvement. He's been a really solid defender and making tons of little winning, smart basketball plays for the Lakers. That is a rare transition from a player who was thought of as kind of a bonehead and hopeless defender best suited to taking a lot of shots on a bad team.

A lot of people mocked his contract, but it seems like it might have reassured him and allowed him to really buy into a team first role. Still, the improvement in his mental game from earlier in his career has been rare and impressive.

zonedefense · Post #90 » by **zonedefense** » Tue Feb 9, 2021 12:04 pm

Just looking at the traditional best scorer/playmaker of the bench award of the last few years it´s between THJ, Clarkson and Gordon. If the Heat get back into the playoff picture Dragic is an option as well. Not sure about Lamelo. He might have earned a starting spot. Has anyone ever won ROY and 6th man in the same season?
Talking about impact and defense Allen is probably the most deserving. Not impressed with Lakers Harrell.

DreamTeam09 · Post #91 » by **DreamTeam09** » Tue Feb 9, 2021 4:59 pm

zonedefense wrote:Just looking at the traditional best scorer/playmaker of the bench award of the last few years it´s between THJ, Clarkson and Gordon. If the Heat get back into the playoff picture Dragic is an option as well. Not sure about Lamelo. He might have earned a starting spot. Has anyone ever won ROY and 6th man in the same season?
Talking about impact and defense Allen is probably the most deserving. Not impressed with Lakers Harrell.

Wait THJ doesn't start?? Who the Hell does carlisle have starting with Luka then???

zonedefense · Post #92 » by **zonedefense** » Tue Feb 9, 2021 7:58 pm

DreamTeam09 wrote:
zonedefense wrote:Just looking at the traditional best scorer/playmaker of the bench award of the last few years it´s between THJ, Clarkson and Gordon. If the Heat get back into the playoff picture Dragic is an option as well. Not sure about Lamelo. He might have earned a starting spot. Has anyone ever won ROY and 6th man in the same season?
Talking about impact and defense Allen is probably the most deserving. Not impressed with Lakers Harrell.

Wait THJ doesn't start?? Who the Hell does carlisle have starting with Luka then???

Richardson and DFS. THJ was a starter early in the season. Was benched. Returned to the starting five when DFS and Richardson were out due to COVID. Is back in the 6th man role now that everyone is healthy.

DreamTeam09 · Post #93 » by **DreamTeam09** » Tue Feb 9, 2021 8:09 pm

zonedefense wrote:
DreamTeam09 wrote:
zonedefense wrote:Just looking at the traditional best scorer/playmaker of the bench award of the last few years it´s between THJ, Clarkson and Gordon. If the Heat get back into the playoff picture Dragic is an option as well. Not sure about Lamelo. He might have earned a starting spot. Has anyone ever won ROY and 6th man in the same season?
Talking about impact and defense Allen is probably the most deserving. Not impressed with Lakers Harrell.

Wait THJ doesn't start?? Who the Hell does carlisle have starting with Luka then???

Richardson and DFS. THJ was a starter early in the season. Was benched. Returned to the starting five when DFS and Richardson were out due to COVID. Is back in the 6th man role now that everyone is healthy.

DFS is not needed in the SL if Josh rich is there. RC boggles my mind sometimes

Ron Swanson · Post #94 » by **Ron Swanson** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 3:25 pm

Fair to say that Grant is the front-runner for MIP at this point, but I also kinda hope this is the year where we don't just give it to the guy who has the biggest PPG jump and instead appreciate guys who're doing it on both ends. Which is why Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby deserve some love here. But yeah, if Grant can maintain those numbers with the same team impact (+14 points per-100 better when he's on the court), then it's his to lose.

tmorgan · Post #95 » by **tmorgan** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 9:15 pm

I’m all for my guy Jerami winning it. We’re silly bad most of the time when he sits.

Eric Millegan · Post #96 » by **Eric Millegan** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 12:43 am

MTJazzv3 wrote:
Muha_i_samolet wrote:I hope a PF|C wins 6th man this time. We haven't had that in a while. But probably will be Clarkson from Utah... It's a "microwave scorer off the bench" award.

Clarkson is having a lot more than a volume microwave year right now. 17.9 ppg 4.6 rb 1.9 assists with an eFG% of 58.4 in 25 min/game. Those are borderline all star numbers. 6th man is his to lose so far.

Borderline All Star numbers?? Let's see, here are guards in the West that deserve it over him: Conley, Mitchell, PG13, CP3, Booker, Lillard, McCollum, Curry, Fox, Morant, Luka, SGA. That's 12 guards. 6 will make the team. The other 6 are borderline. Clarkson is just a good player.

Eric Millegan · Post #97 » by **Eric Millegan** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 12:45 am

TheDominator273 wrote:Malik Beasley should be in the discussion for MIP at least. He is for sure behind Grant but he's showing that his short stint to close the season last year wasn't a fluke.

How should he be in the discussion if he's far behind Grant?

Dave DaButcher · Post #98 » by **Dave DaButcher** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:16 pm

Read on Twitter

?s=21

For your consideration for Most Improved Player, may I present to you Julius Randle.

TD2FutureStar · Post #99 » by **TD2FutureStar** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:42 pm

CHRIS BOUCHER

Eric Millegan · Post #100 » by **Eric Millegan** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 8:23 am

Who do you currently think is more worthy of the Most Improved Player award?