This article has three parts to it. The focus of the story is the progression of young wing player Zach LaVine. Lowe does an excellent job of explaining what basketball savants think about him in comparison to the average fan who has only seen his highlights. LaVine has a lot to learn, but Lowe realizes that he has only just now learned how to play at a high level.
LaVine was only a reserve at UCLA before NBA teams realized his immense athleticism. He absolutely is not a point guard, and he was playing out of position as a young player on a bad team. This is why agree with Lowe. LaVine’s stock is going up, because even if he is bad on defense, he will only get better with Rubio and Towns coming into the mix.
The next segment featured LaVine’s primary competition for the starting wing position…NBA veteran Kevin Martin. Martin’s stock is going in the opposite direction. He like LaVine is a poor defensive player, however his offensive game is undeniably savvy. That said he is constantly dropping in efficiency year by year. It might be best that he is relegated to a sixth man role on the Timberwolves.
The late Flip Saunders had great plans for LaVine and it is definitely his chance to show what sort of talent he is this season. He is definitely a third or fourth option on offense but he will get big opportunities. And he doesn’t have to try to run the offense like last year.
The third and final segment of this article is classic Lowe. He loves to talk trade possibilities and he often is able to predict some of the trades which go down. This must be a thought consideration because if Martin is unhappy in his role, they might need to get something back for him. He certainly sees that the franchise is going more in the direction of LaVine.
I believe that the Timberwolves will be a top team as soon as next season, even in the western conference. Zach Lowe wrote a great article and I think he understands that this is a pivotal point in the team’s development. Decisions like this aren’t obvious. Every other starter on the team is a no-brainer but LaVine vs Martin could be the kind of decision we look back and define a coach by.
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