The Timberwolves will have enough firepower to win plenty of games next year. He’s one of the more respected veterans in the league, and his presence will be instrumental in Towns’s development.
And after Zach LaVine went down midseason, there wasn’t enough athleticism on the floor each night.Ī lack of focus and defensive effort won’t fly with Gibson. Andrew Wiggins was too often a turnstile, and Towns’s rotations were sloppy. 27 in the league in opponent points per game last year, driving Thibodeau’s voice hoarse on a nightly basis. Gibson’s central role in Minnesota will be to revamp the team’s defensive culture. The Timberwolves should have no problem finishing the season top 10 in scoring. Minnesota now has three legitimate scoring options after adding Jimmy Butler via trade, including one of the league’s most talented low-post threats in Karl-Anthony Towns. This iteration of the Thibs-Gibson pairing is the most talented yet. But until that becomes the case, Beverley must evolve into a traditional point guard, a proposition more difficult than many realize.
RUDY GAY TEAMS FREE
If the Clippers fully embrace point-Blake, Beverley would be free to slide into the role he enjoyed in Houston, a three-and-D maestro who brings intensity to every possession. His offensive dynamism may spring more open shots than what L.A. Griffin’s an adept passer for his size, with excellent court vision both on the break and in the half-court. The five-time All-Star excelled in the role when CP3 missed time last year, charging end-to-end for transition buckets galore. Los Angeles doesn’t enjoy enough spacing to survive Beverley as a subpar offensive force.Īn interesting experiment could arise if the Clips opt to shift point guard responsibilities to Blake Griffin.
If Beverley can’t shoulder significant ball-handling duties, DeAndre Jordan will see his lob attempts plummet and Danilo Gallinari’s open threes will be few and far between. Nobody can replace Chris Paul in the Clips’ offense, but Beverley’s improvement in the pick-and-roll will be vital to sustaining L.A.’s offensive success over the past six seasons. Come playoff time in 2017 it was impossible to ignore the Beverley on the offensive end of the floor.īeverley will need to continue his offensive evolution to succeed after being traded to Los Angeles. Playing with Harden certainly increased his number of open looks, but Beverley also morphed into a fairly-complete offensive player, with increased effectiveness in the pick-and-roll. He’s feasted on corner threes, canning 42% from the corner in 2015-16. Carmelo Anthony, Paul George and the Remaking of Oklahoma City