OKC Thunder TIP3: Dunking With Wolves expert weighs in
TI Q3: The point guard dynamic
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While the Wolves lost games with Jeff Teague nursing a sore Achilles his absence has allowed Tyus Jones an opportunity to step up. Aaron Brooks is a bit of an albatross on defense with an on court rating of negative 135.4 (yikes).
Perhaps moving forward Coach Thibodeau will rely more heavily on Jamal Crawford at the point since he’s capable of producing offense for himself and others.
Yet, the intriguing aspect of the point guard time allocation is Jones versus Teague. Tyus Jones was often the point guard on the floor to close out games last season.
From the games I’ve watched Jones basketball I.Q. and court sense is solid. Diving into the on/off court stats Jones also boasts a better overall net rating on court than Teague:
On Court
:
The definitive point to take away from the on court rating is Jones wins every category
Off Court:
The numbers are a little more mixed when the players sit. Although close in all regards the Wolves score less when Tyus sits and are slightly worse defensively, but that translates into a greater combined overall difference.
My question is once Teague returns should Thibs consider playing one more than the other with Jones perhaps seeing increased playing time. Or alternatively, should Thibs play the two together more at game end?
Sampson responds:
Tyus Jones has certainly exceeded expectations in the games Teague has been out. He’s a good role player who plays within his skill set and nothing more. And that’s been a perfect fit with this starting lineup, as they don’t lack players who demand the ball. He does all the little things right that’s necessary to win ballgames:
Related: Timberwolves film breakdown: The Tyus Jones game
However, make no mistake about it, Teague is far and away more a talented player. He can do just about everything better than Jones when he’s locked in and trying.
If nothing else, Jones has proven to his teammates and coaching staff he deserves to be on the floor 20 plus minutes a night. Most of those are going to have to come when he directly spells Teague, as I’m not sure how well they fit together.
Both of them are undersized, slight point guards and don’t possess the athletic or physical traits to match up with bigger players. There will certainly be teams they play where they can get away with it, but I wouldn’t expect Minnesota to feature it too heavily.
Finally, who wins the match tonight and by what margin?
It’s only a matter of time until the Thunder figure it out and start piling up wins. They are far too talented not to. However, tonight’s not that night.
For as much as Minnesota hasn’t shown up for lesser opponents, they bring their A-game against top teams. The Timberwolves know how important this early season matchup is, especially against the team who figures to be their biggest challenge to the division title.
Minnesota knocks down some free throws late and wins by 6.
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