Timberpups Tracker: Muhammad getting more playing time

By Dave Heller
Published

The Minnesota Timberwolves have one of the most exciting collections of young players on an NBA roster with nearly half of their players 25 or younger. Every Thursday, FOX Sports North tracks the progress of those young Timberwolves.

This is the 5th edition of the 2016-17 Timberpups Tracker.

(A glossary of the advanced statistics used for season totals, which are from basketball-reference.com. can be found at the end of this article)

KRIS DUNN (age 21, first season)

Statistical season averages: 17.6 minutes, 4.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.3 blocks, 39.2 FG%, 40.0 3PT%

Statistical averages, last week: 17.1 minutes, 9.7 points, 1.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks, 73.3 FG%, 1000.0 3PT%

Advanced stats, season: 10.2 PER, 47.5 TS%, 14.2 USG%, 95 ORtg, 107 DRtg, 0.1 VORP

Notable: Dunn got a relative bump in playing time in Minnesota's three games last week. He had been at 10 minutes or under in three straight game and then was on the court for at least 16 minutes in each contest since. Dunn made 11 of 15 shots in the three games and has a 13-to-4 assist-to-turnover ratio, perhaps making the case for even more time.

 

TYUS JONES (age 20, second season)

Statistical season averages: 14.4 minutes, 4.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.0 blocks, 41.9 FG%, 42.9 3PT%

Advanced stats, season: 16.3 PER, 59.5 TS%, 13.3 USG%, 122 ORtg, 109 DRtg, 0.1 VORP

Notable: Jones was a DNP-coaches decision in all three of Minnesota's games last week.

 

ZACH LAVINE (age 21, third season)

Statistical season averages: 37.2 minutes, 20.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.2 blocks, 46.2 FG%, 37.5 3PT%

Statistical averages, last week: 40.3 minutes, 21.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.3 blocks, 47.2 FG%, 39.1 3PT%

Advanced stats, season: 15.9 PER, 58.0 TS%, 22.4 USG%, 114 ORtg, 114 DRtg, 0.4 VORP

Notable: LaVine has scored in double figures in every game he's played but one and has done so in 15 straight. Ironically, twice last week he shot 50 percent from the field or better and Minnesota lost that game while the Wolves won the contest in which he was 7 of 19 (36.8 percent).

 

SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD (age 24, fourth season)

Statistical season averages: 16.4 minutes, 6.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.2 steals, 0.1 blocks, 43.7 FG%, 22.7 3PT%

Statistical averages, last week: 21.9 minutes, 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.0 steals, 0.0 blocks, 44.4 FG%, 25.0 3PT%

Advanced stats, season: 11.7 PER, 52.4 TS%, 19.7 USG%, 107 ORtg, 114 DRtg, -0.3 VORP

Notable: Seemingly buried in the doghouse since mid-November, Muhammad saw extended playing time this past week, including a season-high 25:24 in the win over Charlotte. Muhammad made 11 of 21 shots and scored 26 points in games against the Knicks and Hornets, but vs. Sacramento he dipped to 1-of-6 shooting and two points. Still, he had three of his four highest amounts of playing time of the season this past week.

 

KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS (age 21, second season)

Statistical season averages: 34.9 minutes, 22.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.5 blocks, 47.3 FG%, 37.8 3PT%

Statistical averages, last week: 33.9 minutes, 19.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 steals, 2.0 blocks, 32.1 FG%, 40.0 3PT%

Advanced stats, season: 22.8 PER, 55.6 TS%, 27.4 USG%, 113 ORtg, 108 DRtg, 0.9 VORP

Notable: To say Towns struggled with his shot last week might be an understatement, but he did make 18 of 19 free-throw attmepts (94.7 percent). Towns has gotten his rebounding average into double figures, meaning he could become just the fourth player in franchise history to average 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in a season, joining Kevin Garnett (9 times), Al Jefferson (2 times) and Kevin Love (3 times).

 

ANDREW WIGGINS (age 21, third season)

Statistical season averages: 36.6 minutes, 22.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.4 blocks, 43.2 FG%, 38.3 3PT%

Statistical averages, last week: 37.1 minutes, 19.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.0 blocks, 47.8 FG%, 18.2 3PT%

Advanced stats, season: 15.2 PER, 53.2 TS%, 28.2 USG%, 104 ORtg, 114 DRtg, -0.3 VORP

Notable: Wiggins' hot start hitting 3s has definitely cooled; he's made just 21.6 percent of his attempts in the last 10 games. He had 29 points in the win over Charlotte, already the seventh time he's had 29 or more points in a game this season. Last season he did it 10 times.

 

(note: For now we are leaving off Adreian Payne, who turns 26 in February. If he becomes a regular member of the rotation we might then include him.)

 

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

PER -- Player Efficiency Rating: A measure of per-minute production standardized such that the league average is 15.

TS% -- True Shooting Percentage: A measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account 2-point field goals, 3-point field goals, and free throws.

USG% -- Usage Percentage: An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while he was on the floor.

ORtg -- Offensive Rating: An estimate of points produced per 100 possessions.

DRtg -- Defensive Rating: An estimate of points allowed per 100 possessions.

VORP -- Value over Replacement Player: A box score estimate of the points per 100 TEAM possessions that a player contributed above a replacement-level (-2.0) player, translated to an average team and prorated to an 82-game season.

 

Dave Heller is the author of the upcoming book Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow as well as Facing Ted Williams Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns