Timberpups Tracker: Wiggins on impressive scoring streak
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 3rd 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)
Note: The Timberpups Tracker will take next week off due to Thanksgiving and return Dec. 1.
KRIS DUNN (age 21, first season)
Statistical season averages: 20.2 minutes, 4.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.3 blocks, 35.7 FG%, 37.5 3PT%
Statistical averages, last week: 15.4 minutes, 4.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.3 blocks, 33.3 FG%, 0.0 3PT%
Advanced stats, season: 11.7 PER, 44.1 TS%, 14.2 USG%, 99 ORtg, 106 DRtg, 0.1 VORP
Notable: Ricky Rubio's return sent Dunn back to the bench. He played in season lows of 13:32 against the Lakers and 13:29 vs. Charlotte in Minnesota's final two games of the week.
TYUS JONES (age 20, second season)
Statistical season averages: 20.0 minutes, 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.0 blocks, 36.4 FG%, 38.9 3PT%
Statistical averages, last week: 12.4 minutes, 5.5 points, 1.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.0 steals, 0.0 blocks, 60.0 FG%, 60.0 3PT%
Advanced stats, season: 16.2 PER, 55.5 TS%, 14.5 USG%, 121 ORtg, 109 DRtg, 0.1 VORP
Notable: Rubio's return also affected Jones, who saw his average minutes -- of the games he played -- cut in half from the previous week. Against Charlotte, Jones was a surprising DNP-CD.
ZACH LAVINE (age 21, third season)
Statistical season averages: 36.5 minutes, 17.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.5 blocks, 45.2 FG%, 40.0 3PT%
Statistical averages, last week: 34.6 minutes, 18.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.0 blocks, 42.1 FG%, 47.8 3PT%
Advanced stats, season: 18.2 PER, 60.3 TS%, 21.7 USG%, 124 ORtg, 114 DRtg, 0.2 VORP
Notable: LaVine missed the game against the Lakers due to a sore knee, but came back Tuesday vs. Charlotte and posted 19 points, making 5 of 10 3-point attempts.
SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD (age 24, fourth season)
Statistical season averages: 17.1 minutes, 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.1 blocks, 44.9 FG%, 42.9 3PT%
Statistical averages, last week: 15.3 minutes, 4.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists, 0.0 steals, 0.0 blocks, 50.0 FG%, n/a 3PT%
Advanced stats, season: 14.0 PER, 54.9 TS%, 19.7 USG%, 114 ORtg, 115 DRtg, -0.1 VORP
Notable: Muhammad played 15:25 against the Clippers then missed Minnesota's next two games due to a knee injury.
KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS (age 21, second season)
Statistical season averages: 35.4 minutes, 22.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.2 blocks, 48.3 FG%, 37.2 3PT%
Statistical averages, last week: 36.4 minutes, 22.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.3 blocks, 41.3 FG%, 30.0 3PT%
Advanced stats, season: 22.4 PER, 56.2 TS%, 26.7 USG%, 115 ORtg, 110 DRtg, 0.5 VORP
Notable: Towns had two more double-doubles last week and is quite frankly a double-double machine.
ANDREW WIGGINS (age 21, third season)
Statistical season averages: 36.2 minutes, 26.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.6 blocks, 47.1 FG%, 54.1 3PT%
Statistical averages, last week: 40.0 minutes, 32.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.3 steals, 1.0 blocks, 46.4 FG%, 40.0 3PT%
Advanced stats, season: 20.9 PER, 57.7 TS%, 30.8 USG%, 113 ORtg, 115 DRtg, 0.0 VORP
Notable: Wiggins has five straight games scoring 22 or more points and he's accomplished this in eight of 10 games this season. His 47 points against the Lakers on Sunday was a career high and also tied for the fourth-most points in a game in Timberwolves history.
(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
