Canis Pulsus - Vol. 24 - Quarterly Report & Trade Grades Results

You’ve seen our Patrick Flavin’s grades for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but what does the comments section say? We had a very nice 69 voters who participated in this round of progress reports so without further ado, let’s take a dive into how our Wolves graded out!

(Note: Canis Pulsus Vol. 23 data was collected through 2/16 prior to the WAS loss)

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Rudy Gobert

B

Previous grade: B-
Gm 1-61 Stats: 13.3 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.8 spg, 1.3 bpg, 30.5 mpg - .676/.000/.670

Rudy has continued to inch his grade up to a respectable B, but for the most part, he remains an enigmatic fit, to say the least. There have been games where he punishes smaller lineups in the paint, yet in the same exact game, he is “played off the floor” due to his inability to guard effectively.

Full voting results:

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Karl-Anthony Towns

Incomplete

Previous grade: Incomplete
Gm 1-61 Stats: 20.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 5.3 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.7 bpg, 33.8 mpg - .505/.325/.885

The wait continues. Some rumors say that KAT will return in the coming weeks, while some say he may be out for another month. This season of Wolves experimentation remains in suspended animation until he returns. He’ll certainly be needed if Minnesota wants to make a final push for a top 6 seed.

Full voting results:

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Mike Conley Jr.

B+

Gm 59-61 Stats: 7.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.0 bpg, 30.7 mpg - .333/.308/.750

Conley’s slow start in a Wolves uniform can be attributed to a number of things. Joining a brand new team with only one true familiar teammate. Barely sleeping for the past week. Despite that, he has earned mostly high praise from voters. Mike has gladly accepted a diminished off-ball role, has jumped in to do some of the “dirty work” on defense, but he still needs find his place on offense.

Full voting results:

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Anthony Edwards

A

Previous grade: A-
Gm 1-61 Stats: 24.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.6 spg, 0.6 bpg, 36.2 mpg - .464/.364/.776

Has Ant peaked? His grade seems to indicate so, as he has jumped from a C+, to A-, to now an A. It has culminated in his first (of many) All-Star bid thanks to Commissioner Adam Silver. If there was any previous doubt, it’s now clear that Edwards is the face of the franchise. We are now the Minnesota Timber-Ants.

Full voting results:

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Kyle Anderson

A

Previous grade: A-
Gm 1-61 Stats: 8.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.8 bpg, 26.1 mpg - .503/.426/.779

Would it be a surprise to anyone that Kyle Anderson is a high-achieving student? The ultimate connector continues to prove his value on the court. Slow Mo has increased his aggressiveness on offense and has made a case as a permanent starter once KAT returns.

Full voting results:

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Taurean Prince

B+

Previous grade: B+
Gm 1-61 Stats: 8.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.6 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.4 bpg, 21.3 mpg - .496/.397/.833

TP’s return to the lineup has been a welcome sight. His steadiness on the court is reflected by his third straight B+ grade. His shooting numbers have wavered a bit, but we should all have faith that he will regain his touch soon. Here’s why.

Full voting results:

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Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Incomplete

Gm 59-61 Stats: 1.0 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 0.0 apg, 0.0 spg, 0.0 bpg, 3.0 mpg - .500/-/-

Personally, I’ve long been an admirer of NAW. He had a bumpy start to his career, especially in the shadow of his cousin, SGA, which loomed over him. However, Nickeil has shown plenty of flashes to warrant optimism. He’s only played six total minutes in a Wolves uniform, but hopefully this is the start of his awakening.

Full voting results:

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Jaden McDaniels

A-

Previous grade: B+
Gm 1-61 Stats: 11.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.0 bpg, 30.5 mpg - .515/.385/.740

The “Jaden McDaniels for Defensive Player of the Year” agenda has officially begun. There are many national media outlets that have yet to anoint him, but the true sickos know what type of warden he has been. If Big Mac doesn’t at least land on the All-Defensive Second Team, then it will be a bigger travesty than Ant’s initial All-Star snub.

Full voting results:

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Jordan McLaughlin

B

Previous grade: Incomplete
Gm 1-61 Stats: 3.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 3.2 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.1 bpg, 15.3 mpg - .407/.220/1.000

After missing nearly 30 teams, the uncrowned king has returned. There was obviously going to be some rust in his first six games back after a considerable calf injury, but the silvery-est lining is that there appears to be no physical limitations moving forward. Watching JMac and Conley fully split the point guard minutes should be fun.

Full voting results:

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Jaylen Nowell

C

Previous grade: C
Gm 1-61 Stats: 11.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.1 bpg, 19.7 mpg - .447/.296/.784

Jaylen continues to tread water. It feels like every time he’s about to be relegated back to the Iowa Wolves, he goes on a vintage scoring spree. Still, his offensive bursts are unreliable at best while his defensive “contributions” remain infuriating. If he keeps this up, his days as a Timberwolf may be coming to an end soon.

Full voting results:

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Naz Reid

B+

Previous grade: B+
Gm 1-61 Stats: 10.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.8 bpg, 17.7 mpg - .529/.329/.675

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the calendar year thus far is the fact that Naz Reid is still playing for Minnesota without a contract extension. Rumor has it that he had plenty of suitors, but Connelly needed to keep him rostered this season with Towns out. Meanwhile, Naz is expecting a sizeable payday, one that may not be coming from the Wolves. Until then, let’s all just continue enjoying Naz Reid moments for as long as we can.

Full voting results:

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Nathan Knight

C+

Previous grade: C+
Gm 1-61 Stats: 3.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.3 spg, 0.2 bpg, 8.1 mpg - .568/.381/.686

The Dark Knight continues to be relatively productive in the limited minutes that he receives. He’s clearly stuck deep down in the depth chart to no fault of his own. Nate is part of a trio of Wolves who have the deepest connection together (McDaniels & Reid), but has gotten the least amount of opportunities. Are his days in Minnesota also coming to an end soon? I hope not.

Full voting results:

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Sports Illustrated

Austin Rivers

B-

Previous grade: B
Gm 1-61 Stats: 5.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.5 apg, 0.6 spg, 0.1 bpg, 20.8 mpg - .456/.360/.857

Although Austin Rivers’ three-point shooting stroke has been less reliable lately, it seems that his value to the team has not. It appears that Connelly has decided to ride with AR as the fiery veteran PG over the likes of Pat Bev, who was thought to have been available in the buyout market. Hopefully his Mo Bamba punching days are behind him though.

Full voting results:

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Wendell Moore Jr.

Incomplete

Previous grade: Incomplete
Gm 1-61 Stats: 1.5 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.3 spg, 0.2 bpg, 5.8 mpg - .405/.125/.800

After a surprising little burst in the first half of the season, Wendell has mostly been regulated back to the bench. For whatever reasons, he hasn’t been someone that Finch has trusted in spot minutes at the wing position. Hopefully he’ll get his number called again soon.

Full voting results:

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Josh Minott

Incomplete

Previous grade: Incomplete
Gm 1-61 Stats: 3.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.3 apg, 0.3 spg, 0.6 bpg, 6.2 mpg - .519/.250/1.000

While his rookie companion has fallen out of the non-garbage time rotation, Josh Minott seems to have earned himself a look. He had an impressive double-double performance against the Utah Jazz which opened some eyes around the league. He’s received two DNP-CDs heading into the break, but it’s clear the Wolves have something with Minott.

Full voting results:

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Luka Garza

B

Previous grade: B-
Gm 1-61 Stats: 6.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.1 spg, 0.0 bpg, 9.3 mpg - .525/.361/.767

Not only has Luka Garza received praise in the G-League, as evidenced by being the league-leading fan vote getter and MVP of the G-League All-Star game equivalent, he has proven his worth in real NBA action. The recently turned 24-year-old had a three-game stretch where he averaged 20.3 points and 6.0 rebounds on 64.7% shooting. His offensive game is real. It’s how much he can develop defensively that will determine his NBA future.

Full voting results:

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Coaching staff

B

Previous grade: C+
Gm 1-61 Record: 31-30

Finch has tightened the leash on Jaylen Nowell (when needed), given lots of opportunity to Kyle Anderson (when healthy), and leaned into the Ant-centric offense. The overall team record may not appear impressive, but he’s quietly guided them to a 11-9 record despite a very tough schedule.

Full voting results:

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Front office

C+

Previous grade: D+

If you look at the results below, you’ll see a smattering of colors that would make our City Edition jerseys blush. There are still many unsatisfied critics of TC, but moving on from D’Lo with a decent enough return package has placated some of them. The jury won’t be out until KAT gets a reasonable stretch with this roster though.

Full voting results:

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Ownership

C

Previous grade: D+

Ownership’s grade will usually be tied to the product on the floor. Our Dane Moore jumped more into detail about Marc Lore in his pod here. In the meantime, Lore’s shoes have mostly remained on throughout this season.

Full voting results:

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Trading D’Angelo Russell for Mike Conley Jr., Nickeil Alexander-Walker, & 3 2nd round picks

B+

Swapping D’Lo for Conley seems to have generated some positive early reviews. It truly hands the keys of the offense over to Ant. Connelly also netted an intriguing young prospect in NAW, who Coach Finch worked with in New Orleans. Most importantly, TC also pocketed three lottery tickets in the form of 2nd round picks. Anyone feeling cheesy?

Full voting results:

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Waiving Bryn Forbes

A-

Minnesota may have dodged a tire fire of unwanted publicity had they not released Bryn Forbes any earlier than they did. Just a few short days after his stint in a Wolves jersey was over, he was arrested on a suspected domestic violence charge. Good riddance to Forbes, both on and off the court.

Full voting results:

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What rumored trade would you have made instead and/or in addition to what unfolded?

None - Satisfied with trade (37%)

The majority of voters were either satisfied with what we got, or wanted something a bit unrealistic. Shoutout to the person that requested Connelly trade Bryn Forbes for Kevin Durant! Other standout answers included moving Naz Reid for value before he hits unrestricted free agency, and moving off Jaylen Nowell for a magic legumes.

Full voting results:

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What do you hope the Timberwolves achieve in the final quarter of the season the MOST?

Earn a top 6 seed (49%)

Previous grade: Successfully reintegrate KAT (25%)

Avoiding the play-in game was wildly considered the floor for this team heading into the season. They’re going to have their work cut out for them as KAT’s injury has lingered, even more new pieces need to be fully integrated, all the while the Western Conference got much stronger.

Full voting results:

Will the Timberwolves make the play-in tournament?

Yes (87%)

Previous grade: Yes (92%)

There is less optimism to make the play-in tournament than before. What I conclude from this (and the next result) is that the Wolves will be foregoing the entire play-in tournament altogether. Bold!

Full voting results:

Will the Timberwolves make the playoffs?

Yes (94%)

Previous grade: Yes (83%)

There it is. 94% of voters feel that Minnesota will be heading to the postseason for a second straight year. There are only 21 games remaining so we shall see if the “.500 ball” that the Wolves are playing will be enough to get them through, whether as a top 6 seed or as a play-in victor.

Full voting results:

With half of the season over, my feelings on the direction of the Timberwolves are...

Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images

Slightly optimistic (70%)

Previous grade: Slightly optimistic (52%)

Optimism has peaked three-quarters into the season! It’s not the 2021-2022 Timberwolves, but it’s something. Will the Timber-Jazz Era result in surprise or disappointment?

Full voting results:

Link to the full results: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FYNgw6OJlv3FkQNZ04lia72gwH9x6cIhLEPGKPdS6-o/edit?usp=sharing

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The Wolves, against all odds, have improved from their 2.53 semester GPA, to a 3.03 now. Amazing! Who said this season was a disappointing one lacking any fun?