Timberpups Tracker: Karl-Anthony Towns keeps on rolling
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 16th 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)
Out for the season: Zach LaVine
KRIS DUNN (age 22, first season)
Statistical season averages: 16.5 minutes, 3.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks, 37.8 FG%, 31.5 3PT%
Statistical averages, last week: 12.3 minutes, 4.0 points, 1.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 50.0 FG%, 100.0 3PT%
Advanced stats, season: 8.0 PER, 44.0 TS%, 14.4 USG%, 91 ORtg, 108 DRtg, -0.1 VORP
Notable: After spending most of the Wolves' loss to the San Antonio Spurs on the bench, Dunn split time with Tyus Jones against the L.A. Clippers, playing 14 minutes. He made multiple 3-pointers for just the third time in his career, going 3-for-5 overall from the field.
TYUS JONES (age 20, second season)
Statistical season averages: 12.7 minutes, 3.7 points, 1.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.0 blocks, 40.9 FG%, 37.7 3PT%
Statistical averages, last week: 16.1 minutes, 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.0 steals, 0.0 blocks, 50.0 FG%, 33.3 3PT%
Advanced stats, season: 13.6 PER, 53.5 TS%, 14.0 USG%, 116 ORtg, 111 DRtg, 0.0 VORP
Notable: Jones got a decent look during the Clippers game, showing off with some crafty passing and hitting three of his four attempts from the field.
SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD (age 24, fourth season)
Statistical season averages: 19.5 minutes, 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.1 blocks, 47.7 FG%, 39.4 3PT%
Statistical averages, last week: 21.1 minutes, 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.0 blocks, 52.9 FG%, 00.0 3PT%
Advanced stats, season: 14.6 PER, 57.2 TS%, 20.5 USG%, 115 ORtg, 114 DRtg, -0.5 VORP
Notable: 'Bazz continues to be the Wolves' best bench option. He posted solid numbers in the win over the Clippers, scoring 17 points -- six of them in the paint -- and going 7-for-13 from the field.
KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS (age 21, second season)
Statistical season averages: 36.7 minutes, 24.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.4 blocks, 52.9 FG%, 34.1 3PT%
Statistical averages, last week: 40.3 minutes, 26.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 62.2 FG%, 14.3 3PT%
Advanced stats, season: 25.0 PER, 60.2 TS%, 27.4 USG%, 118 ORtg, 108 DRtg, 4.0 VORP
Notable: Towns and Wiggins are the NBA's highest-scoring duo since the All-Star break (and then some). The former hasn't scored fewer than 20 points in a game since Jan. 24, and has posted a double-double in his last seven. He was all over the floor in the Spurs game, playing a season-high 45 minutes.
ANDREW WIGGINS (age 22, third season)
Statistical season averages: 37.1 minutes, 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.4 blocks, 45.7 FG%, 34.5 3PT%
Statistical averages, last week: 40.0 minutes, 18.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.0 blocks, 26.8 FG%, 0.00 3PT%
Advanced stats, season: 16.8 PER, 53.9 TS%, 28.5 USG%, 107 ORtg, 113 DRtg, 0.0 VORP
Notable: Like Towns, Wiggins set a season-high in the Spurs game, playing just under 44 minutes. Unlike Towns, he struggled from the field, connecting on just six of his 24 tries. That number improved against the Clippers, but he still went 5-for-17. He was productive from the free throw line against L.A., hitting all 10 of his tries, the first time this season Wiggins has been perfect from the charity stripe when taking more than five.
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.
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