*** Official Ryan Saunders Interim Coach Thread ***

[flexbuffchest]

That's something coming from a Thibs guy.

[Corre Ricky Corre]

Ryan the GOAT

[YBBR]

We're coming!

[morneaumvp]

Karl and Wiggs failed him tonight, they could not stand up to their bully Jimmy.

[jodaman01]

Karl and Wiggs failed him tonight, they could not stand up to their bully Jimmy.

As a team they failed. The 76’ers had a freak night and unfortunately for the Wolves they were on the court with them tonight. If Philly plays like that consistently - Crown their ass as Champions.

Wolves will play them here, my bet is the 76’ers play will come back to earth for that game.

[jodaman01]

She appears to be enjoying her round.

One of the best movies ever.

[flexbuffchest]

Karl and Wiggs failed him tonight, they could not stand up to their bully Jimmy.

Everyone was castrated last night.

[UnFadeable21]

Wolves aren't making the playoffs, Ryan should take the Gophers job after they fire Pitno this season. He isn't ready for the NBA and needs some seasoning at the lower level like Brad Stevens did at Butler.

I would take Monty Williams over Ryan Saunders for the Wolves.

[kilkenny]

Since this tweet, it looks like most players have taken less long 2's. But there's is a straggler!

Wiggins before 1/12 tweet was taking 4.3 long 2's per game. After this tweet he is taking 6.3! WTF?

[jodaman01]

Wolves aren't making the playoffs, Ryan should take the Gophers job after they fire Pitno this season. He isn't ready for the NBA and needs some seasoning at the lower level like Brad Stevens did at Butler.

I would take Monty Williams over Ryan Saunders for the Wolves.

Ryan gets the rest of the season. Missing Covington, and now Tyus really sucks for him, because those are two of the best team players.

Yes if we take the playoffs off the table it would be a little fairer way to give Saunders an honest assessment.

[UnFadeable21]

Wolves aren't making the playoffs, Ryan should take the Gophers job after they fire Pitno this season. He isn't ready for the NBA and needs some seasoning at the lower level like Brad Stevens did at Butler.

I would take Monty Williams over Ryan Saunders for the Wolves.

Ryan gets the rest of the season. Missing Covington, and now Tyus really sucks for him, because those are two of the best team players.

Yes if we take the playoffs off the table it would be a little fairer way to give Saunders an honest assessment.

If we make the playoffs, he deserves to stay here long term.

[bubu dubu.]

Since this tweet, it looks like most players have taken less long 2's. But there's is a straggler!

Wiggins before 1/12 tweet was taking 4.3 long 2's per game. After this tweet he is taking 6.3! WTF?

I think part of this would have to do with Saunders trying to turn him into a more aggressive player. I havent looked any of the advanced stats up, but I'm guessing his usage rate and overall number of shots has gone up...and a big part of his game is mid range. Overall percentage of shot selection is probably pretty close to what its always been.

[RubeTube]

Wolves aren't making the playoffs, Ryan should take the Gophers job after they fire Pitno this season. He isn't ready for the NBA and needs some seasoning at the lower level like Brad Stevens did at Butler.

I would take Monty Williams over Ryan Saunders for the Wolves.

Ryan gets the rest of the season. Missing Covington, and now Tyus really sucks for him, because those are two of the best team players.

Yes if we take the playoffs off the table it would be a little fairer way to give Saunders an honest assessment.

If we make the playoffs, he deserves to stay here long term.

Well they are not making the playoffs.

[Ask Not]

He'd be 5-1 with Covington in the line up but that speaks more to the opponents than his coaching. Why do the three biggest players do the most reaching on the team? The fouling is out of control - too many quarters in which the other team is in the penalty with 5 minutes left.

[Philo Beddoe]

While the whole Ryan Saunders thing is a nice story. He is not the answer to this team moving forward.

[kilkenny]

Since this tweet, it looks like most players have taken less long 2's. But there's is a straggler!

Wiggins before 1/12 tweet was taking 4.3 long 2's per game. After this tweet he is taking 6.3! WTF?

I think part of this would have to do with Saunders trying to turn him into a more aggressive player. I havent looked any of the advanced stats up, but I'm guessing his usage rate and overall number of shots has gone up...and a big part of his game is mid range. Overall percentage of shot selection is probably pretty close to what its always been.

His overall number of shots have gone up by a little over one. However, 36.5% of his shots are midrange whereas it was 26.1% before Ryan took over. IOW, Wiggins is being less aggressive.

[bubu dubu.]

Since this tweet, it looks like most players have taken less long 2's. But there's is a straggler!

Wiggins before 1/12 tweet was taking 4.3 long 2's per game. After this tweet he is taking 6.3! WTF?

I think part of this would have to do with Saunders trying to turn him into a more aggressive player. I havent looked any of the advanced stats up, but I'm guessing his usage rate and overall number of shots has gone up...and a big part of his game is mid range. Overall percentage of shot selection is probably pretty close to what its always been.

His overall number of shots have gone up by a little over one. However, 36.5% of his shots are midrange whereas it was 26.1% before Ryan took over. IOW, Wiggins is being less aggressive.

ouch. There goes that theory.

[Ask Not]

His overall number of shots have gone up by a little over one. However, 36.5% of his shots are midrange whereas it was 26.1% before Ryan took over. IOW, Wiggins is being less aggressive.

Yup. He came out in Saunders first game as if he were let out of a cage. Then he apparently decided the cage was kinda comfy.

[OliverMiller]

Biggest difference: only one player averaging over 31 minutes per game since Saunders took over (Wiggins).
Obviously KAT would be without foul trouble but still

[flexbuffchest]

Shots from 16-24 feet before Saunders:

https://stats.nba.com/players/shooting/ ... ft%20Range

Shots from 16-24 feet after Saunders:

https://stats.nba.com/players/shooting/ ... F08%2F2019

[kilkenny]

Shots from 16-24 feet before Saunders:

https://stats.nba.com/players/shooting/ ... ft%20Range

Shots from 16-24 feet after Saunders:

https://stats.nba.com/players/shooting/ ... F08%2F2019

3 point line is 23'9" (to 22' on the sides). So a lot of those shots you're highlighting are 3's which are good imo. Do it by zone and you'll see a different picture.

[flexbuffchest]

Shots from 16-24 feet before Saunders:

https://stats.nba.com/players/shooting/ ... ft%20Range

Shots from 16-24 feet after Saunders:

https://stats.nba.com/players/shooting/ ... F08%2F2019

3 point line is 23'9" (to 22' on the sides). So a lot of those shots you're highlighting are 3's which are good imo. Do it by zone and you'll see a different picture.

Zone doesn't give you all that info.

[kilkenny]

Shots from 16-24 feet before Saunders:

https://stats.nba.com/players/shooting/ ... ft%20Range

Shots from 16-24 feet after Saunders:

https://stats.nba.com/players/shooting/ ... F08%2F2019

3 point line is 23'9" (to 22' on the sides). So a lot of those shots you're highlighting are 3's which are good imo. Do it by zone and you'll see a different picture.

Zone doesn't give you all that info.

Gives you everything outside the painted area and inside the 3 point line. Much better than lopping in 3's.

[flexbuffchest]

3 point line is 23'9" (to 22' on the sides). So a lot of those shots you're highlighting are 3's which are good imo. Do it by zone and you'll see a different picture.

Zone doesn't give you all that info.

Gives you everything outside the painted area and inside the 3 point line. Much better than lopping in 3's.

And it lumps everything that's outside the paint as the same thing until a 3.

Anyway, here's another tool that's better than anything else. If you count only the zone that is just inside the 3:

With Thibs:
http://nbashotcharts.com/zoned?id=-351471251
1.38 shots a game

With Ryan:
http://nbashotcharts.com/zoned?id=-570316481

2.17 shots a game.

[Moses Scurry]

Wondering what Glen's criteria is or keeping Saunders around. .500 ball? Wiggins improvement? Strong push for playoffs even if they don't make it?

[flexbuffchest]

Wondering what Glen's criteria is or keeping Saunders around. .500 ball? Wiggins improvement? Strong push for playoffs even if they don't make it?

My guess is that no matter what happens Glen will interview a few coaches just to see who is interested and go from there.

But if Saunders makes it to the play offs i honestly wouldn't mind just hiring him full time without even looking at other options.

He is young and extremely wet behind the ears but maybe he excels as the season goes along. Crazy things like that have happened, look at Sean McVay.

[RubeTube]

Wondering what Glen's criteria is or keeping Saunders around. .500 ball? Wiggins improvement? Strong push for playoffs even if they don't make it?

More like cheapest option since he still has to pay Thibs.

[kilkenny]

I just hope Ryan isn't too attached to some of the players where he would find value in them when the rest of the league doesn't. Gotta make the team better regardless of how much you like the player as a person. Also hope he's not attached to Wiggins because it doesn't look like his influence is making him any better.

[thinktank]

I took a quick look at 3FGAs under Saunders and we shot way more threes in wins than in losses.

Something to keep an eye on.

[memyworld]

During some Wolves scrimmages, interim head coach Ryan Saunders makes corner three-pointers worth an extra point, and points deducted for committing turnovers and allowing offensive rebounds.

Timberwolves practice the wheres and whys of taking a good shot

By Chris Hine | Star Tribune | JANUARY 24, 2019 — 6:48AM

There are time when the Timberwolves are scrimmaging and a player will look confused at the scoreboard.

“Sometimes you have five [points] and you look back and you’re at three,” rookie guard Josh Okogie said. “Then you see, ‘Oh, we’re playing those rules.’ ”

“Those rules” would be the unique scoring system interim coach Ryan Saunders will instill in the occasional scrimmage, all in an attempt for the Wolves to play as efficiently as they can. Corner three-pointers are worth an extra point. Saunders will take away points for long two-pointers. There are also points deducted for committing turnovers and allowing offensive rebounds, but the focus on shooting in the most advantageous spots on the floor is one of the main goals Saunders has in using his scoring tweaks.

“It’s not to tell any player to not shoot a shot,” Saunders said. “It’s more a condition on what is analytically a better shot in a way, so if it means you’re taking a step-back rather than being inside the three-point line by a foot, that’s something that points per possession-wise is important in the NBA now.”

One of the most opportunistic shots in basketball is the corner three-pointer because it is 22 feet — compared to an “above the break” three-pointer at 23.75 feet — and the Wolves are 16th in the NBA in attempting those at 6.8 per game.

For the players, the scrimmages are a reminder of where the game is headed. Guard Jerryd Bayless, who scrimmaged in similar ways when he was with the 76ers, said the punishments were severe if you took a shot deemed inefficient, like a long two-pointer, and he has some concerns of the effect analytics can have on the natural instincts of players.

“You weren’t going to play if you shot that, realistically,” Bayless said. “I think different teams value different shots. The whole analytics wave is interesting because it puts such a premium on the percentage … but at the same time a lot of guys, maybe their strength is the midrange game and taking that away, I think, plays a mental mind game with certain players because they’re not really used to that.”

There are a few Wolves who take a significant amount of midrange shots — forward Andrew Wiggins, who takes 4.4 midrange shots per game, and center Gorgui Dieng, who only takes 4.2 shots per game, but 1.7 of those are midrange. Both said they will still take those shots if they’re open.

“I don’t think about it too much, to be honest. I just play my game,” Wiggins said. “Really, if the three is open, I’m going to shoot it. The long twos, I’ll shoot it. The layups, I’ll shoot it.”

It’s one thing if the long twos are contested, it’s another if they’re open. Those aren’t as bad, analytically speaking, since a higher percentage go in the hoop. But Saunders is trying to instill some sense of thought behind shot selection without trying to make the players think too much.

“It’s all about building habits,” forward Anthony Tolliver said. “If you’re building habits to shoot more threes, cut from the slot and things that you get points [for] in practice, I think that it just naturally will happen more in a game.

Then Tolliver added: “But in a game, you’re still going to take the shots you feel like you need to take.”