Greg Smith – USA Today Sports Images
If you were a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2012-2013 NBA season, chances are that you were hurt at some point during the year. That led them to a wildly disappointing season where they finished with ninth worst record in the league at just 31-51. A large contributor to their lack of success was their inability to knock down the three-point shot.
The Timberwolves finished last in the league in three-point percentage, hitting just 30.5 percent as a team. To put into perspective how atrocious they shot from long range this season, the second worst team in the NBA in that category shot 32.9 percent from three, 2.4 percentage points better than Minnesota. Even worse is the fact that 30.5 percent is an improvement from earlier in the season when they dipped below 30 percent.
There’s no denying that was one of the biggest issues that the Wolves faced throughout the year. Part of this is undoubtedly due to the fact that Kevin Love and Chase Budinger, the Wolves’ two best three-point shooters, missed the majority season as two of the many players for Minnesota that fell victim to injuries. Having those two guys would have helped their outside shooting issues, but it wouldn’t have fixed them entirely.
Two players, no matter how well they shoot the three, aren’t going to make an enormous difference on a team’s shooting percentages. Given that, the Timberwolves need to make a priority out of targeting shooters in free agency this summer as they build their team for next year.
Finding an outside shooting threat isn’t the issue in the 2013 free agency class; the issue is that the Wolves need to shop for players with a budget as they are likely going to have to pay restricted free agent Nikola Pekovic a hefty sum to keep him in Minnesota, which they need to do. Essentially, this means the Timberwolves need to find a free agent outside shooter for relatively cheap.
Though there are a few options that fit those criteria, the most intriguing option seems to be Anthony Morrow. Morrow made just $4 million this past season, but played very little for both the Atlanta Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks which should decrease his value in the free agent market. Morrow is also a 42.4 percent three-point shooter for his career, meaning he should fit right into place for the type of player the Timberwolves should target.
There are options that vary in price and value in free agency in regards to outside shooters, but Morrow appears to be one of the best fits for what the Wolves need to do. Morrow provides them a guard with nice size that can also shoot from outside with solid efficiency. Though the deal may not eventually happen, the Timberwolves definitely need to target Morrow and make an attempt to get him signed.
Cody Williams is a Senior NBA Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20 and like his Facebook page.
