Jarrett Culver - is the part
For years and years and years, the Timberwolves have fallen for the trap of guys who “look the part”. Tall. Fast. Long arms. Big verticals. Pretty shooting forms. Hype highlight videos. Jonny Flynn. Wes Johnson. Derrick Williams. Anthony Randolph. Kris Dunn. (…..Andrew Wigginsss……)
The problem is looking the part and being the part are two different things. There are tons of NBA players who look like NBA players but can’t actually play NBA basketball. Being the part is nothing about appearance and everything about results. In the end, does he get the job done?
Kirby Puckett didn’t look like a world champions baseball player, but he was. CM Punk didn’t look like a heavyweight champion, but he was. Kevin Love doesn’t look like an NBA champion, but he is. Would you rather have Flynn, Wes, Williams, Randolph and Dunn? Or Rubio, Keita, Love, Pekovic and Tyus Jones?
That’s the difference between looking the part and being the part. And the Wolves just drafted a guy who absolutely IS the part.
Strengths:
Jarrett Culver isn’t bad at anything. Like Keita, that in itself is an invaluable skill at the NBA level, where teams will relentlessly isolate and attack individual weaknesses. Even the weakest part of Culver’s game - his three point shooting - is solid enough to force opposing teams to respect it. That gives him a tremendous advantage in today’s NBA, where he’ll be able to fill any gaps on offense and switch onto any position on defense.
What sets Culver apart from other multi-guards and forwards like Keita is some of the things Culver is good at, he’s actually outstanding at.
Culver has excellent feel for the game. He thinks through the game like a mathematician - like Kawhi - but plays with and to the rhythm and flow of the game like a dancer - like Steph Curry. (note, this is NOT me saying Culver will be as good as either of them. Just giving examples of the style contrast) Culver is a guy who absolutely “gets it”.
The greatest strength Culver is known for is his defense. Culver has elite defensive instincts, awareness, active hands, moves his feet, and never quits on a play. When he adjusts to the NBA physicality and pace, he legitimately has a chance to be a singular defensive game changer at the level of a prime Andre Iguodala, Shawn Marion or Tayshaun Prince.
But it would be a disservice to Culver to typecast him only as a defender. Culver’s feel for the game extends to the offensive end of the court as well, particularly in his handles and passing.
Facilitating is the easiest and clearest way to see if a player gets it. Assists involve all of the intangible traits a player needs to be great at the NBA level: awareness, timing, anticipation, coordination, reflexes, body control, ball control. Some players, like Wiggins, don’t have the control to direct the ball through traffic. Some, like Dunn, don’t have the anticipation or timing to get the ball to teammates in rhythm. Culver hits guys on time, in stride, and leads them into scoring opportunities.
Culver could very well develop into a primary facilitator from the 2 or 3 spot, which would open up a vast range of plays his team can run.
Concerns:
Culver’s only glaring weakness is his deep shooting. His 3pt percentage dropped from 38% his freshman year to 30% last season. He will need to get that back up. He reworked his shot mechanics between his freshman and sophomore seasons and there’s enough of a hitch in it to disrupt the motion just enough.
The good news is both Culver and most scouts believe he can and will easily fix this. But obviously there is no certainty to that. “Improved shooting” has been the assumption for a decade of Wolves, from Corey Brewer to Wes to Derrick to Wiggins.
In summary:
Jarrett Culver was probably not the primary target of moving up in the draft. The Wolves likely were after Darius Garland. But by all reports, Culver was in their top tier with Garland in this draft, and selecting him not only adds a desperately needed secondary ballhandler and facilitator to the Wolves wing rotation, it adds an elite decision maker as well. Jarrett. Culver. Gets. It. That cannot be stressed enough. By default, he will probably be the second best wing on the roster starting Day One. If he can consistently shoot 35%+ from three, he’ll be the flat out best.
He also adds a starter level wing to a team that will likely need to deal 2 or 3 of their current ones to make room for a max offer to D’Angelo Russell or Tobias Harris. Having Culver on the roster adds flexibility to that pursuit, as the Wolves can now stand to part with a Josh Okogie or even Robert Covington and have a major talent ready to step in immediately.
KAT loves him.
Covington loves him.
Wolves fans will love him when they see him play up close. This wasn’t the pick everyone had hyped themselves up for but it’s an outstanding one nonetheless.
