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Meet Chase Budinger: The Minnesota Timberwolves’ New Stretch 4

By Aaron Mah

Feb 23, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Chase Budinger (10) dribbles against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Rockets won 113 to 102. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Chase Budinger (10) dribbles against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Rockets won 113 to 102. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Life as an NBA player is most certainly a blessing — earning millions while playing a kid’s game. However, it can also be cruel, both mentally and physically draining, especially when your body starts to fail you.

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Minnesota Timberwolves‘ forward, Chase Budinger, has endured an abundance of such joys and pains, and ups and downs, over his injury-riddled six-year career.

More specifically, Budinger was on pace to have a surefire, rock-solid 12-year career in the association, showcasing an ability to hit threes at an above average rate and the innate knack, in conjunction with his spry athleticism, of cutting and slashing towards the rim.

During his first three seasons, as a member of the Houston Rockets, Budinger averaged 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in just 21.5 minutes a contest. More encouraging, in the 2011-12 campaign, Chase made 40.2 percent of his three point attempts, including a blistering 48.0 percent from the corners (which made up for over 44.7 percent of his threes).

Unfortunately, after an offseason deal which sent the 6-foot-7 jumping-jack from Clutch City to the Twin Cities, Budinger would be marred by a bevy of ankle and knee injuries over the next two seasons, limiting him to a total of 64 games during the stretch.

His health eradicated his confidence and diminished his effectiveness on the court. His shot would desert him. At the same time, he would abandon his slashing and off-ball cutting game; many times, looking like a man who did not trust his lower extremities.

As such, the Timberwolves scrambled to trade Budinger during this past offseason and at the NBA trade deadline, actively shopping the former Arizona Wildcat to the likes of the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, and Philadelphia 76ers. But, in the end, no suitor was willing to gamble on the often-injured swingman who is still owed $5 million next season.

Success within any profession, most often, is heavily contingent on opportunity, even more-so than actual skill.

Accordingly, as the Wolves’ frontcourt suffers a rash of nagging injuries, an opportunity arose for Chase.

Playing primarily at the swing positions for the majority of his career, coach Flip Saunders has had to insert Budinger as Minnesota’s de facto power forward/stretch 4. The move has rescued his ability to attack the rack while facing bigger, slower defenders. Moreover, he has successfully spaced the floor on offense, while enabling the Wolves to switch on most screen-and-roll actions on defense.

Over the last four games, Budinger is averaging a refreshing 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on an ultra-efficient 58.6 percent TS% (true shooting percentage), per Basketball-Reference. More interestingly, according to NBA.com, Budinger is the only Wolf averaging over 30 minutes a game, over the aforementioned stretch, to accumulate a positive net rating, at +6.9.

Most notably, by downsizing, Minnesota can somewhat alleviate their appalling inability to defend dribble penetration, and specifically, the high pick-and-roll. Explicitly, the Wolves have been a much more active, help-oriented defensive team with Bud at the four. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, it allows the team to essentially switch all pick-and-rolls one-through-four.

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    • Sure enough, the lineup of Zach LaVine, Kevin Martin, Andrew Wiggins, Chase Budinger, and Gorgui Dieng has held teams to a defensive rating, or points allowed per 100 possessions, of 83.2 and an overall net rating of +17.5, over the past four contests.

    It will definitely be intriguing to see how Budinger’s career, and the Timberwolves’ frontcourt rotation, will concurrently unfold from here.

    While Minnesota experiments with a slew of potential-driven stretch fours, like Anthony Bennett, Robbie Hummel, and Adreian Payne, Chase has by far been Minnesota’s most efficacious hybrid forward this season — including the recently-departed Thaddeus Young, who lethargically served as the team’s starting power forward early on during the season.

    Moreover, knowing how well the Wolves have operated on the defensive end, while downsizing, will the Timberwolves’ brass deviate from their forthcoming scouting and drafting plans? To be more specific, will the Wolves look to draft another perimeter stud and play a modern position-less brand of basketball? Or will they seek to acquire one of the handful of top-rated bigs in this year’s draft?

    Next: Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 Things To Look For Over The Next Month

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