Why the Minnesota Timberwolves need to trade for Kyrie Irving
The two-point guard lineup can be effective
The big elephant in the room for a potential Irving deal is Jeff Teague’s presence on the roster. While many would assume you would have to move Teague eventually, the argument can be made that an Irving-Teague combo makes your offense extremely effective in terms of putting pressure on the defense.
Both have experience with dual-playmaker lineups. Teague was part of the Atlanta Hawks team that won 60 games in 2014-15. That team was great because it was well-rounded and well-coached, but the secret to that team’s success was their passing.
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
They finished second in the league in assists per game that season. It was easy to get everyone on the team to buy in to the team-first concept because the ball was always moving. Teague was the starting point, while backup Dennis Schroder played just under 20 minutes per game. They combined for 25.9 points and 11.1 assists per game. Schroder was not ready for starter’s minutes yet, but his advanced drive-and-kick skill set allowed Mike Budenholzer to frustrate opposing second units.
Meanwhile, Irving has played with LeBron James for the last three seasons. Last season was the first in which he posted a usage rate higher than James. Not so coincidentally, 2017 was Irving’s best year with 25.9 points and 5.8 assists per game.
With the T-Wolves, he would be clear-cut starter, leaving it up to Thibs whether he wants to go full experimental, or be conservative in bringing Teague off the bench. Either way, you definitely would be able to stagger their minutes to give them some time together on the floor.
As long as you played the two quick guards with solid defenders like Butler and Taj Gibson, Minnesota would be able to race out to quick leads without suffering too much on the defensive end.