Talk about an unparalleled college basketball experience.
As a freshman in Duke for the 2019-20 season, Wendell Moore Jr. was the team’s spot starter ready to be the top three seed in the NCAA tournament … before being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following season, Moore’s sophomore year, Duke bottomed out and lost March Madness for the first time since the mid-1990s. A few months later, the news of the bomb arrived. Legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski will retire after the next season in Moore’s third year. As a result, 20-year-old Moore is one of Blue Devils’ few “experienced” players, not only as the captain and key contributor to Krzyzewski’s last team, but also despite having never played a second in an NCAA tournament. Remained as a person.
Still, Moore responded by leading Duke to the Final Four and at the same time winning the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year.That combination of team and individual success, despite his roundabout college career, Moore finally this summer NBA Draft, he was chosen number 26 and finally Minnesota After the draft night trade.
“I put a hat on Wendell,” says Chris Carrawell, associate head coach at Duke University. “He wasn’t in a hurry in the process.”
As a result, it has grown steadily in three years. Most of it was athletic, and the staff at Carawell and Duke thought there was more that Moore (who wasn’t intended for puns) could get out of his body. “Looking at the guy I said, did you have one dunk this year? And it was on the way out. It doesn’t really matter, so you have to dunk it.” Carawell jokes. “So I thought he had to be more explosive and faster.” To that end, Moore worked with Duke’s strengths and sports science staff to create a catapult that has been adopted by several NBA teams. He used technology to enhance his athletic performance. It was directly translated into changing Moore’s way of walking, which changed the speed at which he runs, the height at which he jumps, and the way he can move around the court without spending too much energy.
From there, the translation into production was obvious. Moore achieved the best of his career this season with an average of 13.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. His surge as a shooter was just as important. Moore hit 41.3 percent in 3 seconds, 80.5 percent in free throws, and maintained a valid field goal percentage of 56.9 percent, according to Ken Pom. “The shots he inherited-wide open shots-were shooting (last season) for his first few years,” says Carawell. “He was knocking them down without hesitation. Normally, if he missed the first three-point shot in grade 1 or 2, he hesitated (next time) and caught it (on the floor). ) Put. Now it looks like he kept firing. “
In short, Moore’s athletic gifts were finally put together in a way that correlates directly on the court and quickly contributed to the victory. But, as Carawell hinted, Moore’s enhanced physical tools also allowed him to grow mentally. There, he was able to deal with the pressure of being the leader of Coach K’s final team and one of the biggest brands of college basketball.
So what does that all mean for Timberwolves? Some things. For starters, given that he played on four other draft topics this season, Moore is clearly comfortable to play with and fit with other high-end talents. The idea also appeared in court, where he was asked to do a little bit of everything. For example, Moore didn’t play point guards, but in many cases he acted as a secondary ball handler. This allowed him to finish with the highest assist rate on the team, according to Ken Pom. It was possible not only because Duke didn’t have a true reed guard, but because Moore had enough strong handles and enough court vision to set up his teammates. Regarding personal offensive usage, about half of Moore’s possessions were brought through migration or spot-up opportunities, according to Synergy, but he is efficient in both and per possession. It was more average than 1 point (PPP). It wasn’t out of the question for Moore to drop someone from the dribble on the half-court, shoot from the corner, overtake in the transition, and cut the back to make the layup easier. .. Something, something, a complete package.
Then defensively, at 6′-5 lbs and 216 lbs-but with a wingspan of 7 feet-Moore can realistically defend any position from 1 to 4 and is the best of his opponents on a regular basis. I was asked to protect the players around me. His steal was a partial proof of that, but Ken Pom recorded only 1.9 fouls per 40 minutes, making him the top 20 in ACC play.
Taken together, from long-term growth to the diversity on both sides of the ball, you have the next level of player qualifications for an ideal role. In fact, Carawell believes that there are many similarities with another former ACC star whose physically measurable ones are about the same.
“I always call him Malcolm Brogdon“Charawell says. “Just a big guard. When Brogdon became a pro, became a rookie of the year and made a lot of money, I … I think they’re similar to me.”
If Brogdon’s Career Ark (from the second round pick to the starter, the Six Million Dollar Man) shows what happens to Moore, T Wolfves fans absolutely hope that the Carawell comparison will work. need to do it.
(Photo: Robert Deutsch / USA Today)
