Minnesota Timberwolves make right move in starting Zach LaVine over Kevin Martin
I like the way Sam Mitchell is doing things already for the Minnesota Timberwolves. On Tuesday, acting head coach Mitchell told SiriusXM’s NBA Radio that Zach LaVine will be the starting shooting guard for the Timberwolves.
AUDIO: Today at #TWolves camp @SamMitchellNBA revealed @ZachLaVine will be the starting SG
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) October 6, 2015
Hear the INT Wed at 6p CThttp://t.co/L0csPeNZn5
This was a surprise to most. LaVine deserves the gig with no doubt in my mind, but the Wolves still have Kevin Martin on the roster which makes the announcement all that more interesting.
It is clear that Martin is not in the long-term plans for the Wolves. Martin will turn 32-years-old in February and is a whole lot closer to being on the same plane with Kevin Garnett and Andre Miller than Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
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The issue of starting Martin or LaVine is a lot like the Minnesota Twins’ issue with Miguel Sano, Joe Mauer and Trevor Plouffe. It’s obvious to most that if two of those three need to be in the field that Mauer is the odd man out, but his contract might keep that from happening. That’s not happening with the Wolves.
Martin is making over seven million dollars this upcoming season while LaVine is going to be making only a little over a million dollars from the Wolves. The Wolves are showing that they have the guts that the Twins just might not have.
Don’t play people that don’t help you win. Sure, Martin will help the Wolves and Mauer will help the Twins now and then, but the other options will help more and will be helping for a longer time frame.
LaVine has shown more than enough in the closing months of last season and this offseason that he deserves to be a starter. It’ll be another transition period for the Wolves with a new coach at the helm, but it’s already off to a pretty good start.