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Texas Tech basketball alums: Breaking down Jarrett Culver’s rookie season

By Matthew Conner

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 01: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dunks over Robin Lopez #42 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at Fiserv Forum on January 01, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 01: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dunks over Robin Lopez #42 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at Fiserv Forum on January 01, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Jarrett Culver #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots the ball during. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
Jarrett Culver #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots the ball during. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

He finished the season playing well

It is a shame that Culver didn’t get to play the final 18 games of his season because he was starting to play some of his best basketball when the NBA suspended play.  But the good news is that he enters the offseason with plenty of positives to build upon.

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In his last 10 games, his scoring average increased to 10.6 points per game, and only twice did he fail to reach double-digits.  He also had an average game score (a statistical metric that evaluates a player’s all-around contributions in a game) of 7.4, which was up from his season game-score average of 5.9.

What is most promising from that stretch is the fact that he began to shoot the ball far more effectively.  On the season, he averaged just over 40% from the floor and 29.9% from 3-point range.  But in the final ten games, he was a 51.2% shooter overall and a 46.7% shooter from beyond the arc.

The key might have been an early-February trade.  When the T-Wolves traded Wiggins to Golden State for D’Angelo Russell, it changed the dynamic of the Minnesota backcourt and allowed Culver to operate in more space given the way Russell spaces the floor.  After that trade, Minnesota would play just 14 more games and through most of that stretch, Culver played well.

This was one of three stretches of quality play that Culver had in his rookie season.  From November 13 to December 4, he averaged 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while posting an average game score of 8.3 over the course of ten games.

Meanwhile, from December 30 to January 18, he was even better.  During that 11-game stretch, he scored 15.9 points, grabbed 5.2 rebounds, and handed out 2.2 assists per game while posting an average game score of 11.4.

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While he wasn’t quite that strong in the last ten games of the year, he did show indications that he was starting to figure out his role and how to play in the NBA. Unfortunately, that nice run was cut short by the coronavirus outbreak and now, we will have to wait until next season (whenever that may be) to see his continued progress.

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