Hello Dylan Cardwell

I’ll admit to latching on to “young players with promise” and then getting burned later when they never reach the ideal outcome. Am I doing it again with Dylan? At first the thought was 3rd big, occasional defensive sub in certain lineups kinda player. Shot free throws that air balled wide left, zero offense and fouled any arm in the general vicinity. Then it was, well maybe he can be a real backup getting 15 min a game. Then he started rebounding like a menace, offensive end in particular. The free throw shot, while still not great looked better. He found a few high percentage shots he can make. Caught a few lobs. Made laser passes off rebounds leading to second chance shots. Started playing 20 plus minutes and not fouling out. Backup bigs like Goga Bitadze and Jay Huff also showed out in starter minutes and then landed back as solid backups over time. Will Dylan follow in their footsteps or is his rapid improvement in such a short time just the beginning?

I think Dylan is real. The absolute stunning growth from SL to now is a huge indicator. And we now have a pretty sizeable sample when he rejoined the rotation full time back in December. Since he joined the team vs POR on Dec 18, he's put up:

24 games:

21.8 MPG

111.3 ORtg
107.2 DRtg (best on the team by a sizeable margin)
+4.1 Net (best on the team by a sizeable margin. Nique is 2nd at -0.1 during this span)

5.8 PPG
8.2 RPG
1.3 APG
1.8 BPG
0.7 SPG

62.6% TS (Unreal growth here)
10.3% USG
17.6% TRB (Would be 13th in the NBA if he qualified with minutes cap.)
7.3% BLK (would be 4th in the NBA if he qualified with minutes cap)
55.6% FT

Depending on what our team make-up is next season, if he starts (he should) and gets 30+ MPG (he should), he'll be in Most improved player talks. I'm buying early and staying in on Cardwell, dude checks every box.

Ok, not every box: He has to stop fouling and he has to significantly improve his FT shooting. But even if those don't improve, he's a starter right now
 
Is there a stat that shows the teams rebounding percentage with Dylan on and off the floor?

He looks like a beast when rebounding but the funny thing is that Sabonis still outrebounds him by .7 per36. But then I started thinking about it and Dylan likes to back tap rebounds a lot and I don't really recall Sabonis doing that much at all. So while Dylan might not have quite the same rebounding rate as Sabonis, it makes me wonder if the team rebounds better overall when he's on the floor due to those back taps.
 
I think Dylan is real. The absolute stunning growth from SL to now is a huge indicator. And we now have a pretty sizeable sample when he rejoined the rotation full time back in December. Since he joined the team vs POR on Dec 18, he's put up:

24 games:

21.8 MPG

111.3 ORtg
107.2 DRtg (best on the team by a sizeable margin)
+4.1 Net (best on the team by a sizeable margin. Nique is 2nd at -0.1 during this span)

5.8 PPG
8.2 RPG
1.3 APG
1.8 BPG
0.7 SPG

62.6% TS (Unreal growth here)
10.3% USG
17.6% TRB (Would be 13th in the NBA if he qualified with minutes cap.)
7.3% BLK (would be 4th in the NBA if he qualified with minutes cap)
55.6% FT

Depending on what our team make-up is next season, if he starts (he should) and gets 30+ MPG (he should), he'll be in Most improved player talks. I'm buying early and staying in on Cardwell, dude checks every box.

Ok, not every box: He has to stop fouling and he has to significantly improve his FT shooting. But even if those don't improve, he's a starter right now

How’s his defense on the perimeter? With his rim protection and rebounding he is starter material


This was last week and his minuets are low but any time you’re near Wemby, Gobert, and Chet it’s a good thing
 
Is there a stat that shows the teams rebounding percentage with Dylan on and off the floor?

He looks like a beast when rebounding but the funny thing is that Sabonis still outrebounds him by .7 per36. But then I started thinking about it and Dylan likes to back tap rebounds a lot and I don't really recall Sabonis doing that much at all. So while Dylan might not have quite the same rebounding rate as Sabonis, it makes me wonder if the team rebounds better overall when he's on the floor due to those back taps.

ON TRB%: 51.7%
OFF TRB%: 46.8%

And predictably, especially after that LAC game, he crushes the offensive glass:

On ORB%: 31.5%
OFF ORB%: 22.7%

If I had to guess, that's why he's been such a positive on offense, despite his limitations and low USG. He creates a TON of extra possessions or easy put-backs.
 
ON TRB%: 51.7%
OFF TRB%: 46.8%

And predictably, especially after that LAC game, he crushes the offensive glass:

On ORB%: 31.5%
OFF ORB%: 22.7%

If I had to guess, that's why he's been such a positive on offense, despite his limitations and low USG. He creates a TON of extra possessions or easy put-backs.

Thanks that ORB% is crazy. Yeah he can't have the ball in his hands for more than second without it getting stripped away but it really doesn't matter when you create that many extra possessions.
 
Thanks that ORB% is crazy. Yeah he can't have the ball in his hands for more than second without it getting stripped away but it really doesn't matter when you create that many extra possessions.

He had a play vs the Cavs where he wildly bricked a floater, jumped through FOUR Cavs to get his own O-reb, dived on the floor to tip it to Plowden, who swings it to Dev... and gets it back for the lay-up and score.

Is "generational" hustle/energy a thing? Because if so, Cardwell might be the first guy to qualify for that descriptor.


2:50-3:00

Truly an absurd play.
 
Like I mentioned in another thread - Was sold on Caldwell the first Auburn highlight collage I watched.....I dunno how he was undrafted - but it was the Kings foturne - his energy/effort level on defense has gotta be up there in the top 10% of the league, I was more excited for him than the other players drafted honestly.
 
If he ever gets comfortable on offense then it’s over. He seems to be developing a nice push shot. He seems like a guy that works hard at getting better. I’ve never seen a big like him before n the kings since they got to Sacramento. I’m talking the defensive end. Clearly cousins was a more complete player.
 
He had a play vs the Cavs where he wildly bricked a floater, jumped through FOUR Cavs to get his own O-reb, dived on the floor to tip it to Plowden, who swings it to Dev... and gets it back for the lay-up and score.

Is "generational" hustle/energy a thing? Because if so, Cardwell might be the first guy to qualify for that descriptor.


2:50-3:00

Truly an absurd play.

That was the play that came to mind when I started reading this thread this morning. I was blown away when he did that. There's no advanced technique there. Just a guy that wants it more than everyone else around him.

So far it seems to be a generational hustle thing and not a flash in the pan Brockman type deal where the team sucks so bad that any type of hustle or positivity makes it seem like we have a real player on our hands.
 
He had a play vs the Cavs where he wildly bricked a floater, jumped through FOUR Cavs to get his own O-reb, dived on the floor to tip it to Plowden, who swings it to Dev... and gets it back for the lay-up and score.

Is "generational" hustle/energy a thing? Because if so, Cardwell might be the first guy to qualify for that descriptor.


2:50-3:00

Truly an absurd play.

Dennis Rodman made a career of it
 
ON TRB%: 51.7%
OFF TRB%: 46.8%

And predictably, especially after that LAC game, he crushes the offensive glass:

On ORB%: 31.5%
OFF ORB%: 22.7%

If I had to guess, that's why he's been such a positive on offense, despite his limitations and low USG. He creates a TON of extra possessions or easy put-backs.
Thanks that ORB% is crazy. Yeah he can't have the ball in his hands for more than second without it getting stripped away but it really doesn't matter when you create that many extra possessions.

Yep. It's the Steven Adams principle. Careful watches of the league will note that more and more teams are valuing the possession game as a means of exploiting inefficiencies. If the Kings' front office and coaching staff are paying attention to these numbers, it's a good sign. The contract they gave Cardwell does suggest they value what he brings, and I think he's going to be central to the Kings' long-term success as a defensive team, if they manage to get their rebuild off the ground.
 
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That was the play that came to mind when I started reading this thread this morning. I was blown away when he did that. There's no advanced technique there. Just a guy that wants it more than everyone else around him.

So far it seems to be a generational hustle thing and not a flash in the pan Brockman type deal where the team sucks so bad that any type of hustle or positivity makes it seem like we have a real player on our hands.

Yup. The Jon Brockman, Jack Cooley, Quincy Acy types just didn't have the size/athleticism to hang vs NBA athletes. Tremendous heart/effort, but when it came down to it, there's just a size/measurables/athleticism barrier you have to meet to play at this level.

Cardwell is bringing that same level of hustle/energy/intensity, but with tremendous rebounding/rim protection instincts in a massive 6'10 frame while being a tremendous athlete. And any time we see him get switched on the perimeter in the PnR, you don't see the struggle to stick with the ball-handler that you do with most bigs, much less rookies. That one game vs the Blazers and Shaedon Sharpe where he had him in jail like 3 or 4 times in a 4 minute span sticks out.
 
How’s his defense on the perimeter? With his rim protection and rebounding he is starter material


This was last week and his minuets are low but any time you’re near Wemby, Gobert, and Chet it’s a good thing
I don't get it. Embid, Giannis, and Gordon are at the bottom of the heap according to this graphic? So we don't like them?

Based on my eye test Max has actually been better than Cardwell with his perimeter defense. Cardwell is better on the interior.
 
I find the "complain about the mods" class of internet user to be a particularly adolescent bunch. Trouble is, I don't imagine many adolescents still frequent KF.com.
 
Mea Culpa: I should not have editorialized the clean up of some off-topic posts on this thread. For that I apologize.
 

What's impressive is his ability to differentiate the times to just jump straight up and when to go for the block/steal. Doesn't have Hassan Whiteside syndrome where he's hunting for blocks, but looking to make the right defensive play.

His analytics are truly absurd for a rookie, much less a rookie big. Hes a special defensive talent and probably an above average rebounder.
 
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