Danny Wolf
Forward
Unique ball-handling point center with quick processing skills.
Danny Wolf has shown time and time again to be undervalued and underrated. How does a near 7ft ball-handler end up playing basketball at Yale, and then instantly become a one-man offensive option at a D1 program just a year later?
While he wasn’t used every possession, Wolf was the primary pick-and-roll team-offense creator for Dusty Mays’ Michigan program; he was the 6’11” Point (Forward? Center?) running the show.
Wolf’s ability to orchestrate pick-and-rolls consistently, constantly finding a good shot for himself or the team alongside his powerful rim-rolling screen partner, Vlad Goldin, provides a proof of concept for any level of basketball.
A tall ball-handler can see over the defense, making passing reads even easier than normal. But let’s not pretend any seven-footer has this advantage; if every center has this advantage, then why don’t all centers just run pick-and-roll? Because they need the handles, vision, decision-making feel, shooting touch, scoring prowess, timing and body control to handle all the responsibilities of a P&R ball-handler at once, something Wolf has that most bigs his size don’t.
Danny ran 231 pick-and-rolls as his team’s ball-handler where his 0.94 PPP on P&R including passes ranked in the 65th percentile among all players.
Wolf ranks 14th in FGS, and highly in scoring and shooting via Cerebro Sports rankings of NCAA players in the draft. Wolf Ranks T-5th in At the Rim rating
Danny is a versatile scorer, a good shooter on and off the ball, an offensive orchestrator who can run either end of a pick-and-roll, and a potential offensive playmaking hub who can initiate a team’s offense as a primary scoring creator option.
Shooting:
33% 3P% on 51 Pull-Up 3PA
34% 3P% on 62 C&S 3PA
37% 3P% on 30 guarded C&S 3PA
58% 2P% on 207 Layups
Synergy Scoring Playtpes
1.14 PPP on 43 Putbacks
1.09 PPP on 44 Cuts
1.03 PPP on 31 ISOs (82nd Percentile)
1.02 PPP on 66 Spot Ups
0.94 PPP on 33 P&R Roll Man
Wolf’s ideal role at the next level probably looks similar to his Michigan role: playing the 4 with a big brute rim-rolling play-finishing center next to him. Wolf’s mobility is best used defending opposing 4s, where he can play help-defense at the rim instead of being the lone rim-protector.
As a point-forward, letting Wolf initiate offense in P&R, play 3pt connector, and act as a playmaking hub is how to maximize his winning impact on the floor. Wolf’s scalability is not his strong suit; putting him in the wrong role could mitigate the strengths he brings to the table.
Concerns exist about Wolf’s ability to truly play the five at the next level; is he a tweener who can’t guard anyone or a versatile defender that can guard big 4s and small 5s? Tbd.
Wolf has sound footwork, phenomenal passing, good perimeter shooting, tight handle, impressive two-way feel, unique playing style, special talent, at 6’11”.
Ryan Kaminski