The Wolves acquired forward Jake Layman in a sign-and-trade deal with the Portland Trail Blazers last week. Here are a few things you should know about the new member of the Wolves.
What’s His Name?
Jake Layman
Where Is He From?
Layman, 25, was born in Norwood, Massachusetts and attended college at the University of Maryland.
Here are three things you might not know about Norwood:
- It originated as a farming town in the late 1800s when a man named Ezra Morse set up a sawmill in what would later become the town.
- The Oak View Mansion once hosted presidents William Howard Taft and Calvin Coolidge. Some rather obscure presidents, but I have never hosted any presidents in my home so I can’t judge.
- Norwood is also the name of a borough of Croydon, England. The English version of Norwood had a few famous literary residents—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Émile Zola.
Where Have You Heard Of Him Before?
Layman had a career year last season, appearing in 71 games for the Blazers and starting in 33. He is famous for his athleticism and one of the Blazers’ best plays was a lob to Layman.
Describe Him To Us
Layman is a long, hyper-athletic forward who is surprisingly efficient. Last season he improved his three-point shooting dramatically, hitting 32.6 percent from deep. That might not be elite but it’s solid for a third-year player who is still growing.
What Layman really figured out how to do last year was use his athleticism to get easy looks. He’s not much on a creator with the ball in his hands but he’s a phenomenal off-ball cutter and he has a knack for finishing around the rim. He can accelerate very quickly and often catches his defenders flat-footed. He shot over 50 percent from the field last season due to his ability to hunt out high quality looks.
Layman will fit in nicely in the Wolves’ forward rotation as yet another exciting, athletic wing to put next to Karl-Anthony Towns. The Wolves are going to be one of the most athletic teams in the league next year—it’s going to be very fun to watch.