The 36-game sprint of a regular season has officially come to an end. By now, you probably caught wind that the Iowa Wolves have ended their 11-year postseason drought! Huzza!
Let’s review the month of March, and preview what’s to come in this edition of Eyes on Iowa Wolves.
November Summary (Click to open)
Record: 6-2
Player of the Month: Zyon Pullin (27.7p, 3.3r, 6a, .667/.545/.903)
Recap: Iowa was in prime position for a spot in Winter Showcase tournament spot behind the strong play of their backcourt. Pullin, Tristen Newton, and Jules Bernard, all averaged over 20 points each, spearheading a league-best offense.
December Summary (Click to open)
Record: 5-6
Player of the Month: Tristen Newton (26.4p, 4.6r, 4.9a, .506/.374/.830)
Recap: Iowa stumbled as they lost previous POTM, Zyon Pullin, to a wrist injury. They missed out on the Winter Showcase playoff tournament, but found their form to end the month thanks to Tristen Newton’s outstanding play.
Timberwolves rookie Joan Beringer also made his debut this month with some impressive performances of his own.
January Summary (Click to open)
Record: 8-5
Player of the Month: Jules Bernard (26p, 5.5r, 5.9a, .473/.394/.812)
Recap: Iowa lost their best player, Tristen Newton, to the Rockets to start 2026. They course corrected to win 7 of their next 11 games thanks to the outstanding play of Jules Bernard and Alize Johnson.
Rookie Rocco Zikarsky was selected for the G League Next Up game during All-Star Weekend.
February Summary (Click to open)
Record: 3-4
Player of the Month: Jalen Crutcher (22.1p, 3.7r, 6.7a, .535/.548/.846)
Recap: Alize Johnson departed for China, though Enrique Freeman filled in admirably. It was a tough month, but vets Jalen Crutcher and Jules Bernard helped the Wolves stay alive in the playoff race.
Jules Bernard signed a two-way contract for a few days (pay bump) before being replaced by Zyon Pullin, who won POTW in his first week back from injury.
Overall Month Record: 7-4
Current Regular Season Record: 21-15
Final Standing: 6th in Western Conference
OFFRTG: 123.8 (6th)
DEFRTG: 119.1 (13th)
NETRTG: 4.7 (7th)
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The story of the Iowa Wolves season has been about battling back from adversity.
They started off the season in November strong. They were among the elite teams, overwhelming opponents with their league-best offense. Zyon Pullin was the lightning rod of the team. An avatar of Iowa’s style — Breakneck pace by attacking the paint, and limited, but efficient, three-point shooting. Unfortunately, a wrist injury took him out of the lineup for over two months. Iowa was able to tread water despite various roster changes to until Pullin finally returned late February amidst a skid of four losses in five games to end the month.
It just took a little time for Pullin’s impact to reflect in the win column.
A pair of dominant victories against the Rip City Remix helped keep their playoff dreams alive. Pullin averaged 28 points in those games while scoring on 20 of his 26 field goal attempts, enough to earn the G League Player of the Week honors.
Iowa ran into a buzzsaw that was the South Bay Lakers though. The Lakers were on a double-digit game win streak before dispatching the Wolves twice. Timberwolves rookie Joan Beringer was active and ultra productive for Iowa during a three-game losing streak though, providing some silver lining to his third assignment in the G League.
Speaking of temporary assignments, newly acquired Julian Phillips suited up for a pair of games against the Salt Lake City Stars. The 22-year-old shined, posting a career-high in points at any level of collegiate or professional play. He helped get Iowa back on track as they headed towards their final four games of the season with the playoffs on the line.
They nearly punched their ticket in a set of games against the Texas Legends. Iowa performed a miracle 16-point fourth quarter comeback in the first game, but dramatically lost the second. The Wolves most clutch player of the regular season, Jalen “Clutch” Crutcher, uncharacteristically missed a pair of free throws and a clean step-back three-pointer.
Regardless, they had done enough that a loss by the Santa Cruz Warriors a few days later secured a postseason berth. With nothing but playoff seeding to play for, Pullin and his teammates torched the Oklahoma City Blue by an average of 21 points to end the season.
Their positive momentum will hopefully carry them far into the postseason tournament.
NBA
In prior G League seasons, only the top six (or less) teams of each conference made the postseason. This season, they’re reintroducing the 16-team playoff bracket. There’s no need for asterisks though, as the Iowa Wolves finished as the sixth seed and will face the third seed Stockton Kings in the first round.
Every playoff series will be a single-elimination format until the Finals, where the format changes to a best-of-three.
Who are the Stockton Kings?
The Stockton Kings, contrary to their NBA affiliate, are no joke.
Sure, Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé named his daughter, a wildlife activist and aspiring pop star with zero professional basketball experience at any level, the Assistant General Manager of the Stockton Kings (She has since stepped down from her role). Yes, it was around that same time where an off-the-court scandal featuring one of the their players was charged with the kidnapping and murder of a woman two years ago (Ranadivé’s daughter may or may not have been involved). And okay, Stockton’s leading scorer is the 28-year-old veteran DaQuan Jeffries, who has played with five different NBA teams across six seasons and is married to the daughter of current unqualified Sacramento Kings Head Coach, Doug Christie.
On the court, they have been the number one seed in the Western Conference for four of their last five seasons. They’ve made back-to-back G League Finals, and won their first championship a year ago. They are a good basketball team.
Their roster does look considerably different than last season. First and foremost, their Finals MVP and three-time All NBA G League selection Mason Jones is now playing overseas. Their entire starting frontcourt from the playoffs, Skal Labissière, Isaiah Crawford, and Terry Taylor are no longer on the team. In fact, Taylor is now coming off the bench for Iowa (Institutional knowledge?). Of the Kings postseason lineup from their championship run, the only rotation players who are returning are Jon “Temu Alex Caruso” Elmore, and Dexter Dennis.
The Kings two-way players are Patrick Baldwin Jr., Isaiah Stevens, and Daeqwuan Plowden. Due to tanking the laundry list of a injury report, Plowden has been called up to Sacramento and has been playing well over 30 minutes a night for nearly two months. Stockton’s best player has been the aforementioned DaQuan Jeffries recently signed a 10-day contract with Sacramento and hasn’t been available for Stockton either.
The Kings are ninth in offensive rating, and 16th in defensive rating. They’re dead last in pace, where they’ll grind out possessions, moving the ball until they get a good shot as evidenced by their 64.3 assist percentage (Fourth) and 55.6% effective field goal mark (11th). They take the third most amount of threes per game, yet they convert on the second most three-point makes per game. A stark contrast to Iowa’s style of play.
On the other end of the court, they hold their opponents to just 33.2 three-point attempts per game, and 31.9% from distance when they do get shots off. Both of these marks are second-best in the league.
The Iowa Wolves and Stockton Kings split their season series 1-1, both occurring in February and in California. The Wolves were led by the hot shooting of Jalen Crutcher and a near triple-double by Alize Johnson in his final game before departing overseas. Despite being without Pullin’s services, Iowa still eked out a five-point win without Pullin.
In the second contest three weeks later, the Kings cruised to an easy triumph courtesy of a 16-0 run that bridged the two halves together. The Wolves never recovered from there, as Stockton was on fire from deep. Three different players scored 25 points or more for the Kings, including bench reserve Antoine Davis, who poured in surprising and season-best seven triples. Across both games, DaQuan Jeffries averaged a ridiculous 34 points in this series, but as mentioned earlier, he may not be available for Stockton on Wednesday as Sacramento has a game against the Raptors.
Here is the tale of the tape:
IowaStocktonOFFRTG124.1 (5th)122.7 (9th)DEFRTG119.1 (12th)119.4 (16th)NETRTG5.0 (6th)3.3 (10th)eFG%56.3 (7th)55.6 (11th)ORB%30.3 (3rd)26.1 (23rd)TOV%14.0 (17th)13.6 (12th)FTr17.6 (15th)16.9 (19th)Pace97.5 (9th)93.4 (31st)AST%59.6 (17th)64.3 (4th)%3P35.0 (20th)47.7 (2nd)
By the numbers, Iowa should have a sizeable advantage. They’re the stronger team in terms of offensive and defensive rating. They score better in three of the Four Factors. They hold a ginormous pace advantage. However, Stockton holds a big edge in the ultimate wild card factor: Three-pointers. Nearly half of their field goal attempts are from distance, and for a team that shoots 37.4% from distance, that could be a problem. Another outlier night from perimeter could doom the Wolves as it did a month ago.
Iowa will travel to Stockton to face the Kings on Wednesday, April 1 at 8:30pm CT on Prime Video.
Joan & Julian Assignments
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MARCH 25: Joan Beringer #19 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on before the game against the Houston Rockets on March 25, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Joan Beringer
Full season stats:
11 GP | 29.5 MP | 14.6 PTS | 10.7 REB | 0.9 AST | 0.5 STL | 2.4 BLK | 1.3 TOV | 2.3 PF
62.7 FG% | 66.7 FT%
Glass ceiling comp: Ultimate Giannis Antetokounmpo
Boring mezzanine comp: Faster Jarrett Allen
Dark basement comp: Taller Bismack Biyombo
Joan looked like prime Dwight Howard in his final four-game assignment with Iowa. He averaged:
20 points15.3 rebounds1 assist1.8 blocks68.6% field goal percentage83.3% free throw percentage
Beringer was as dominant as the numbers looked despite having almost no plays called for him. His confidence as a play finisher has skyrocketed. He’s showing a much larger assortment of post moves, and deft touch around the rim. He’s even had a handful of dribble-drive finishes from outside the paint.
It’s likely that the Frenchman may have played his last game in Iowa considering his growth and opportunity moving forward for the Timberwolves.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – FEBRUARY 08: Julian Phillips #4 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on against the LA Clippers in the fourth quarter at Target Center on February 08, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Clippers defeated the Timberwolves 115-96. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) Getty Images
Julian Phillips
Full season stats:
2 GP | 34.7 MP | 29.0 PTS | 8.5 REB | 1.5 AST | 1.0 STL | 0.5 BLK | 3.0 TOV | 2.0 PF
54.2 FG% | 30.8 3P% | 16.7 FT%
Glass ceiling comp: Ideal Jerami Grant
Boring mezzanine comp: Young Derrick Jones Jr.
Dark basement comp: Smaller Josh Minott
Julian was really aggressive in his two-game stint with Iowa, to say the least. He led Iowa in field goal attempts in both games, averaging 24 shots per game. What was clearly evident was his ability to slither into the lane and use his length, athleticism, and craftiness to score.
He got to the cup at will.
Phillips is a dangerous cutter and transition player as well, with tremendous top-end speed and the ability to play fly above the rim. He was excellent in contest-and-release situations, often taking advantage of careless defenses. Coach Abdelfattah also used Phillips in defensive lineups, as his near seven-foot wingspan caused problems for opponents.
It’s hard to be too critical about his less than ideal shot selection. Often times when non-two-way players are sent on G League assignments, they’re sent with the goal of getting in reps. That said, Phillips does have a considerably long journey ahead of him in terms of his jump shot. He has a bit of a wonky shot release that results in shots either swishing through the cylinder, or not being close at all. The consistency is not there, as was reflected in his one for six mark from the charity stripe.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 13: RoccoZikarsky of Timberwolves warms up before the NBA game 34 between Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors in San Francisco at Chase Center on March 13, 2026 in San Francisco, California, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) Anadolu via Getty Images
Rocco Zikarsky
Full season stats:
42 GP | 25.1 MP | 14.8 PTS | 8.9 REB | 0.9 AST | 0.6 STL | 2.5 BLK | 1.9 TOV | 2.2 PF
53.3 FG% | 30.8 3P% | 75.6 FT%
Glass ceiling comp: Healthy Kristaps Porziņģis
Boring mezzanine comp: Less athletic Jay Huff
Dark basement comp: Shorter Tacko Fall
Rocco has really come into his own throughout the G League season. For the first month all season, Zikarsky averaged over 30 minutes per game in March. As a result, we saw him post his best scoring, rebounding and shot blocking marks of any month. Averaging a 19.5 point and 11.8 rebound double-double is amazing, but swatting away a ridiculous 5.2 blocks per game is mind-boggling. The Aussie finished second in the league in total blocks (103). His 8.4% BLK% would’ve been second in the NBA behind Victor Wembanyama.
Unfortunately, his three-point shooting has been anything but reliable. He showed signs of promise at the beginning of the season, but then really tailed off in February. His 31.6% mark from distance in March might not be exciting, but consider the fact that he went zero for 15 in February and you’ll be relieved to know that he even has the ability to score from beyond the arc.
At 19-years-old (20 in July), this isn’t to say Zikarsky can’t keep developing. Jump shooting tend to trend upwards, not downwards, as players get older. He still has upside and that’s all anyone should ask for from a 45th overall pick.
DES MOINES, IA – MARCH 28: Zyon Pullin #5 of the Iowa Wolves looks to pass the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Blue on March 28, 2026 at Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jasey Bradwell/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Zyon Pullin
Full season stats:
22 GP | 34.9 MP | 25.3 PTS | 4.2 REB | 6.2 AST | 0.9 STL | 0.2 BLK | 2.2 TOV | 2.3 PF
58.4 FG% | 53.4 3P% | 82.4 FT%
Glass ceiling comp: Explosive Ajay Mitchell
Boring mezzanine comp: Offensively skewed Tre Jones
Dark basement comp: Devin Carter
What more can you say about Zyon that I haven’t already said about him at this point? I’ve been a Pullin truther since November and he’s only gotten better as the season progressed, despite a significant injury. Take a look at his month-by-month splits:
PTSREBASTSTL3PM3P%NOV27.73.36.00.71.754.5%DEC (INJURY)14.83.35.50.51.341.7%FEB (RETURN)26.74.05.70.71.742.9%MAR28.05.67.01.32.459.4%
With the loss of players like Tristen Newton and Alize Johnson, Pullin has shouldered even more of the workload in the past month. He’s picking up the playmaking hole left by the former, while attacking the glass to makeup for the loss of the latter. Most impressive has been his three-point shooting. Never known as a volume chucker from beyond the arc, Pullin has become an absolute sniper in recent games including a career-high six makes in his second to last game.
As mentioned in the February recap, Zyon isn’t a star on the defensive end of the court, but he has great court awareness and isn’t typically a defender that’s targeted by opponents. It’s clear that Iowa will only go as far as Zyon can pull them.
STOCKTON, CA – FEBRUARY 25: Enrique Freeman #25 of the Iowa Wolves drives to the basket during the game against the Stockton Kings on February 25, 2026 at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California. 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jack Arent/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Enrique Freeman
Full season stats:
39 GP | 33.2 MP | 16.5 PTS | 8.8 REB | 2.4 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.8 BLK | 1.8 TOV | 2.8 PF
54.6 FG% | 32.3 3P% | 73.8 FT%
Glass ceiling comp: Poor man’s Paul Millsap
Boring mezzanine comp: Trim Jared Sullinger
Dark basement comp: Poor man’s Craig Smith
The oft-forgotten two-way player for the Wolves has steadily found his groove in recent months. He had a breakout February, averaging a 22.5 point, 10.5 rebound double-double while shooting 41.7% from distance. Though his 11-game March hasn’t been as good, he’s logged a repeatable and consistent 16.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game averages while knocking down 36.6% of his triples.
Something that has stood out from Freeman has his been his increased playmaking skills. He’s averaged a career-best 3.5 assists this month while decreasing his turnovers down to just 1.5 per game. Enrique is a strong roll man who has made good decisions in the short roll, but also flashed some ability as an offensive hub at the top of the arc. The Puerto Rican has a dependable jump hook with either hand that Iowa can lean on in tough possessions.
Freeman will have a chance to prove himself on the defensive end in the postseason. He’s shown the ability to get deflections or go up for difficult rim contests, but he has to be more reliable on that end. I’d like to say that he is one of those players that acts before he thinks, often playing off instinct for better or worse. Sometimes he’ll wow you, but other times it’ll make some forehead slapping decisions.
DES MOINES, IA – MARCH 28: Jalen Crutcher #18 of the Iowa Wolves drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Blue on March 28, 2026 at Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jasey Bradwell/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Jalen Crutcher
Full season stats:
34 GP | 35.3 MP | 18.4 PTS | 3.2 REB | 6.0 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.4 BLK | 2.0 TOV | 1.9 PF
46.9 FG% | 43.3 3P% | 83.6 FT%
Glass ceiling comp: Better shooting Dennis Schröder
Boring mezzanine comp: “We Have Cameron Payne at home”
Dark basement comp: Ryan Nembhard in four years
Jalen Crutcher has slowly, but surely, become one of the most important players on the roster. Sure, Rocco gets a lot of fanfare as a seven-foot unicorn. Joan makes waves every time he’s violently throwing down a dunk or swatting a shot. Zyon’s emergence has become the story of the season for Iowa.
But Crutcher has become an invaluable engine to this team.
Ever since he took over as the full-time starting point guard after Tristen Newton signed with Houston, the 26-year-old has been the best ball handler, playmaker, and perimeter shooter for Iowa. In March, Crutcher was launching 9.5 three-point attempts per game and connecting on 41% of them. Many of those were of the dribble pull-up variety. When defenders play up on him, he beats them with his signature floater.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Crutcher is offered a lucrative contract elsewhere. This is his fifth year in the G League and he’s been a more than productive innings eater for multiple teams.
STOCKTON, CA – FEBRUARY 25: Jules Bernard #14 of the Iowa Wolves drives to the basket during the game against the Stockton Kings on February 25, 2026 at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California. 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jack Arent/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Jules Bernard
Full season stats:
45 GP | 34.0 MP | 22.1 PTS | 6.2 REB | 5.2 AST | 1.1 STL | 0.4 BLK | 3.4 TOV | 1.9 PF
42.0 FG% | 32.9 3P% | 79.3 FT%
Glass ceiling comp: Norman Powell
Boring mezzanine comp: Bigger Cole Anthony
Dark basement comp: Discount Jaden Hardy
The return of Pullin and increased role for Crutcher has predictably limited Bernard’s role. He had a standout January, but has begun to regress back to his inefficient ways in the last two months. Jules has also dealt with some injuries and illnesses recently, perhaps impacting his play.
At his best, Bernard is an overqualified third option on offense. At his worst, he’s disrupting the offensive flow by calling his own number too often. His perimeter shooting has steadily declined from 38.3% in January, down to 25% in March. He’s still effective at getting to the paint and drawing contact, but he frequently gets caught in the paint with no second plan of attack if the whistle isn’t blown.