D’Angelo Russell, a young guard from Ohio State, has struggled this season. He’s averaging 8 points per game with just 6 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal in less than 18 minutes of play. However he is still No. 5 on the Timberwolves in plus/minus (+10) while Jimmy Butler lead the team at +24. The Wolves have been a much better team since giving him his starting gig two weeks ago after scoring 13 points against Brooklyn without SGA or Nemanja Bjelica two games before that and Rajon Rondo who had played over 30 mpg all year recently sitting out for precautionary reasons when the Wolves were facing one of their toughest stretches on the schedule-a trip to Indiana followed by three straight road contests against LeBron James & Co., Anthony Davis & Co., Boston…
D’Angelo Russell is shooting the ball terribly but still making a huge impact for the Timberwolves. He has been one of the most important players on this team, even though he isn’t putting up big numbers.
D’Angelo Russell’s dismal offensive start to the 2021-22 NBA season may have anything to do with the Minnesota Timberwolves’ suspected interest in a Ben Simmons deal. However, as the starving T-wolves aim to return to the playoffs, there’s reason to look at Simmons as a complimentary player.
Russell’s raw scoring and shooting stats are certainly lacking. However, D-Lo is enjoying a fantastic season.
D’Angelo Russell’s offensive numbers are deceiving.
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D’Angelo Russell looks to bring little value to the Timberwolves offense on the surface.
The 25-year-old combo guard has shot under 40% from the floor in 25 games, including 34.1 percent from outside the arc. He’s averaging 18.9 points per game, which is his lowest total since the 2017-18 season. However, a deeper look reveals that D-Lo has a significant influence.
For starters, with the former Ohio State star on the court, Minnesota’s offensive rating is 111.1. When he sits, that figure drops to 104.4. Russell also assists the Timberwolves with scoring and shot creation when they are most needed.
Russell is third in the NBA in clutch scoring (min. 10 games) with 4.1 points per game, according to NBA.com. In such instances, he’s hitting about 39% of his triples on high volume and getting to the free-throw line at a fair rate.
Sure, Russell and the T-wolves would love him to be a more consistent scorer throughout the game. He’d make Minnesota’s offense even more dangerous, particularly given Anthony Edwards’ current scoring pace. However, the No. 2 overall choice in 2015 gets the job done at important times and adds to the team’s success.
Russell has made huge defensive improvements, which is maybe even more significant.
Russell is completely focused on the defensive end of the court.
On earlier criticism of his defense, D’Angelo Russell said:
“I try to keep away from it as much as possible. My children criticize me more than the media…. You don’t want to be that guy when the team scores on you. We’re all proud of it.”
November 28, 2021 — Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine)
D’Angelo Russell’s prior reputation as a lone defender was, to put it mildly, bleak. D-Lo, on the other hand, has certainly put in the effort to improve his game on that end of the floor.
The on-off splits are really revealing yet again. When Russell sits, opponents have a 116.6 offensive rating. When he plays, though, the figure drops to 102.0 points per 100 possessions. That’s rather impressive.
Russell’s defensive posture has improved, as have the rotations. He’s grown a lot better at predicting the next pass and making plays as a help defender, as well as protecting the ball with greater tenacity.
Russell also shows a real desire to develop on the defensive side of the ball. He noted at the end of November that the Timberwolves’ locker room is something they take “pride” in.
The greater defensive effort seems to indicate that everyone on the T-wolves squad is working together more. It’s what Edwards virtually predicted back in October when he called for unity. Russell and others are becoming more focused as a result of this feeling of belonging, which has resulted in additional victories.
Will Russell be able to assist the Timberwolves in making the playoffs?
On December 19, 2021, D’Angelo Russell reacts during a game against the Dallas Mavericks | Getty Images/David Berding
Minnesota has finally fielded a competitive squad after years of frustration. In a congested Western Conference, can D’Angelo Russell and his teammates make the playoffs?
Minnesota (at 15-15) is the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed as of Dec. 20. That would be good enough to win them the home court as part of the play-in format if the season ended.
There’s still a long way to go for the Timberwolves, and they’ll have their work cut out for them. However, their position as one of the NBA’s finest surprises appears all the more promising, and there’s even more possibility if Russell can match his effort and clutch shot-making with more efficient scoring.
Unless otherwise stated, all stats are courtesy of Basketball Reference.
RELATED: Anthony Edwards Earns $10.2 Million But Continues to Use Outdated Technology: ‘That’s My Baby,’ says the narrator.
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The “d’angelo russell hair” is a topic that has been trending on social media recently. D’Angelo Russell, the newest member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, has been shooting the ball terribly but still making a huge impact for his new team.
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