With the 2022-23 NBA season still in the first part, teams still have a lot of time to shake their rosters and decide whose contracts to end and extend. The preseason favorites, Minnesota Timberwolves, are no exception to this, currently eyeing another appearance at the playoffs stage.
Now standing with a 5-6 record, the Minneapolis-based squad’s roster seems to have trouble finding its perfect mix, and trading players can possibly be an option to solve the puzzle. Speaking of which, all eyes are now on the Wolves’ 6’4″ point guard D’Angelo Russell.
With the guard currently in the final year of his four-year, $117.32 million contract with the Wolves, the decision on whether to end or extend his stint with Minnesota has most probably been a dilemma for the team’s front office.
In the off-season, the Wolves had the opportunity to trade D-Lo for an equal or even better point guard, especially after struggling in a six-game playoff battle against the Memphis Grizzlies. However, the team took an alternative by acquiring three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert in exchange for five players and five picks, saving D-Lo in the end.
However, with the team’s lackluster performance in the growing season, with Russell still yet to find his groove, did the Wolves miss out on not trading the 6-foot-4 point guard? Can he help the Timberwolves in the NBA odds 2022?
#DAngeloRussell for the lead LATE! #WeGoHard
💻📱: https://t.co/iPjKqpSDr5 pic.twitter.com/L2vqVGz4wf
— NBA (@NBA) February 12, 2019
STATISTICAL DOWNFALL
Acquired in early 2020, Russell has since been one of the Wolves’ main guns, teaming up with Towns and then-Wolves Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt, hyping up the team’s offensive and defensive ends.
In his first year with the squad, D-Lo posted an average of 19.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, while also generating a 43.1 success rate from the field and a career-high 38.7 efficiency on three-pointers.
The following season, the Ohio State alum continued to provide the numbers for the Wolves, tallying an average of 18.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, career-high 7.1 assists, and 0.3 blocks per game, backed by an impressive 41/34/82% shooting split. These numbers were enough in steering Minnesota to a comeback to the playoffs, before eventually losing to Memphis after six games.
In the playoffs, Russell’s numbers started to wane, with his shooting and playmaking efficiencies struggling. Chris Finch, the Wolves head coach, even benched D-Lo for Jordan McLaughlin who eventually outplayed the former.
Unfortunately, Russell carried this statistical downfall until the current season, performing way below his usual game, producing an underwhelming 13.5 points per game, with 4.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists — all below his averages in the past previous seasons. Will this affect Minnesota’s decision on whether to keep him or not?
On the brighter side, D-Lo still has the rest of the season to prove himself worthy of another shot in the Wolves’ den. It has only been ten games anyway, he still has a lot of time to pick up his game and get back on track.
we don’t really have a choice tonight, huh? pic.twitter.com/Rp11L35tDh
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) January 12, 2021
MISSED THE OFF-SEASON OPTION?
After struggling to end his best season on a high note, Minnesota was supposed to be in talks with then-Spurs 6’5″ point guard Dejounte Murray, who is now leading the Hawks with consistently-outstanding outputs. However, the Wolves opted to do the Gobert trade, costing them a couple of players and picks.
Say the Wolves pushed through with the talks with Murray and eventually acquired the star, the team could have kept one or more of its key players in Vanderbilt, Beverley, and Beasley, as the Hawks gave up only one player in acquiring Murray’s services.
Murray could have also added to Minnesota’s firepower, while also possibly giving the team its best roster in years. Gobert’s talents, however, cannot be ignored as well. A towering 7-foot-1 center, Gobert has been the key in keeping the Wolves’ hopes for a shot in the playoffs still alive.
Gobert’s addition to the team also benefited Russell, critics say. The Stifle Tower’s defensive tactics will give Russell more room for pick-and-roll playmaking as well as more chance to shoot both from the field and beyond the arc.
In addition, Gobert’s acquisition will also cover up Russell’s defensive woes. However, we are yet to see these improvements in D-Lo’s performance as he has been showing otherwise so far.
D’Angelo Russell season stats prediction:
20.7 PPG
8.8 APGWith the addition of Rudy Gobert i truly believe we about to see the best season from him this year. 🔥 #ContractYear #Year8 pic.twitter.com/h42ewReRtz
— Loading … (@IceInMyVeinsSzn) October 19, 2022
END OR EXTEND?
With his career with the Wolves on the line, Russell has no choice but to upgrade his game and turn his season around. Although the decision’s still in the hands of Minnesota’s front office, by consistently producing high-quality outputs like what he used to do, D-Lo can somehow convince the office to re-sign him.
Say Russell finds his groove en route to the playoffs, extending his contract will give the Wolves a reliable point guard, especially with Nowell, Forbes, and McLaughlin still struggling. He has been inconsistent this season, for sure, but he has also been the best point guard for the Wolves, at least for this season.
D-Lo’s ability to get to the rim has noticeably improved as well, jumping to 6.5 from 6.1 last season. His deficiency in terms of defense will not be much of a problem for the Wolves as Gobert’s ready to take care of the goods for the team.
On the other hand, ending his contract would mean Minnesota will have to look for a point guard as good or even better as Russell is while only offering approximately $10 million, which is somehow nearly impossible considering how tough the competition in the NBA is, at least in terms of point guards. In addition, the team ending Russell’s contract will also mean them closing their doors on a trade with another highly-paid player in the league unless they are willing to let go of one of the Towns-Gobert duo.
As for Russell, he has built a good relationship with the team throughout his contract’s duration and he probably wants to stay with the team as well. In addition, he has been to four teams in his seven-year NBA career, and he probably wants to stick with one at least for now.
D'Angelo Russell's final 2021-22 Season Stats
18.1 points
3.3 rebounds
7.1 assists (career high)
1.0 steals
0.3 blocks
41.1% FG
34.0% 3P
82.5% FT (career high)
2.5 turnovers (lowest since rookie year)CONT. pic.twitter.com/Zt99MjFbWZ
— DOM – Epic Hoops (@DominickNBA) April 12, 2022
FINAL THOUGHTS
Did the Wolves miss out on not trading D’Angelo Russell? Perhaps a nod or otherwise. As for D-Lo, he has to bounce back big time as soon as possible in order to give Minnesota’s front office a reason to give him another shot, apart from those we have mentioned earlier.
After a 107-120 loss against the Knicks, the Minnesota Timberwolves seek to get back on track as they face the Suns on Wednesday at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
gg @nyknicks 🤝 pic.twitter.com/0VM2BgBjJS
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 8, 2022
Credits on Featured Image: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
