There were numerous messages received concerning the Timberwolves’ absence in the Turkey of the Year document revealed on Thanksgiving Day in the Star Tribune. There was an email arriving Friday from a reader that contained an opinion that already had been offered by others.
Reusse: Timberwolves’ two new pieces present a challenge with their playing styles
The team will need to get used to Julius Randle’s dribbling, and there’s evidence Donte DiVincenzo should be limited to catch-and-shoot offense and turned loose on defense.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
November 30, 2024 at 5:46AM
The sender, Daniel P., stated: “... I would have given Grand Turkey to the Timberwolves GM who traded away KAT. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I’ll always wonder what the Wolves might have achieved if they’d been allowed to play one more year together.
“Would he still be eligible for the Grand Turkey next year?”
The “he” would be Tim Connelly, the Timberwolves president of basketball operations, and now finding himself taking a rapid 180-degree turn in popularity with an element of team followers.
It wasn’t long ago a popular belief being espoused in fandom was that Connelly was joined at the hip with Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez; meaning, if Glen Taylor were to win his ownership dispute with that tandem, the disastrous result for the Wolves would be losing Connelly, builder of champions (in Denver).
This is where traditionally we mention that Taylor is also the owner of the Star Tribune — and what can be offered here is that Taylor has expressed a strong faith in Connelly as the person responsible for on-court manpower.
Which is no longer the level of faith with a share of the fan base. The above Daniel P. has not been a lone wolf in suggesting Connelly was guilty of a substantial blunder in trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for forward Julius Randle and off guard Donte DiVincenzo.
Know this: Connelly was acting in what he considered the best interests of the franchise, whether the arbitration decision on ownership (not expected until late January) comes down on the side of Lore/Rodriguez or Taylor.
KAT was starting a four-season, $227 million contract that would have put the Timberwolves in the NBA’s salary cap Hades through the 2027-28 season. That is old news, of course, but it is intriguing that Towns’ popularity with the fan base seemed to increase when he was traded Oct. 3.
Presumably, that was due to KAT being part of the Wolves’ second all-time playoff run last spring, and not to the four playoff victories total in his first eight seasons here.
My opinion remains: Connelly made a good trade — although it was never going to be based on Randle being KAT’s equal as an all-around player. It was because putting DiVincenzo, 27, a much-needed outside shooter and a plus defender, on top of Randle should make it a win.
Key word at this moment: “should.”
There was more evidence of this Friday night as the Wolves ended their four-game losing streak with an ultra-ugly 93-92 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at Target Center.
The Wolves are dealing with a very different style of basketball with Randle. He again had the ball in his left hand 20% of the time (minimum) trying to create offense — triple what KAT needed, I’d estimate.
Considering that change, original estimates that it could take 20 games to figure out how to play off him might have been conservative.
What has been surprising is that the Wolves haven’t figured out a way to get DiVincenzo comfortable here, since he was the guy who had experience playing with Randle.
Donte came to the Knicks well-traveled (three teams over the previous two seasons) and became a three-point shooting machine in 2023-24. He wound up averaging 8.7 threes and 3.5 made per game.
On Friday night, DiVincenzo played 22 minutes and went 3-for-5 on three-pointers, with five assists and nine points.
His averages for 19 games here are 6.8 threes attempted and 2.2 made. One stat could explain the difference:
DiVincenzo received an assist on 91% of his made threes with the Knicks (meaning much catch-and-shoot). In this small sample size here, he has had an assist on 76% of his made threes. That means more ball-handling required to find a shot.
Wolves coach Chris Finch mentioned DiVincenzo’s trajectory with the Knicks last season — pointing out he was playing 12 minutes a game, the injuries occurred, and he was “playing 40 and getting 22 points a night.”
And Jalen Brunson was always running Tom Thibodeau’s offense.
DiVincenzo has had some point guard duties for the Wolves. He should be here to fire threes off a pass and play defense; that’s the way we trade believers saw it.
Or, maybe we were wrong.
“Donte just needs to see the ball go in again,” Finch said. “He’s way more a basketball player than just a shooter.”
The frenzied final seconds go Minnesota's way, producing a victory in the aftermath of Anthony Edwards’ candid comments about the team.
