The Timberwolves’ key contributors at the midway point

Zach LaVine has shown a lot of improvement this year, and it’s obvious without even looking at statistics.

At the beginning of the year, the Wolves offense was nigh unwatchable when he ran the offense. Ball movement died, players began to stand around, and isolations were about the only “play” that the bench unit seemed to run.

But now, LaVine has learned a great deal about what it takes to run an offense. The ball is moving much better within the second unit, LaVine is making smart passes, and the offensive flow doesn’t fall off nearly as much as is used to when Rubio checks out of the game. As infuriating as it was at the beginning of the season to see Coach Mitchell stubbornly keep running LaVine at the point, it has paid off in rapid improvement for LaVine.

That’s what this season is all about anyways. As nice as it would be to rack up some wins and become respectable, the Timberwolves are playing for a few years down the road. The plan is to get some growing pains out of the way this year, add another lottery pick, and begin contending for a playoff spot perhaps as soon as next season.

As for LaVine’s stats, he is averaging a solid 11.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in his bench role. He’s only averaging two turnovers per game as well, which is lower than what might be expected given that LaVine is a very raw point guard.

LaVine is also shooting 41.4 percent from the field, which is a little low but nothing to be concerned about for a 20-year old learning a new position. LaVine is a streaky shooter, so his 33.1 percent clip from downtown is good enough for now. He has confidence in his shot and has a good stroke, so that percentage will likely climb as he sharpens his shot selection and as the offense (hopefully) begins to run plays for him for open threes.

Next: Timberwolves Mid-Season Awards

LaVine’s entire game has blossomed this season, which is what the Wolves were hoping for by sticking him at point guard. While his future success isn’t nearly as certain as Towns and Wiggins, at this point, it seems like LaVine will be a capable sidekick to those two for years to come.