3 things D’Angelo Russell would bring to the table for the Minnesota Timberwolves

3. Isolation Scoring

While the numbers indicate that D’Angelo Russell is not yet the elite isolation scorer he is perceived to be by many NBA fans, it is pretty clear when you turn on the tape that the former No. 2 pick has all the tools he needs to be a dynamite isolation scorer in Minnesota.

Per NBA’s Advanced Analytics, D-Lo scores on 37.7 percent of his isolations last year, which is solid for a player who was the primary focus of his team’s offense. Add in a superstar like Karl-Anthony Towns and solid wings like Andrew Wiggins and Robert Covington, and that number could soar up near the 50 percent mark.

Russell is a highly-skilled offensive player who has a myriad of tricks up his sleeve when he has the ball in his hands. He has an impressive ability to change speeds when he executes combined dribble moves, which often frees up space for him to elevate for open shots in the mid-range and beyond the arc.

D’Angelo has the ball on a string when he dances on the perimeter and has a knack for getting by the first defender, especially off switches when he has taller, lazier, less athletic defenders in front of him.

Once he gets by initial defenders, it’s a wrap. Russell is a tremendous decision-maker in the lane, who can finish tough shots in traffic and pull off inventive passes to big men on the opposite block and shooters on the weak side.

There are not many starting guards in the league that are better creative finishers around the rim and in the presence of much larger defenders in the lane with floaters, runners, and fades. Like James Harden, Russell likes to lean into defenders when he drives middle, using the bump they give him to create space in which he can fade away from the basket to make off-balance shots, particularly on his strong side.

The All-Star point guard is adept at shielding the ball from defenders when he drives to the rim, which allows him to use the rest of his body to absorb contact and then bring the ball out and finish for and-ones.

He only averaged 2.5 free throw attempts per game, which was 10th-worst in the league among starting guards. However, as Russell’s jumper continues to improve, he will be able to attack closeouts much more frequently and draw fouls from late-arriving rotating defenders at the basket.

For years, the Wolves have longed for a point guard that can score effectively in isolation from all over the floor. Russell fits the bill perfectly.

71.2 percent of his total made field goals last season were unassisted, which was good for seventh in the entire league. In isolation, he made his mark inside the 3-point line. 84.5 percent of his made 2-point field goals were unassisted, which elucidates how creative he was at getting by the first defender and making shots without help from his teammates.

D’Angelo Russell would instantly be the most skilled offensive point guard in franchise history and bring a flare to Minnesota that fans at Target Center have only seen in opposing players.