Minnesota Timberwolves: Two players ranked in Bleacher Report’s top 100
By Ben Beecken
Minnesota Timberwolves: Two players ranked in Bleacher Report’s top 100
No. 45 – D’Angelo Russell
Minnesota Timberwolves point guard D’Angelo Russell lands at No. 45 on Bleacher Report’s Top 100 Player list.
This feels only slightly low. Remember, he was an Eastern Conference All-Star in 2019, which effectively puts him in the top 25 or 30 players in the league. (Yes, there are 24 actual All-Stars, but factor in injury replacements and the superior depth in the West, and that seems about right.)
A year-plus has passed, and Russell was moved from Brooklyn to Golden State. Suddenly, the perception of DLo changed from rising superstar finally realizing his potential to a high-usage, shoot-first, no-defense point guard putting up numbers on bad teams.
Of course, had Steph Curry not been injured early in the 2019-20 campaign, things may have looked differently. Instead, Russell was forced to be what was essentially a one-man show on the worst team in the league, and his all-around game suffered because of it.
At his best, Russell is a creative distributer with the ability to score from virtually anywhere on the court. He can dominate in the pick-and-roll and has developed limitless range with a quick trigger. Defense is still an issue, and if he wanted to take the next step offensively he’ll either need to add a couple of points to his 3-point shooting percentage or somehow start getting into the paint and drawing fouls more often.
But as it stands today, a No. 45 ranking isn’t the worst thing for Russell. It still means that the Wolves two of the best 45 players in the league, and that should be enough for a playoff berth.
Interestingly, he is one spot ahead of former backcourt mate Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets. Part of the analysis by the Bleacher Report crew for Dinwiddie has to do with how much of an impact Russell’s offensive ability had on Dinwiddie, who regressed after D-Lo left town.
Here’s hoping that Russell’s offensive talents can boost his backcourt mates in Minnesota in similar fashion.