Timberwolves chemistry key? Rudy Gobert and D’Angelo Russell

By now, you know the names of the key players for the Minnesota Timberwolves. And more than likely, you have already formed your conclusion about the team. Things like who will score the most points, who will have the best range from the three-point line, and even who will have the most accurate three-point shot, have all been decided in the minds of even casual fans by now.

But what is most likely one of the key factors for the Minnesota Timberwolves’ success or failure this season comes down to one thing: How quickly can Timberwolves point guard D’Angelo Russell forge a trusting relationship with his newly acquired teammate, Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert?

That’s where it all comes together, or blows up in their faces.

Chemistry is already forming

Thankfully, that trusting relationship, a.k.a. chemistry, is forming even as you read this article:

Gobert talks about his new teammate, D’Angelo Russell, in the embedded video in Darren Wolfson’s Tweet above. Gobert is optimistic about Russell’s ability to run a great pick ‘n roll with him.  The Pick-N-Roll is the bread and butter play for both DLo and Gobert, so it is one of the areas that everyone wants to witness.

Here is a video breaking down D’Angelo Russell running the pick and roll

Now, imagine if his ability to finish the play, pass the ball, or find the open shooter is amplified. By how much? How about a factor of 2.5?

I’m a-pickin’, and he’s a-rollin’

Throughout the 2021-22 NBA Season, one of the best Pick-and-Roll duos in the league has been that of the Utah Jazz pairing of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. With the acquisition of Gobert, that ability to excel at the PnR goes with him.

Mitchell flourished in the Jazz Pick and Roll play, averaging 1.03 points per play, and 12.4 points per game to be one of the best in the NBA.

For the Timberwolves, D’Angelo Russell averaged 0.93 points per play, and just 6.1 points per game, from the same play. I believe that there is a lot of offense in that play for D’Angelo Russell this year, and I’m not alone.

As Russell goes, so goes the Timberwolves. That’s not just good for D’Angelo Russell, but for the entire Timberwolves roster, as DLo will have far more opportunities to score, pull defenders his way, and in so doing, dish the ball to the open shooter.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are finding ways to create the necessary chemistry to level up this season. Stay tuned.