How Minnesota Timberwolves D’Angelo Russell got his groove back

Plans fit DLo to a Tee

When the Minnesota Timberwolves were in their planning phase, the team clearly sought to overhaul much of the existing roster. That was pretty clear after examining how readily the team parted ways with five players in the single trade that brought Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves roster. But as Minnesota Timberwolves Connelly aptly stated: ‘We’re looking for personality types.’

The Timberwolves kept D’Angelo Russell and opted to part with combination guard and last season’s sparkplug, Patrick Beverly. Pat Bev was a rather polarizing player, who instantly elevated the play of the entire Timberwolves roster with his smack-talking demeanor, but whose attitude forged heightened determination in his opponents just as quickly.

Timberwolves roster reworked

Russell was the less controversial option. He was the point guard who had his own set of tribulations, but whose ability to see the basketball court and run the team was only limited in his career by the willingness of teams to trade him away rather than develop the roster with him and around him. But it was clearly the intention of Timberwolves Connelly, who spoke highly of the young point guard.

But this was more than just unfocused praise. It was even more than an NBA executive trying to put a key starter’s mind at ease for a new season. The Timberwolves were already scheming, working on a way to rework their trajectory, restock the Timberwolve roster with better talent, and in the process, unlock the true potential of Russell in the process.