D’Angelo Russell’s absence will give this role player their chance

After the Minnesota Timberwolves’ loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, D’Angelo Russell expressed in the postgame press conference that he was sore from a knee collision that occurred during the game. He told reporters that he would see how he felt the following day.

When the Timberwolves’ injury report came out on Wednesday ahead of the team’s matchup with the Clippers, Russell was listed as day-to-day. Then, just before the game, Chris Finch announced that Russell would officially be out of the lineup in Los Angeles with his knee still giving him trouble.

This is far from the ideal hour to have your team’s starting point guard miss time. Not to mention D’Angelo Russell had been on a tear to start the month of December, putting up 26.4 points per game in five outings. His play as of late had been keeping the Timberwolves aloft, and his impact will be sorely missed. However, his absence will give one role player their chance to shine: Wendell Moore.

Wendell Moore will get his chance with D’Angelo Russell out of the lineup

No, he will not become a permanent starter or play 30 minutes, but Wendell Moore will have a chance to show off his unique skillset with the Timberwolves down one of their most crucial ball handlers.

Moore will still be playing behind the likes of Kyle Anderson, but he will be able to show off his playmaking and scoring skills and have the chance to earn more of a legitimate role with this team going forward. He already earned his first pro start on November 30th, when he helped the Timberwolves secure arguably their biggest win of the season over Memphis.

In that game, he stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, three rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal in 20 minutes of action. He made the most of his opportunity and showed why Minnesota was lucky to get him in their 2022 draft night trade with the Rockets.

Look for Wendell Moore to see more minutes as long as D’Angelo Russell is out. Situations like these are where a young player like Moore can make a name for themselves.