Donte DiVincenzo earned the starting job over Mike Conley just hours before the Minnesota Timberwolves' season started. This move was overwhelmingly popular, but one concern was how DiVincenzo would adjust to more playmaking and ball-handling duties. It's not fair to label DiVincenzo (or any of the Wolves starters) as the point guard; instead, it's a true PG by committee approach for the Wovles.
Still, this change gave DiVincenzo more ball-handling responsibilities, and it was fair to wonder how he would adapt to this role, as he is more of an elite off-ball guard. 30 games into the season, though, DiVincenzo's playmaking has never been better!
Notably, the Villanova product is averaging a career-high 3.8 assists and 1.3 turnovers, which is the second-lowest mark of his career. This gives DiVincenzo a career-best 2.88 assist-to-turnover ratio. A lot of factors go into the Timberwolves' success, but DiVincenzo's all-around impact is certainly one of the key components.
DiVincenzo's playmaking is uplifting the Wolves
The Wolves' new look starting lineup posts an elite 122.7 offensive rating per Cleaning the Glass. DiVincenzo gives the Timberwolves some extra shooting and creation juice, which opens things up for Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. DiVincenzo is netting 38.5 percent of his 3-pointers and ranks 11th in the league in made 3s.
That part was always clear when giving DiVincenzo the starting nod, but his playmaking has impressed me a lot.
While DiVincenzo isn't a lead guard or classic organizer, he's a terrific connective playmaker who helps keep the offense flowing. As mentioned earlier, DiVincenzo is averaging a career high in assists, but over the past 12 games specifically, he's reached another level, averaging 4.6 dimes and just 1.1 turnovers. During these past 12 games, the Wolves are 10-2.
On Tuesday night's win over the New York Knicks, DiVincenzo dished out eight assists while committing just one turnover.
All 8 of Donte DiVincenzo's assists during last night's win over the Knicks
— Eamon Cassels (@EamonCassels) December 24, 2025
DiVincenzo's connective playmaking has been an underrated part of the Timberwolves' success
He is averaging a career-high 3.8 assists and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.88 pic.twitter.com/aLGTkjEQSM
DiVincenzo has typically struggled with defensive pressure and is often turnover-prone. After a six-turnover game in the Wolves' season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers, I'll admit I started to get concerned that this could be a season-long problem. Regardless, DiVincenzo's decision-making has been on point since then, as he hasn't had a single game with five or more turnovers.
He has done a great job of making quick decisions and finding the open man. His unselfish ability to make the extra pass unlocks a more free-flowing version of the Wolves' offense. It's no coincidence that DiVincenzo has a team best plus-8.7 net on/off swing.
Overall, DiVincenzo is an amazing glue guy, and his playmaking has become a key aspect of his impact.