Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Isaiah Evans didn't have an ideal summer league, to say the least. In four games, the Duke product averaged just 10.5 points on 27.3/20.5/66.6 shooting splits. The main point of discussion about Evans' performance has been his subpar shooting, as this was his main selling point as a prospect.
However, to me, his playmaking and general decision-making were the bigger red flags. Relevantly, Evans averaged 1.3 assists and 2.3 turnovers. Sometimes these assist-to-turnover stats don't tell the full story; unfortunately, this is a case where they back up a real issue.
Evans struggled when he put the ball on the floor; oftentimes, he didn't make the right reads as a passer, and tunnel vision was an issue. Part of his low shooting percentage also simply came from taking ill-advised shots.
Look, Evans is a good enough shooter not to be concerned about a four-game sample size where he struggled. Nevertheless, if he doesn't prove his playmaking and decision-making, his ceiling will be capped at some level.
It will be crucial for Isaiah Evans to improve his playmaking and decision-making
Before further digging into Evans' playmaking, I want to acknowledge a couple of things. Firstly, it was a weird situation for Evans, since he wasn't allowed to practice with the team before summer league and missed the first game, as the blockbuster four-team trade that brought him to Minnesota wasn't finalized. Additionally, summer league isn't a precursor to NBA success or failure.
Regardless, summer league isn't entirely nothing either, and it can be used to highlight positives or areas of growth you'd like to see in the future.
Truthfully, it's not a shocker that Evans' playmaking needs to improve. Last season at Duke, Evans ranked in the 34th percentile for assist-to-turnover ratio per DraftBaller. He was a fantastic movement shooter with some nice secondary creation chops, but he wasn't a positive playmaker.
It is worth noting that his decision-making was generally better in college. With fewer responsibilities in the NBA, I think it's reasonable to expect him to rein in some of the risky shots. And while I doubt that Evans plays much as a rookie, in the long term I believe in him earning a role as a spot-up shooter.
The concern for me is that specialists are quickly dwindling in the NBA. We are now in an era that prioritizes versatility. Outside of shooting (assuming his shot comes back), it's unclear where Evans will be able to contribute at this moment in time.
One could argue defense could be another bankable skill. Evans was super pesky on the ball in summer league, which was a clear silver lining. In college, he was also fairly disruptive as a defensive playmaker. Still, at 185 pounds, it's unclear just how impactful he'll be at the NBA level. Frankly, his defense isn't at the level where I'm not concerned about his frame.
This leads me back to the offensive side of the ball: to be a high-end role player (which should be the goal realistically), Evans must find ways to contribute outside of shooting. Currently, his handle isn't tight enough to truly be a secondary creator. His slim build could also hurt his finishing ability.
And while Evans obviously doesn't project to be a lead playmaker, if he wants to earn more on-ball duties, his playmaking must improve. Simply being a quality connective playmaker is a must for him to earn a significant role, and right now, this is a clear area of growth for Evans.
If he doesn't improve as a playmaker, Evans can still earn minutes in the future, but he needs to find more ways to contribute on offense outside of shooting to maximize his potential.
The good news is that Evans is still really young, and he hasn't even played in a real NBA game yet. In the end, I remain optimistic about Evans' long-term NBA outlook, but his playmaking and overall decision-making are two clear areas of development to watch.
Add us as a preferred source on Google