After missing the Timberwolves' first summer league game against the Pelicans, rookie Isaiah Evans was finally able to make his debut for the Timberwolves on Saturday against the Denver Nuggets. Evans' absence was an unfortunate outcome of the LaMelo Ball trade, as the four-team trade was finalized on Friday.
Evans struggled mightily in his debut shooting the ball, shooting just 2-for-15 from the field and 0-for-9 from 3-point range.
A glaring emphasis that will carry through Evans' first season will be adjusting to NBA physicality. In possessions where Evans was the primary ball handler, it was clear that his body isn't developed enough yet to take the bumps and hits of more physical guards.
Evans clearly looked rusty shooting the ball, with plenty of jumpers coming up short. The poor shooting performance overshadowed an overall impactful performance, as Evans impressed on the defensive side of the floor.
While Evans looks to get back to his college shooting ways, there are positives Timberwolves fans can take away for his future.
Evans' major strong point as a prospect was his shooting
Evans wasn't the only rookie to shoot poorly from the field in his summer league debut; the shooting performance comes as a surprise, especially from three. In his two seasons at Duke, Evans shot a combined 38 percent from beyond the arc, on 5.8 attempts per game.
With Donte DiVincenzo slated to miss at least the beginning of the season, Evans was drafted with the hope that he could help fill the void of DiVincenzo's absence. The Timberwolves will have to hope that this game comes as an outlier, as Evans experienced a bizarre start to his NBA career.
It's also worth noting that Evans will playing on ball more in summer league than he will at the NBA level.
Evans' defense already looks better than advertised
While Evans will be motivated to prove his shooting ability in the Timberwolves' next matchup against the Blazers, he should look to build off of his impressive defensive performance against the Nuggets.
The Timberwolves struggled on the defensive side of the ball against Denver. Thankfully, though, Evans stood out, putting together multiple strong defensive possessions. Evans was extremely engaged on the defensive side of the ball, utilizing his length to make up for his lack of physicality.
If Evans can maintain his defensive engagement during the regular season, he could have a real chance to receive minutes, despite head coach Chris Finch typically opting not to play rookies.
Evans stands at a strong 6-foot-6, with nearly a 6-foot-9 wingspan. His stature, paired with his lateral quickness, can offer the Timberwolves another strong perimeter defender, with hopes to move Jaden McDaniels into more of a roaming defender.
The most important thing for Timberwolves fans to remember is that this is summer league. Timberwolves fans can relax, as Evans will likely have a very minor role when the regular season rolls around.
However, if Evans can find his shooting stroke and provide strong defense, he can develop into the 3-and-D guard the Timberwolves have desperately been searching for.
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