In the 2025 NBA Draft, the Timberwolves selected a big man with each of their two selections. It was defensible for them to do so as Rudy Gobert is getting older and the team is looking towards the future, as well as the present. Neither of their picks, Joan Beringer or Rocco Zikarsky, was seen as a stretch big, though.
Zikarsky is on a two-way contract and has spent the start of the season in the G League. Early on in the G League season, Zikarsky is showcasing that he can connect from beyond the arc, a trait that could get him in the NBA sooner.
Rocco Zikarsky has three 3-pointers over last two outings
The Iowa Wolves, G League affiliate for the Timberwolves, are off to a 3-1 start. On Sunday, they won at home over the Noblesville Boom by the score of 137-133. The two teams square up again on Monday, with the game again taking place in Des Moines.
In their previous outing, Zikarsky had his most productive game of the young season with 24 points and eight rebounds. In Sunday’s win, he had 11 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks (in just 15 minutes).
In both games, though, the 7-foot-3 center displayed 3-point accuracy. Zikarsky didn’t necessarily shoot a high volume of shots from long distance, but the fact that he was making them wasn’t necessarily something fans knew he was capable of. On Sunday, Zikarsky went 1-2 from 3-point range, and in the previous game, he went 2-3.
Shooting wasn't something he had shown previous to the G League
Just 19 years old, Zikarsky was selected with the 45th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He is on a two-way contract with the Timberwolves but has yet to play in a regular season game for the NBA squad.
The G League can be a good place to experiment with something, as Zikarsky is doing with his 3-point shot. Looking at what has happened in his career before the G League, he rarely attempted any shots from beyond the arc.
Playing the last two seasons with the Brisbane Bullets, Zikarsky attempted just six 3-pointers, making one. After he was drafted, Zikarsky didn’t take a 3-pointer in five summer league outings. He went 1-3 from deep in five preseason games.
Do the math, and Zikarsky made just two 3s when looking at his time with Brisbane, as well as the summer league and preseason. He has made more than that (three) in his last two G League performances.
Continuing to develop a 3-point shot could get Zikarsky into NBA games sooner than expected.