Only die-hard fans understand the full significance of Donte DiVincenzo's impact

I think every NBA fan knows that Donte DiVincenzo is an elite 3-point shooter. There's no denying that this is true -- DiVincenzo ranks within the top 20 of 3-point attempts and makes. However, I don't think enough people are aware of DiVincenzo's all-around impact. DiVincenzo's counting stats of 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 steals don't truly capture his impact.

The Minnesota Timberwolves guard provides immense value as a connective playmaker, rebounder, hustle player, and disruptive defender. For a team that often lacks energy, DiVincenzo's presence is especially vital.

DiVincenzo is uplifting the Timberwolves' offense

Shortly before the start of the season, it was announced that DiVincenzo would start in place of veteran Mike Conley. Nearly halfway into the season, this decision is aging like fine wine.

While DiVincenzo isn't the pure playmaker that Conley is, his connective playmaking helps the Wolves' offense flow. Age, of course, plays a factor, but it's worth noting that DiVincenzo is actually averaging more assists than Conley this season. Furthermore, DiVincenzo gives the Wolves a much-needed floor spacing and shot creation boost. DiVincenzo's ability to play both on and off the ball makes him an ideal next to Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle.

On nights when his shot is off, DiVincenzo's connective playmaking and well-rounded skill set allow him to make a positive impact.

Saturday's win over the Miami Heat was the perfect example of this. DiVincenzo's 11 points (5-for-13 shooting), eight rebounds, four assists, and three stocks don't jump off the page. Yet, DiVincenzo was a team-high plus-24.

Whether it was crashing the glass, making the extra pass, or being active on defense, DiVincenzo did all the little things to help the Wolves win. And that's what he does on a nightly basis.

Impressively, the Wolves' new look starting five with DiVincenzo has a 121.1 offensive rating and a plus-9.6 net rating per Cleaning the Glass.

DiVincenzo's defensive impact

I'm not going to act like DiVincenzo is some elite point of attack defender -- he certainly has some flaws on that end of the floor. Nevertheless, DiVincenzo's activity is a clear positive. Notably, the Villanova product ranks in the 72nd percentile for deflections per 100 possessions according to Databallr.

Again, he's far from an elite on-ball stopper, but DiVincenzo's lateral quickness, ability to play the passing lanes, or even recover to block shots are beneficial to winning. Moreover, he does the dirty work like grabbing rebounds, taking charges, and diving on the floor for loose balls. All of this allows DiVincenzo to impact winning at a high level and give the Wolves an extra source of energy.

It's not a coincidence that the Wolves are 7.1 points per 100 possessions better on defense and a team-high 11.9 points per 100 possessions better overall with The Big Ragu on the floor.

Ultimately, while DiVincenzo is (rightfully) known for his lights-out shooting, his impact is far greater than shooting, and he is a fantastic glue guy for the Wolves.