The Minnesota Timberwolves acquired D’Angelo Russell in the hope that he and Karl-Anthony Towns could be the nucleus of their next rival squad. In 14 months, however, the pair played just six games together due to a combination of injuries and COVID-19. On Monday, however, Russell and Towns finally had a chance to start developing together. Russell returned to the team after losing 26 games due to knee surgery, and the results were encouraging.
Minnesota defeated Sacramento 115 to 106 and Russell scored 25 points. He did this with an inefficient shot of 7 out of 19, but played just 24 minutes in total off the bench. One point per minute is a different form of efficiency.
Unfortunately, with the return of one guard, another is leaving the team. The team also announced that Timberwolves owner Malik Beasley will miss the next 4-6 weeks with a grade 3 injury to the left hamstring. Between that and Towns’ absence of COVID at the start of the season, the Timberwolves are likely to make it through the overwhelming majority of the season without an entirely healthy squad.
Minnesota has the worst NBA record at 13-38, and they will pass on their first-round pick to the Golden State, unless they fall in the top three. This puts them in the difficult position of wanting to use Russell’s comeback as an opportunity to gain momentum for the next season, despite the fact that it could cost them a major choice.
When the Timberwolves acquired Russell, however, they believed they had found a second star worthy of such a price. They even rejected LaMelo Ball in the NBA Draft because they felt like guards with Russell. Towns and Russell are longtime friends who have publicly expressed an interest in playing together before Minnesota acquired it, and there is no price too high to keep a player of the caliber of Towns happy.
But so far, the deal has yielded disappointing returns, even if it occurred as a result of factors beyond Minnesota’s control. The Wolves now have 23 games left to help Towns and Russell develop a chemistry that can take them forward next season. Monday was a good start.