TORONTO – Perhaps no player on the Timberwolves roster can swing the team's fortunes like point guard D'Angelo Russell. When Russell is on, the Wolves can beat some of the best teams in the league.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch says more pick and rolls are a remedy for struggling D'Angelo Russell
The success of the Timberwolves often depends on how the point guard shoots.
March 30, 2022 at 10:53PM
When he struggles, they are vulnerable to losing to almost anybody. Coach Chris Finch recognized he has to get his max-contract point guard going again and called it a "priority" after Sunday's 134-112 loss to the Celtics.
"It happens. It's a long season," Finch said before Wednesday's game against the Raptors. "Everybody plays themselves in and out of rhythm."
Russell was shooting only 36% over his past 10 games, 28% from three-point range and had four performances of six points or fewer.
Finch had one tactic he was going to try to jump-start Russell.
"He's aggressive in pick and roll," Finch said. "I think we got to get him in more pick and roll."
Finch noted that when Russell was in a good rhythm before this recent slide, he was getting to the basket out of the pick and roll.
"I think [he's playing well] when he's pushing in transition and creating a lot of early stuff for us, and he's just letting it fly," Finch said. "Not pump-faking himself, but just trusting in his shot. He even makes contested ones when he shoots it super aggressively."
Russell's six shot attempts against the Celtics were a season low for him. He hit only one shot and was 0-for-3 from three-point range.
McDaniels injury update
Jaden McDaniels was taking a few shots toward the end of Wolves shootaround as the forward recovers from a high left ankle sprain. Finch said McDaniels has been cleared for some on-court activities and will be re-evaluated in one week.
McDaniels, one of the Wolves' best defensive players, has been out since March 14 because of the injury.
Malik Beasley (left ankle sprain) remains out and Finch said Tuesday that the guard was not "anywhere close" to a return.
Return home, kind of
Finch was the associate head coach of the Raptors when former Wolves President Gersson Rosas plucked him from their bench to become Minnesota's head coach. Finch never set foot in Toronto while the organization employed him because of COVID protocols and Toronto having to play last season in Tampa.
But Finch took with him some lessons from his short time with Toronto, namely that their 2019 NBA title wasn't just a product of getting five-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard in a trade.
"Their championship was not necessarily just something that Kawhi helped deliver," Finch said. "It was the foundation that they built that was ready to win when they brought in one more piece. That took many years of cultivation. So, certainly one of the best organizations I've ever been around in the league."
Finch said building that kind of culture "takes a long time."
"It starts first and foremost with a willingness to compete every single night, no matter what. No matter who you're going out there to battle with or who you're battling," he said. "Then just continuing to hone that edge and toughness and elevate your standards all across the organization with how you play, who you play, who you bring in to the organization, how you treat them, how you look after them and what your long-term vision is."
Despite so-so record, Wolves have improved at crunch time.
