Timberwolves' Jarred Vanderbilt on playing through pain: 'If it ain't broke, it doesn't faze me'

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – In Sunday's 118-105 victory over Detroit, Jarred Vanderbilt spoke up at halftime and said he took responsibility for the Timberwolves' slow start.

Vanderbilt knows his brand of basketball — hustling, defense, crashing the glass — can have a rollover quality to his teammates.

"We can see some of the games where I start off slow energy-wise, and it shows as a team," Vanderbilt said. "I came in at halftime and said, 'I put that on me.' … I've seen the effects of how it affects our team when I do start that tone-setting and it is contagious. I've always been a competitor and everyone's been feeding off it."

Vanderbilt might have had an excuse — he appeared to get injured in the first quarter, though not enough to keep him off the floor. That also has been a constant for the forward alongside his tenacity: Putting his body on the line again and again while playing through pain.

"To be honest, I ain't going to say I'm immune to pain, but I've had so many injuries that if it ain't broke, it don't really faze me," Vanderbilt said. "If nothing is broke, I'm going to try to put myself in position every night. It's part of the game. Bumps and bruises, you play every night."

That's not something every NBA player does. Coach Chris Finch let out a small chuckle of appreciation Tuesday before answering a question that asked where Vanderbilt ranked among the toughest players he has coached.

"The way he crashes and competes on the glass, he knows he's going to take hits," Finch said. "Making multiple efforts on every single play. Just finding a way to make something happen out of nothing. Those are all signs of toughness because they're signs of a reluctance to give in.

"I think it's very infectious. If you are playing alongside a guy like that, you don't want to let him down by giving half the effort."

Vanderbilt has had various bumps and bruises, including a recent midfoot sprain, but he said he has taken pride in being available every night, especially since the Wolves have a goal of getting out of the play-in tournament seeding and directly into the playoffs. He said he can rest over the All-Star break.

"I know we've already been banged up, got a couple guys out so if it's little injuries like that, I try to fight through it and play through it," Vanderbilt said. "I was always just telling myself, just try to make it to the All-Star break. I think we got like five or six more games left. That was pretty much my mind-set."

Vanderbilt was not among the several Wolves who were listed as questionable on the injury report entering Tuesday's game against the Kings. Guard Patrick Beverley (right ankle sprain), guard Josh Okogie (right quad contusion), forward Taurean Prince (left ankle sprain), center Naz Reid (right knee contusion) and guard D'Angelo Russell (left shin contusion) all came in as questionable. All were available to play.

The long list of injuries that can pile up through a season was another reason why Vanderbilt wants to make himself available.

"A lot of teams hit that wall this time of the year," Vanderbilt said. "For us, it's time to take advantage, especially when we are healthy, as much as possible to try to steal some games, win some games. That's really my motto."

Karl-Anthony Towns added to his duties on All-Star weekend as the league announced he would participate in the three-point contest. Towns will be competing against former teammate and Bulls guard Zach LaVine. Towns is shooting 41% from three-point range.

"I think he's one of the best shooters in the league irrespective of position on the floor," Finch said. "When you watch him shoot around in workouts or in practice, he doesn't miss. He's an easy guy to rebound for."

Others taking part in the contest include Memphis' Desmond Bane, New Orleans' C.J. McCollum, the Clippers' Luke Kennard, Brooklyn's Patty Mills, Atlanta's Trae Young and Toronto's Fred VanVleet.