The NBA offseason was filled with unexpected trades and signings around the league.
The one trade that caught many people’s attention, though, was the one involving the Knicks and Timberwolves. Right before the season started, superstar Karl-Anthony Towns was traded to the Knicks for a package that included Donte DiVincenzo.
When the trade went down, many pundits wondered how the players would adapt to their new teams. On a recent episode of The Young Man And The Three podcast, DiVincenzo expressed his thoughts on being traded to the Timberwolves.
“I couldn’t ask for a better trade situation to go to,” DiVincenzo stated. “You’re going to a team that is a contender, you’re going to a team that you were looking at free agency, and you’re going to a team that has a stud that is young.”
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DiVincenzo had to adjust to a different role
From the outside looking in, some people might find it unusual that DiVincenzo is struggling to find his shot. However, most of it can be credited to the fact that he had to remodify his role.
Last year, DiVincenzo had the most opportunities in his career, by far. Along with playing a career-high 29.1 minutes a contest, he started in 63 of the 81 games he played. While averaging a career-high 15.5 points per game, he shot the ball at an elite clip, especially for his volume.
As for this season, the same cannot be said. This year, DiVincenzo is logging in just 8.9 points per game and shooting a mere 33.9% from the field. Initially, the lack of production was concerning. Nevertheless, it’s expected for a player who is now a primary reserve sharing the court with a scoring star and a reigning Sixth Man of the Year winner.
He can still benefit from his new role
In the NBA, it is hard to transition from a reliable starter to a bench player. But DiVincenzo is still in a great place for his career.
The Timberwolves are still working through the kinks of a new roster, but still have Championship aspirations. Taking into account the playoff and championship experiences DiVincenzo has, he could be a valuable asset if they get back into the postseason.
He also has the opportunity to find individual success. Even though Naz Reid is leading the bench unit with an average of 15.3 points, there’s still a world where Donte can put up double-digit scoring off the bench.
It’s nowhere near time to sound the alarm. DiVincenzo is an excellent player with an extremely high motor. Once the shots start falling, everything will fall into place.
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