Timberwolves: D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt are clicking on all cylinders
D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt have been clicking on all cylinders, picking apart defenses in the pick and roll.
Entering the season, there were question marks about Vanderbilt’s offensive potential. It’s the reason we have discussed the need for a power forward next to Karl-Anthony Towns. Vanderbilt clogs the lanes and doesn’t impact the game offensively.
Or so we thought.
Recently, Russell and Vanderbilt have found a rhythm. Some of the passes DLo has been making have been incredible, and he’s starting to orchestrate this offense at an elite level.
The precision of this pass is perfect, and while Vanderbilt isn’t running a pick and roll, he did cut through the middle of the lane for an easy two.
Vanderbilt is averaging 11.6 points and shooting 69.2 percent in his last five games. The majority of his baskets come at the rim from a layup or dunk. However, there’s a direct correlation between his impact and Russell’s recent streak of high-volume assists.
Vanderbilt’s last five games:
- 11 points
- 21 points
- 8 points
- 8 points
- 10 points
Russell’s assists last five games:
- 12 assists
- 10 assists
- 10 assists
- 6 assists
- 12 assists
To Russell’s credit, he has been racking up the assists over the last 10-to-15 games, but a large portion of that goes to Vanderbilt.
A key piece to the Timberwolves’ success is Vanderbilt having a role offensively. Minnesota can’t afford to have a player down low who is unable to impact the game. It affects Towns, Russell and Anthony Edwards’s ability to drive to the rim.
If Vanderbilt continues to find success in this new role, defenses are going to have a tough time stopping Minnesota offensively. They will have to defend both the painted area and on the perimeter. You can see this taking shape already, as the Timberwolves have the No. 1 offensive rating over their last five games.
This is only the beginning.
