“It was amazing,” he said of a pregame ovation he received. “I wasn’t expecting that at all. I don’t know what it is, but since the moment I got traded here, from the organization to the players to the coaches to people you meet at restaurants, everybody here is just so nice.”
The Wolves gave up the most accomplished player in their big offseason trade, in Towns. One of the ways this deal could work out is if DiVincenzo helps replace Towns’ three-point production, and he and Randle help the Wolves play at a faster pace.
Last season, Wolves coach Chris Finch emphasized defense. This year, he wants to see better offensive flow and efficiency.
DiVincenzo is a shooting guard who can play like a point guard. Randle, despite his size, is capable of grabbing a rebound and running the break. Naz Reid, despite his height, is one of the Wolves’ best ballhandlers.
Asked about playing at an increased pace this season before the game, Finch said, “Yeah, we were just actually talking about it in the coaches’ locker room. As we get a little more comfortable and settled in, things become a little more automatic. We struggled to rebound against LA, so you’re not going to really run when you can’t get the ball. We just haven’t forced a lot of turnovers, either. But I think Julius is really going to help us in transition with rebounding and pushing the ball. Naz is a rebound-and-push guy.”
The Wolves’ emphasis on having even some of their biggest players play fast is due in part to their lack of pure point guards in the current rotation.
