MINNEAPOLIS – The realization of what it took to fully become a Minnesota Timberwolf came slowly for Donte DiVincenzo.
No matter how many times he said he was happy to be in Minnesota, no matter how welcoming his new teammates and coaches were to a player they so desperately needed, DiVincenzo couldn’t help but hold on to what he left behind.
For an athlete, there is nothing more intoxicating than the roar of the crowd, and DiVincenzo’s final memories of his lone season in the Big Apple were steeped in adoration by the New York Knicks faithful. Madison Square Garden erupted for him in the Knicks’ final game of the season, when he scored 39 points in a loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of their second-round series. And his ears were still ringing from the chaos of Game 2 of the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers, against whom his 3-pointer capped a miraculous comeback victory and left him almost speechless from the volume in one of the league’s most storied arenas.
The “Big Ragu” was a huge success on Broadway, averaging a career-high 15.5 points per game and hitting 40 percent of his 3s for an upstart team that fought to the death. When he was traded to Minnesota along with Julius Randle for Karl-Anthony Towns on the eve of training camp, DiVincenzo told himself it was for the best. The Knicks had just spent a boatload of draft capital to acquire a new wing in Mikal Bridges, which meant he likely wouldn’t be able to hold down his starting spot, and he would be coming to one of the up-and-coming teams in the Western Conference. one with a megawatt star in Anthony Edwards who entered the season with championship aspirations.
The Timberwolves rejected several offers from the Knicks over the past year, only relenting after including DiVincenzo in the deal, so he knew he was wanted in his new home.
But that roar. It’s dopamine straight into the veins. You don’t just leave that behind. You don’t just forget that when you get on the plane.
“From what I felt, I think he was still frustrated with what happened,” Wolves center Rudy Gobert said. ‘He’s human. But if you want to succeed, you have to let that go.”
An anvil hung around his neck. The past kept him from fully embracing the present. There was only one thing to do.
“Stop comparing what you did last year and just get started,” DiVincenzo said.
Unlike most offseason trades, DiVincenzo didn’t have time to process this one. The Timberwolves and Knicks made their blockbuster just two days before training camp started. Like the rest of the principals involved in the deal, DiVincenzo was completely blindsided.
“I was chilling at home,” he said. “Next thing I know, I’m on a flight to Minnesota.”
It wasn’t anything against Minnesota or the Timberwolves. DiVincenzo was genuinely excited to play with Edwards and come to a team he knew valued his skills. It was just shocking to have to move so close to the start of a season. Once the regular season started, DiVincenzo simply couldn’t find the same equipment that led to his career campaign with New York.
Through the first 18 games of the season, he averaged 8.9 points on 35 percent shooting, including 31.5 percent from 3-point range. This wasn’t the fiery competitor, plug-and-play, 3-and-D wing the Wolves thought they were getting. This was an anxious, erratic player who was prone to turnovers on drives to the basket and scuds that sounded loud off the back iron as he advanced from 3.
Everyone from players to coaches to fans wanted to see this new Timberwolves team pick up where it left off last season. The reality of the situation was much more complex.
“It’s hard because you know if you go back to trading you’re going to lose a huge piece,” DiVincenzo said of Towns. “And two guys come in who aren’t just throw-ins. They’re key rotation guys, you gotta figure it out. And if things don’t go well, a lot of stones will be thrown at you because of the success the team had last year, but stay understanding and work it out.”
In the gossip-filled NBA, speculation began to spread about DiVincenzo’s dissatisfaction with his role. He went from starting the final 74 games of last season and averaging 36 minutes per night in the playoffs for the Knicks to coming off the bench for 24 minutes per game in Minnesota. Those Knicks were the toast of the town for their unexpected success in the Eastern Conference playoffs. These Timberwolves were booed at home earlier this season for not living up to the expectations set during last season’s run to the West finals.
DiVincenzo’s body language did little to deter the rumor mongers. Even when he was shooting, he reacted more with a sigh of relief than with the bravado that is his calling card. His shoulders slumped with every turnover resulting from his attempt to get Gobert the ball. His answers in interviews became sharper when asked about the team’s struggle to find a rhythm.
“Everyone is held to a high standard, so when it’s not what you know you can do, it seems like the negative is worse than what it actually is,” DiVincenzo said. “For me it’s just understanding that some games won’t happen. You won’t have your evening. But what can you hang your hat on? Bring energy to play, do the little things and give yourself to your teammates.”
Through all the early season battles, the Wolves never wavered with DiVincenzo. They like his talent, like his contract and see him as an important part of their core going forward. Edwards went to a shooting session with him on Thanksgiving to try to cheer him up. Chris Finch spoke to him about where he feels comfortable getting his shots and how they can make it easier for him. Mike Conley and Naz Reid encouraged him to keep shooting no matter what.
But it was a chance conversation with veteran guard (and Wolves foe) Dennis Schröder that helped crystallize DiVincenzo’s vision.
When Schröder was traded from Brooklyn to Golden State last week, he sought out DiVincenzo for notes on what it was like to play for the Warriors. DiVincenzo raved about his experience in Golden State and offered some thoughts on how Schröder could adjust to his new surroundings. Schröder then turned the tables. He told DiVincenzo it was time to stop fixating on his move from New York to Minnesota and just go out and play.
“He was just plain with his words,” DiVincenzo said. “He said it’s hard. You just have to go out and do it. Wherever you are, just be yourself and just do it. You look yourself in the mirror and say: okay, the situation is the situation. Let last year go. This year is this year.”
Over the past six games, DiVincenzo is starting to look a lot more like the difference maker he was in New York and the key player who helped the Milwaukee Bucks win a championship. During that span, he averaged 15.2 points on 50 percent shooting, including 49 percent on 3-point shooting. He scored a season-high 26 points and was a team-best plus-23 on Sunday night in a 112-110 win over the San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota’s third straight win.
DiVincenzo hit 5 of 10 3s and also had seven rebounds and four assists, one game after hitting six 3s and scoring 22 points in the Wolves’ come-from-behind win in Houston.
“He gives us everything,” Finch said. “He gives us everything we knew he was, with the rebound, the shot and the smart play.”
The key for DiVincenzo lately is that he has been so much more than just a shooter. He grabs rebounds in traffic and helps the Wolves beat the 7-foot-3 Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs 56-41 on Sunday night. He finds some chemistry with Gobert, hitting him with lobs and pick-and-rolls for easy buckets.
Rudy Gobert PnR reverse dunk, assisted by Donte DiVincenzo pic.twitter.com/MB1jV7P52k
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) December 30, 2024
And perhaps he had the play of the game when he raced back into the defense to break up a pass from Chris Paul to Wembanyama that could have cut Minnesota’s lead to one point with 90 seconds to play.
Donte DiVincenzo clutch hustle play pic.twitter.com/3bmoW0rdmx
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) December 30, 2024
“I think that’s what gets me going. It’s what makes everyone do it,” DiVincenzo said. “That’s who I am. It’s what my identity is. It is also our identity as a team. … Good is contagious; such is the bad. So those little plays of just trying to make a play then turns into other guys making plays.
As he began to find his balance, the sauce also returns to Ragu’s game. Now when he hits an open 3, he will do his signature celebration and extend his right arm with three outstretched fingers while pointing to the ice in his veins.
13 PTS EACH FOR THESE TWO 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZdSBsedgdU
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 28, 2024
He unleashed a finger roll on a drive to the basket against San Antonio and also froze Keldon Johnson in transition with a slow spin move, a play imbued with confidence.
Okay DDV 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/JiDXCOUNW7
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 30, 2024
“Getting back to playing for the fun and love of the game, instead of comparing what I did and building on it,” DiVincenzo said. “Just being outside. You can’t take it for granted. You’re playing in the NBA, and you’re playing for one of the best teams in the league, and you’re playing with one of the best young superstars in the league. That guy’s having fun. Go have fun with him.”
The Wolves are all having fun right now. After a three-game losing streak dropped them to a disappointing .500, they went on the road to beat Dallas on Christmas Day and came back from 16 down with five minutes to play in Houston to stun the Rockets. They trailed by eight points early in the fourth quarter against San Antonio, but DiVincenzo played the final 17 minutes of the second half to help rally the Wolves (17-14), who are 9-4 in their last 13 wins. were achieved against a team with a record over .500 at the time.
Rudy Gobert had 17 points, 15 rebounds and a block against the Spurs. Randle added 16 points and four assists and gave it his all on defense against the towering Wembanyama, who had 34 points on 13-of-30 shooting.
After the Timberwolves got a final defensive stop to secure their victory, DiVincenzo was interviewed in the arena as the player of the game. The sold-out crowd shouted “Donte! Donte! Donte!” as he answered questions, a warm and well-deserved hug from a fanbase that has been waiting to see this version of him.
“It was super cool,” DiVincenzo said with a big smile.
And he left it at that. You don’t have to compare it to what he heard in New York. That is a thing of the past. There are new memories to be made.
“Just let go. Just go play. This is home. I want to be here,” DiVincenzo said. “There’s nothing else out there. It’s not (speculation) that I don’t want to be here. It’s not (people say) that I’m gone. No. I am extremely happy.
‘My family is here. I raise my family here. It’s a beautiful city. I want to be here. Now go play.”
(Top photo: David Berding/Getty Images)