Jace Frederick: D'Angelo Russell is a tough, important evaluation for Timberwolves

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Dec. 22—There is no debate that the Timberwolves have been far better this season when D'Angelo Russell is on the floor versus when he's not.

That bears out through the stats, eye test and Minnesota's record with and without its starting point guard.

Russell has hit clutch shots this season and quarterbacked both the offense and defense.

There are times when he appears essential to the Timberwolves' success.

And then there are nights like Tuesday in Dallas. Down five contributors due to health and safety protocols — including Anthony Edwards, Jarred Vanderbilt and Patrick Beverley — Minnesota needed big games out of Karl-Anthony Towns and Russell to secure its fifth straight victory.

Towns delivered, Russell did not.

The point guard struggled on both ends, going 1 for 11 from deep while looking lackluster on defense. The Mavericks were without Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. So, in theory, the Timberwolves should have had the top two players on the court in Towns and Russell.

Yet Russell was severely outplayed by Dallas guard Jalen Brunson — who is making $1.8 million this season — a major factor in the outcome of the game.

"Yeah, it was a tough night for him," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch conceded. "We needed him to be better shooting the ball. He's disappointed in his performance."

Russell's postgame press conference lasted all of 90 seconds, and featured a number of one-word answers.

Even the NBA's top players are allowed to struggle from time to time over the course of an 82-game season. You're not going to have your "A" game every night.

But Minnesota's saving grace Tuesday was supposed to be that it had two max players on the floor, while the Mavericks had none. Yet it looked like the Timberwolves had just one. That's the conundrum the Timberwolves face as a franchise — Is Russell a player worth carrying at his max salary?

On Media Day, the unofficial start of training camp, Russell talked about this as a contract year for himself. While he still has one more season remaining on his contract, he is extension eligible this offseason.

For the time being, he's certainly a big part of Minnesota's success. But is he worth the $30 million per year price tag he currently carries?

The point guard hasn't shot well this season — 39 percent from the field, 33 percent from deep — and, 31 games in, it's fair to wonder if that's going to turn around.

Defensively, Russell has been solid in terms of his team defense, being in the right spots and communicating with his teammates. But he's still not a good 1-on-1 defender.

None of that has mattered to date. With Towns and Anthony Edwards, there isn't pressure on Russell to provide consistent offense throughout a game.

With Vanderbilt, Beverley, Josh Okogie and Jaden McDaniels, the Timberwolves have more than enough defenders to take all pressure off Russell at that end. He is usually guarding the opponent's fourth or fifth offensive option.

So Russell can use his basketball acumen to float around, servicing the defense by being in the right spots and occasionally using his length to disrupt in the passing lanes.

It all seemed to be the perfect role for Russell. He can pick his spots on both ends and, as a smart player, has done so wisely throughout the season. The roster complements him well in that respect — really all its missing is another pick-and-roll threat with which he can work — and he's using that to his advantage.

But when Minnesota was without a number of its key pieces Tuesday, and Russell was heavily leaned on, he fell flat. He should get another chance to redeem himself in a similar situation Thursday night in Utah.

But Tuesday's performance again raises the question that has been asked about Russell since he signed his big deal with Golden State in the 2019 offseason: Does his value equal that of a maximum salary player?

Are the Timberwolves winning with him, or are they winning because of him? Do they struggle without Russell because of what he brings to the table, or is it due to the lack of alternative options this cap-strapped roster contains in his absence?

The answer doesn't matter so much right now. Minnesota is winning games and contending in the Western Conference, a rarity for this franchise.

Fans should enjoy the ride and soak up the success. But Sachin Gupta, the team's executive vice president of basketball operations, is surely thinking about that question on a daily basis.

Because making the Russell evaluation should be one of the Timberwolves' top priorities this season.

Is Russell, who will be 26 years old in February, a core piece of this team's long-term success who can help lift the Timberwolves to championship heights in the years to come and should be extended at the first available opportunity?

Or do they need to look elsewhere to find someone who better fits that role?

The due date on that evaluation is fast approaching.