There are concerns that Donte Di Vincenzo may have to miss the entire season after suffering an achilles tear in the playoffs, but Timberwolves the guard is determined to avoid this fate, he writes John Krawczynski of The Athletic. Di Vincenzo hopes to follow suit Jason Tatum last season, and he consulted with Tatum, Damian Lillard, Tyrese Halliburton and others for tips on recovering from injury.
“It’s been really, really helpful on those days or weeks where you feel like you’re not getting as much ground as you should.” Di Vincenzo said. “You talk to these guys and they kind of help push you.”
Krawczynski adds that DiVincenzo, who has been rehabbing for nearly six months, has a projected date for when he hopes to resume playing, but he doesn’t want to share it publicly. For now, he’s focused on helping the Wolves in any way he can, including being a talking point for teammates to share the frustrations of a long season.
Whether or not he can return, DiVincenzo will be headed to free agency next summer with an expiring $12.5 million contract. He has already discussed his future with the president of basketball operations Tim Connellytelling Kravchynsky that there were no promises.
“They’re not going to come to you and say, ‘We don’t do XYZ,'” Di Vincenzo said. “Obviously, you know it’s a business and they’re going to do what’s best for the organization and the team. But I like to think of what I bring to the organization, yes, on the court, but off the court. Some invaluable things that you might not see on the stat sheets and just trying to be a good person, a good person. And when you do that every day, I think they see that.”
There are more from the Northwest Division:
- Rookie power forward Trevon Brazile showed his potential in Nuggetspreseason kickoff Sunday night, trans Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (subscription required). The second-round pick has moved up in the rotation because Spencer Jones was sidelined with a strained hamstring, and he finished with seven points, three rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes. “I think he’s more than an athlete, and he shows it.” Julian Strother said. “Obviously, he’s a great defender. He can shoot with confidence. I think the things he brings to the game are things we’ve been missing as a unit. When he gets the opportunity, he’s going to pop up in a variety of ways.”
- Jaren Jackson Jr seems to be back to normal after knee surgery Shreyas Ladda of The Salt Lake Tribune states in the mailbag column. Jackson appeared in only three games with the Jazz after the February trade before being waived for the season. Ladda also hears it Darrin Peterson hasn’t battled any of the cramping issues that plagued him last season at Kansas and has impressed the team with his stamina.
- Not Ilyichlong-time trainer for Thunder security guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexandertalks to Mark Medina from WG on the playoff loss to San Antonio and why he revamped his workouts in the offseason.