“D’Angelo Russell has the same skillset as the James Harden, Kyrie Irving types”: Patrick Beverley heaps praise on new Timberwolves teammate for his excellent iso play and shooting

Patrick Beverly gushes about D’Angelo Russell, saying that he has a similar skill set to James Harden and Kyrie Irving, but needs to do the little things right.

At the peak of his powers, D’Angelo Russell was an All-Star player for the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 21.1 PPG and 7.0 APG that season. However, after landing in Minnesota, he hasn’t had the same success, but in his defense, he has had some unfortunate injuries along the way.

There’s no question that D’Angelo Russell is extremely talented though, and it’s always been this way. One such person who believes in his talent is his new teammate Patrick Beverly.

Patrick Beverley is a believer in D’Angelo Russell pic.twitter.com/OAmQUDij9b

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) October 5, 2021

Beverley believes that D’Angelo Russell has a similar skill set to the Nets duo James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Although he did make it abundantly clear that he isn’t putting Russell above the two All-Stars. Then in typical Pat Bev fashion, he goes out and challenges D’Angelo to “go out there and be great.”

He goes on to say –

“I put D-Lo with the same skill set, don’t take my words and twist them around, but the same skill set as the James Harden types. The Kyrie Irving types. A player that is God-gifted skill wise, can pass the ball, can shoot, can get to the free-throw line. A three-level scorer that can score in the post if he needs to, pass out of the post.”

He further comments –

“I just challenge him. What makes you different than any one of those type of players? So, I challenge you every day, don’t miss the small things, don’t miss the small hurdles. Go out there and be great. He’s been responding every day in practices and it’s not a surprise he played well yesterday.”

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What to expect from D’Angelo Russell and Minnesota Timberwolves this season?

Despite having a horrendous last season, they ended strong, winning 9 of their last 16 fixtures. The fans hope that the momentum will drive them to have a better campaign in the coming season.

The Timberwolves’ starting 5 is potentially quite strong and they could be dark horses in the Western Conference. If the T-Wolves side has to make the top 8-10 seeding in the West, D’Angelo Russell has to play at the highest level for it to be a reality.

The idea of Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo all fit and playing together is exciting for T-Wolves fans. The trio could be dangerous on the offensive side of the ball. Additionally, they have a supporting cast of Patrick Beverley, Jaden McDaniels, and Josh Okogie, who complement the main trio very well. As a result, the Timberwolves could be a very dangerous force to reckon with.

Only time will tell if Beverley’s strong words bear any fruit in this crucial season for the franchise. However, as of right now it’s just fun to sit back and imagine they will.

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