Clearly not in his (nor his) basketball(s) at the start of the season, with less than 9 points on average at 35% shooting success, including a small 31% at 3-points, Donte DiVincenzo did not really reassure Minnesota fans about the return of the exchange which nevertheless involved the local star, Karl-Anthony Towns, sent to New York.
It must be said that the “Big Ragu” was a great success on the Broadway side, with a career record average of more than 15 points and 40% success behind the arc, including several brilliant shots in the playoffs. : a 39-point spike against the Pacers in Game 7 or his miraculous 3-point shot against the Sixers.
Traded two days before the start of training camp, Donte DiVincenzo had it bad. Necessarily. And it simply took him time to digest this twist of events…
“Stop comparing what you did last season [et cette saison]and go play basketball »explains Donte DiVincenzo in The Athletic.
The recovery since the Knicks victory
Concretely, it took him 18 matches to regain his faith. Well supervised by his new teammates and his new coaching staff who continued to encourage him to take his shots and play his game, Donte DiVincenzo is gradually starting to find his rhythm.
“From what I felt, I think he still had frustration from what had happened,” adds Rudy Gobert as an outside observer. “He is human. But when you want to be successful, you have to quickly let go of this frustration and move forward. »
Indeed, over the last six outings of the Wolves, Donte DiVincenzo has clearly regained color, once again becoming that player who makes a difference, on both sides of the field, with 15 points at an excellent 50% shooting success and no less flashy 49% success behind the arc.
“It was difficult at the beginning because, in the exchange, the team lost a major element. And there are two guys coming in who are not patches but important parts of the rotation and who need to find their place. When it doesn't work directly, there is a lot of criticism that falls on us, because of the success of last season, but we understood that we had to stay united and united to find solutions. »
Under the wise and improvised advice of Dennis Schröder
The trigger came from an unexpected discussion… with Dennis Schöder, who came to ask him for advice on his adaptation to Golden State. And which, in return, allowed him to break the ice in Minnesota!
“He was very direct. He told me it was going to be complicated but that I just had to get through it. No matter where you play, you have to be yourself. You have to be able to look in the mirror and accept the situation as it is. I have to leave last season in the past. This year is a different experience. »
Once again involved in defensive actions that are not necessarily seen in the stats sheet, once again bleeding on his offensive decision-making, Donte DiVincenzo is no longer enduring his season at Minny: he is sinking into it with his full teeth. In short, he has finally entered his Dance with Wolves.
“I think it’s these kinds of actions that keep me going. And that helps the whole team move forward. It's my identity. It’s also our identity as a team. Good is contagious, like bad. These little actions where I try to create something can lead to other actions by other guys,” he concludes. “I had to find this joy again, rather than wanting to compare everything to what I had. I'm playing in the NBA, for one of the best teams in the league, with one of the young superstars in the league, I can't take it for granted. »
| Donte DiVincenzo | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2018-19 | MIL | 27 | 15 | 40.3 | 26.5 | 75.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 4.9 |
| 2019-20 | MIL | 66 | 23 | 45.5 | 33.6 | 73.3 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 9.2 |
| 2020-21 | MIL | 66 | 28 | 42.0 | 37.9 | 71.8 | 1.2 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 10.4 |
| 2021-22 * | All Teams | 42 | 24 | 35.1 | 33.9 | 84.3 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 9.0 |
| 2021-22 * | BAG | 25 | 27 | 36.2 | 36.8 | 83.9 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 10.3 |
| 2021-22 * | MIL | 17 | 20 | 33.1 | 28.4 | 85.2 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 7.2 |
| 2022-23 | GOS | 72 | 26 | 43.5 | 39.7 | 81.7 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 9.4 |
| 2023-24 | NYK | 81 | 29 | 44.3 | 40.1 | 75.4 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 15.5 |
| 2024-25 | MIN | 31 | 25 | 38.9 | 35.6 | 80.6 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 9.9 |
| Total | 384 | 25 | 42.4 | 37.3 | 77.3 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 10.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
