D'Angelo Russell wasn't going to return to the Timberwolves lineup until he felt 100% following a left shin contusion, and he wasn't going to press to play until then.
He didn't want to be a liability on the floor, especially on defense. So even though some corners of Wolves fandom might have been frustrated seeing Russell miss four games because of the injury, he wasn't about to take a chance on returning before being fully healthy.
"Of course, people want to see you back and what-not, but it was aching and wasn't ready," Russell said. "It wasn't like I had to re-evaluate, anything like that. It just depends on the level of the injury."
Russell wasn't dealing with a serious injury, he said, and so just had to wait until it felt right to play again. He returned with 22 points on 7-for-18 shooting and eight assists. He had nine points in the fourth quarter as the Wolves finally pulled away from Detroit to win 118-105.
"I just wanted to be 100% before I went out there and jeopardized anything or let my teammates down on any assignments," Russell said. "Felt good to be back out there. Wind felt good. Everything felt good."
Coach Chris Finch has spoken with players this season about trying to play through some lingering pain or injuries. But the final decision, Finch said, on whether players play is up to them.
Josh Okogie remained out because of a quad injury.
"These players are really good at managing themselves, to be quite fair," Finch said. "They know their bodies. We don't really push them to do things that are outside their comfort zone until they're ready. We just provide every resource and give them as much information as possible, so if they feel they need another day or a couple days or whatever, we allow them to lead the dance."
