The headline when the Timberwolves reshaped their roster earlier this month, of course, was D'Angelo Russell is coming.
Karl-Anthony Towns' friend, the point guard who could score. A player the Wolves believed could put some pop into the pick-and-pop. Towns' wrist injury has limited that experiment to just one game. Still, Russell was the crown jewel in a very busy first week of February.
But the biggest story so far could be the way a couple other players have taken advantage of the opportunity presented when they came to Minnesota:
Malik Beasley and Juancho Hernangomez.
Both players came from Denver, where they were spending more time on the bench than on the court on a deep team currently second in the Western Conference. Both will return for the Wolves' game in Denver on Sunday as starters playing the heaviest minutes of their career.
Beasley, who scored 27 points Friday against Boston, has been the flashier of the two, averaging 23.3 on 46% shooting, including 44% on threes, in 33.5 minutes a game. But Hernangomez is also, in his short sample size with the Wolves, putting up some of the best numbers of his career.
In four games with the Wolves — all starts — Hernangomez is averaging 29 minutes, 15.5 points on 44% shooting, including 53% on threes.
All are career highs.