After scoring 22 points in his third Summer League game and breaking out of a 2-for-23 shooting slump through his first two games in Las Vegas, Isaiah Evans weighed in on what he was most proud of.
“My defense,” Isaiah Evans said on the Prime Video broadcast. “The whole week, I just prided myself on sticking [with] my man, being in the right spot, and then just trusting that the offense will come later.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves, who drafted Evans 33rd overall out of Duke, are the most excited about what he can do offensively. Evans shot 36% on 101 three-point attempts during his senior year, the second most in the ACC. The Wolves also like what Evans can do with the ball in his hands and how he can leverage his 6’6” frame to get downhill.
Minnesota’s brass likes the different avenues through which Evans can score. But most of those roads were closed for the 20-year-old in his first taste of professional basketball in Las Vegas. That has sparked concern amongst Wolves fans, who believe Tim Connelly has swung and missed on another draft pick who can’t translate his scoring ability to the NBA.
But fans should have no level of concern that Evans will not develop into a productive rotation-level player. If anything, his performance in Las Vegas should make fans excited about his future.
In Minnesota’s final Summer League game Friday, Evans finished with 14 points on 4 of 9 from deep in 27 minutes. In the fourth quarter, Evans connected on a few threes as the Timberwolves dug out of a 27-point hole to force overtime. But overall, he looked sped up and out of control offensively again, and the Wolves lost 128-120.
Evans finished his first Summer League averaging 10.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 2.3 turnovers on 27% from the floor and 20.5% from deep over four games. Evans’ shot continuously came up short, and he seemed bothered by physical defense and struggled with ball control.
When Evans strung together makes in Games 3 and 4, he didn’t do so efficiently. But that’s typical for young players in the Summer League. Evans was the fixture of Minnesota’s perimeter offensive game. When the ball came to him, he frequently looked to score or make a move to the basket — much more frequently than when he eventually gets NBA minutes.
Evans didn’t look NBA-ready in Las Vegas. But for a 33rd overall pick who will be joining a loaded guard room that features LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Bones Hyland, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Jaylen Clark, the Wolves don’t need Evans to contribute immediately.
But when he plays meaningful minutes — likely in a spot situation because of injuries — it will be essential that Evans and his wiry frame can hold their own on defense, especially while playing under Chris Finch, who mandates serviceable defense from his young players.
Defense was Evans’ biggest strength in Las Vegas.
Isaiah Evans never let his shooting woes impact his defense. If anything, it looked like all of the clanked shots tuned up his competitive level defensively. Evans consistently showed a level of passion on defense in Las Vegas, even clapping when he forced a pass-out, much like Nickeil Alexander-Walker used to do with the Timberwolves.
Evans was the 11th lightest player at this year’s draft combine. He weighed in at 186 lbs. while being measured at 6’5” without shoes on. Despite his weight, Evans kept players in front of him at the point of attack well. He moved his feet quickly and used his 6’9” wingspan to disrupt ball handlers.
Obviously, NBA-level coverages are a completely different challenge. Evans will still need to put on weight before he can consistently guard high-end, strong wings in the NBA. Still, he showed a level of commitment on defense in the Summer League. A level of passion and aggression that may have even been fueled by his offensive struggles.
That’s much more likely to follow Evans into the NBA over the long term than the missed shots and turnovers he committed in Las Vegas.
Summer League stats — either good or bad — are rarely a precursor to a player’s NBA success. Evans had minimal time to build chemistry with his teammates and get back up to 5-on-5 conditioning because he didn’t officially join the team until after Minnesota’s first Summer League game.
With more reps in the practice facility from an NBA 3-point line and maybe even some minutes with the Iowa Wolves, there should be no concern at this point that Evans will not eventually develop into a quality player for the Timberwolves.
The claims circulating on social media that Evans is a bust are incredibly premature and lack legitimacy.
Chances are, Evans’ offensive shortcomings in Las Vegas will not follow him into the NBA. There are enough examples in history to suggest that offensive success or failure in the Summer League does not always equal the NBA.
- Derrick Rose shot 29.4% from the floor in two games in 2008.
- Trae Young shot 38.3% from the floor in 2018.
- Jalen Brunson shot 22.7% and averaged 6.8 points in 2018.
- Alex Sarr shot 19% and averaged 5.5 points in 2024.
Blossoming through all his misses, the passion, heart, and hustle that Evans played with on defense gave us a look into his mental makeup as a player. He’s a competitor who takes great pride in improving as a defender.
Showing that in the Summer League means something more for a player in Evans’ position. He has already signed three fully guaranteed years in the NBA. Yes, he still has an uphill climb to prove himself at this level. But he didn’t have the same pressure to impress scouts and executives at the Summer League as someone who was on a 10-day contract trying to earn a two-way contract with a team.
Still, Isaiah Evans showed he cared about his defense in Las Vegas. And that defense he showed is much more exciting for his future with the Timberwolves than his offense is concerning.
