Julius Randle has yet to make his Minnesota Timberwolves debut, but Donte DiVincenzo has already suited up twice for his new team. As the Knicks prepare to face the Timberwolves on Sunday, the first matchup between the two teams since the blockbuster Karl-Anthony Towns trade, it’s unlikely that Randle (shoulder) will hit the floor.
However, DiVincenzo’s return to Madison Square Garden seems much more likely.
While his appearance isn’t set in stone — it’s a preseason game, after all — the Knicks are expecting the franchise’s three-point king to be back on the floor. The vibe around Sunday’s game feels “unusual” and “weird,” owing to the recent, rapid reunion with the two former Knicks stars.
“I think the whole thing was quick and kind of unusual,” Josh Hart admitted after Knicks practice on Friday. “A trade three days before training camp started, so that was already kind of weird because that weekend you’re kind of gearing up for training camp that upcoming Monday. So that was unusual, and then obviously we’ve gotta play them on Sunday. It’s a little unusual, but the NBA’s a crazy business.”
If DiVincenzo plays on Sunday, he’ll do so just days after GQ published “The Greatest Knicks Team That Never Was,” a feature showcasing Hart, DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges — four Villanova Wildcats teammates who were briefly reunited in New York. The reunion lasted two months and 20 days. Suddenly, four became three with DiVincenzo’s inclusion in the Towns trade.
“It’s the business. It’s the game. Got to go out there and compete at a high level,” Towns said after Friday’s practice. “It’s just going to be weird. It’s going to be weird being on the other team, but seeing the Timberwolves jersey.
Hart said he spoke to DiVincenzo on the night of the trade and “probably” three or four times since the deal. He believes Knicks fans will give his former teammate a standing ovation on Sunday.
“Obviously it’s a tough one, it’s part of the business, but I’m just like — I miss my dog man,” he said after practice in Tarrytown on Friday. “So I think he should be received with cheers and ovation for everything he did for the team last year. He put himself and his body on the line and brought it every night. So he should get a warm welcome.”
DiVincenzo deserves it.
His lone season in New York was nothing short of historic, with his 283 made threes surpassing Evan Fournier’s previous record by 42. DiVincenzo also set a new single-game record with 11 three-pointers in a March victory over the Detroit Pistons, besting the previous mark held by both Fournier and J.R. Smith.
DiVincenzo posted career highs, averaging 15.5 points per game on 40.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He shouldered a heavier scoring load after Randle’s season-ending shoulder injury, averaging 20.7 points over 36 games in the latter half of the season.
“Both him and Julius contributed so much to the organization, to the team, so there’s great appreciation for them and what they did,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It’s part of our league and we certainly wish them well. I’ve got great respect for them, I know their teammates do, I know the organization does, and I think our fans do as well. They were a big part of the winning.”
Thibodeau understands the magnitude of DiVincenzo’s return, but he doesn’t want his team distracted by the hype. As DiVincenzo steps onto the court again at MSG, there will be emotions.
But for the Knicks, the focus remains on preparing for their championship chase.
“And that’s why it’s so important to establish routines, because in the NBA there’s something almost every night. So you don’t want to get caught up in the hoopla, just focus in on, ‘OK, this is how I get ready to play,’ and you go step by step,” Thibodeau explained. “Don’t get distracted, and it’s easy to get distracted, there’s a million things going on in this league all the time. Guys change teams all the time. Just be locked into what you have to do to help your team win.”
