It has been a rough start on the offensive end of the floor for Isaiah Evans in Summer League with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, however, considering the delay in actually getting him on the court this summer. The trade that netted the Timberwolves the pick used to select Evans in the draft wasn't finalized until this past Friday, which cost him Minnesota's first Summer League matchup and also valuable practice time to get acclimated.
Adjusting to the NBA three-point line has also been difficult for Evans. Across two games in the Summer League, the former Duke star is now 0-for-15 from three. He went 0-of-9 in his debut and followed that up with an 0-of-6 night on Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
That has, obviously, caused some fans to be concerned.
But Evans is too talented an offensive player for that to be a long-term issue. Sometimes shooting slumps happen to even the best shooters, and it's better to get that ugliness out in Summer League than for it to carry over into the NBA's regular season.
Through two games, his struggles shooting the ball are overshadowing an encouraging development that should have fans optimistic about his NBA future.
Isaiah Evans' defense has been rock-solid through two Summer League matchups
Evans was a good defender at Duke. He may have been one of the most underrated in college basketball, in fact. All of Duke's leverage numbers on that end of the floor were better when Evans was out there.
In spite of that, many questioned whether that would translate to the NBA.
The biggest concern being his size, which could limit his effectiveness on the defensive end, with bigger, stronger athletes at the next level being able to bully him on and off-ball.
That hasn't been an issue in Las Vegas so far. Evans has been engaged on the defensive end of the floor, despite his struggles offensively. That's an encouraging sign in and of itself. When you're struggling as badly as Evans is on offense, it can bleed over into your defensive performance. He hasn't allowed that to happen, though:
Isaiah Evans has opened this game shooting 0-4. His shot continues to come up short, but he isn't letting that impact his defense. Has been competing hard on that end so far in Las Vegas.
— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) July 14, 2026
Can't lie, this clip reminds me of Nickeil Alexander-Walker: pic.twitter.com/OhFAb4w2nH
His shot is going to come around. He's too skilled for it not to. As disappointed as he undoubtedly is to have gotten off to such a poor start offensively, his defensive ability and focus are far more encouraging than his shooting slump is discouraging.
He'll shoot the ball better soon enough, and if he keeps defending as he has been, then his NBA future will be secured.
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