For months, Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders has pleaded for patience with rookie Jarrett Culver, saying despite his inconsistency early in his NBA career, the future is bright for the player the Wolves selected sixth overall in June’s draft.
Saunders’ best evidence to support that argument has come in Culver’s two games before Thursday’s matchup against Portland.
The Wolves’ last two-game trip was a successful one for Culver. Against Cleveland, he had 14 points to go with a career-high four steals. Then in Memphis, Culver had another career high, 24 points, and two more steals. His shooting, which has been a bugaboo all season, was 14 of 22, lifting his average for the season to 38%.