Fadeaway Friday: Will Lance Stephenson stick in Minnesota?

After appearing to disappear off the map, former Indiana Pacers star Lance Stephenson has resurfaced as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, signing his second 10-day contract with the team earlier in the week after being a free agent for a short period of time due to an ankle injury. The Timberwolves clearly like Stephenson enough to sign him to a second 10-day contract, but the question is whether or not he'll stick with the team for the remainder of the season and possibly beyond.

Kris Dunn and Tyus Jones haven't really stepped up in Zach LaVine's absence like the Timberwolves hoped they would, making Lance Stephenson an attractive option to give them much needed depth at the point guard position. During his time with the Timberwolves, Stephenson has averaged 4.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game on 47.6% shooting from the field, which isn't very good but sadly better production than what Dunn and Jones have been able to provide.

What's amazing is that at this point in time, the 27-37 Timberwolves are 2.5 games back of the 8 seeded Denver Nuggets, making them very much alive for the playoffs. The Timberwolves are a team that actually is in more need of playoff experience than another high draft pick, so they need to do all they can to make a push for the playoffs.

So, when it comes to evaluating Lance Stephenson, the Timberwolves have to assess whether or not having him on their roster helps them make the playoffs. If you look at his raw production, it's hard to argue that he does. If you consider that he's a veteran guy who's been to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Indiana Pacers, you could argue that having him around helps since he knows what it takes to get to the playoffs. It really depends on how you see it.

                                         (Credit: Fox Sports North. Click here for video) 
                         

What I don't know is whether or not Lance Stephenson has been a good locker room guy or not and that is probably what will ultimately determine whether or not he sticks in Minnesota for the rest of the season. Stephenson has had a history of not being a good locker room guy, which is why he's bounced around so much since his days in Indiana. The fact that the Timberwolves signed him to a second 10-day contract indicates that he might be a better locker room guy than he was in Charlotte and that so far, he's fitting in well with their group of guys.

Personally, I certainly hope that Lance Stephenson is able to find a way to stick with the Timberwolves. He's been an entertaining player and one who I still think might have some gas left in the tank if given the right opportunity. The Timberwolves could use the depth at point guard and also the presence of another veteran guy in their locker room. If they were to make the playoffs, Stephenson could be a guy who gets inside the head of Stephen Curry a bit as a defender, so in that vein it actually makes sense for the Timberwolves to keep him.

At the end of the day, this all comes down to whether or not the Timberwolves see him as offering more than just what he's given them on the court. If they see him possessing some intangibles like leadership and veteran experience, odds are good he sticks with them. If on the other hand, they really don't see him offering any of those intangibles, odds are good he gets released from the team after his 10-day contract expires. It's really as simple as that.


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