Zach LaVine Goes Backdoor For Double-Pump Hammer Dunk

The Minnesota Timberwolves are playing without Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic, and Kevin Garnett (among others) today versus the New Orleans Pelicans. Other than Andrew Wiggins, Flip Saunders’ depleted team has no player capable of creating his own shot. The ‘Wolves need to manufacture buckets against New Orleans, a feat easier said than done for a group so low on experience.

But this is a pretty good start.

A common NBA set would involve a dribble hand-off between Lorenzo Brown and Zach LaVine after the former gets a screen from Adreian Payne. Sensing Eric Gordon anticipating that action and jumping to the high side, the 20 year-old slam dunk champion cuts backdoor for an open lane and receives a picture-perfect bounce pass from Brown. The rest was pretty easy to see coming.

Minnesota has really labored against the Pelicans so far overall, though, trailing 24-11 through one quarter.

[Vine via James Herbert]

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