WATCH: Timberwolves Play 4-on-5 After D'Angelo Russell Doesn't Sub Into Game

WATCH: Wolves play 4-on-5 after DLo doesn't sub into game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard D'Angelo Russell is going to make an appearance on the next edition of Shaqtin' a Fool.

Russell was summoned to sub into the game during the second quarter of Wednesday's matchup versus the Phoenix Suns. After Wolves guard Jaylen Nowell was fouled on a converted layup, Taurean Prince left the floor in favor of Russell.

But the problem was that Russell didn't enter the game before Nowell's lone free throw attempt. Heck, he didn't even enter the game 15 seconds after Nowell made the free throw.

As the Suns brought the ball up court, Russell stood at the scorer's table awaiting to enter the game with only four Wolves players on defense. The lack of a fifth defender allowed the Suns to easily get Damion Lee a wide-open corner 3.

Lee missed the shot and the rebound was corralled by Suns forward Torrey Craig with Russell still (!) on the sideline. Craig made one pass before quickly getting the ball back and firing up a 3-point shot. As Craig loaded up to shoot, Russell finally realized his team was at a disadvantage, ran onto the floor and watched the ball swish through the net.

This is an all-timer! Russell not realizing he's supposed to be on the court, Suns play a possession 5-on-4, make a 3-pointer. #Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/3hrT51FGKO

— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) November 10, 2022

Yikes.

It didn't even seem like the Wolves' bench realized Russell was supposed to be in the game and the team was playing 4-on-5, either.

So what happened there?

"I have no idea," head coach Chris Finch told reporters postgame. "I have no idea."

"It's just a sign of a team that's lacking a little bit of confidence and purpose right now," he added.

If the Wolves had been playing great basketball, this may have just been laughed off as a funny gaffe. The Wolves, however, are not playing great basketball.

After giving the Memphis Grizzlies a real battle in the first round of last season's playoffs and making a huge offseason trade for Rudy Gobert, Minnesota has stumbled out of the gate. They're now 5-7 following Wednesday's 129-117 loss to Phoenix.

The Wolves aren't even playing well when their top players on the floor. In the 175 minutes Russell, Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards have shared the floor, Minnesota has a minus-4.9 net rating.

Russell has especially struggled, shooting 38.3% from the field and 31.5% from deep.