'I'm not really talking sh*t to James Johnson. I'm not dumb' - Donte DiVincenzo says he loves to talk trash, but not to everyone

NBA players have different methods of getting themselves hyped up during a game. While some prefer to focus on intensity and aggression, others find that having fun and enjoying the game brings out their best performance. Donte DiVincenzo, a guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves, falls into the latter category.

On a recent appearance on "The Young Man and the Three" podcast, "The Big Ragu" spoke to Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson and the show's host, Tommy Alter, about trying to strike a balance between locking in on the task at hand while still ensuring he's having fun on the floor.

Talking trash

Trash talk is commonplace in the league. Many players use it to keep themselves loose and engaged in the game. According to Robinson, Donte is a "sneaky" trash talker, something the latter admitted to during the podcast.

"It's usually to, like, my guys. Like, if I know you or whatever, it's—I don't—or it's to somebody I respect. Like, uh, like playful talk—like JJ (James Johnson) in Indiana. Like, you talking sh*t to JJ, I'm like, 'I'm not really talking sh*t to JJ—I'm not dumb,'" the 6'4" guard said.

James Johnson has earned the lofty reputation of being the toughest man in the league—someone nobody wants any part of regarding scuffles.

From Heat legend Dwyane Wade talking about James teaching an unnamed teammate a lesson inside the locker room to Jeff Teague sharing stories of watching Johnson knocking out several guys in one altercation, the legend of JJ's toughness is as solid as they come.

Playing loose

DiVincenzo, a former Villanova stud, said he plays his best basketball when he's not getting caught up in the moment. However, he added that he had to hold himself back a little last season, especially when sharing the floor with other equally passionate players.

"There's a balance for me of, like, last year. Jalen (Brunson), like you said, Jalen was so locked in. Josh (Hart) was fu****g crazy. And then me, I was, like, either crazy or not crazy," Donte said. "You come here, and it's like—I can't be the wild one. I got five next to me going crazy!"

"It's a balance of how to know when to let my personality come out and show and feed off that emotion. Because sometimes I get too in my head of try to be this, try to be the leader. Like, man, just go hoop. I'm at my best when I'm not thinking about good shot, bad shot, wrong play, right—it doesn't matter to me. But, like, I'm at my best when I'm having fun and just talking the entire game. Whether it's to my teammates or whoever, I just need to. When I'm quiet, that's—you know, it's off," DiVincenzo added.

After a stellar season playing with his former Villanova teammates on the Knicks, "DiVo" was surprisingly traded to Minnesota in a blockbuster trade involving All-Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle. So far, the early returns haven't been good, as Donte is averaging only 8.9 points on 33 percent shooting, including 30.3 percent from three—a steep drop from the 40.1 percent he shot from long range last season.