The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t shuffle much of the roster this offseason. Mike Conley came back as the assumed starter, only to be replaced by Donte DiVicenzo out of the gate. While they do own a 20-11 record, plenty has been left on the table without a capable facilitating point guard.
Minnesota has been poking around already on the trade market. While they appear interested in making a move prior to the deadline, they may have to wait. What they probably can’t do is stop short of actually pulling the trigger.
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Minnesota Timberwolves must land a point guard
Rob Dillingham was the candidate to take a step forward this year. That hasn’t happened, and while he may still have a very good career, it doesn’t fit the MN Timberwolves need at point guard right now. Conley and DiVicenzo have held serve, but clutch moments have highlighted the cracks.
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For all the chatter about how the Timberwolves need a true point guard, after giving 38-year-old Mike Conley’s starting spot to Donte DiVincenzo, their new starting lineup has been just fine. More than fine, in fact — in a league-high 264 minutes, the five-man unit of DiVincenzo, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert has a plus-11.2 net rating.
The Timberwolves have a clutch turnover rate of 18.4%, which is by far the worst in the league. The only other teams above 14% are the Clippers and Trail Blazers.
Turnover rate tends to decrease in the clutch, as teams take more free throws and use more one-on-one play. But the opposite is true for the Timberwolves, who rank 13th in overall turnover rate but suffer from a clutch-specific problem.
Those late-game giveaways have directly contributed to Timberwolves losses, like a last-minute collapse against Phoenix that kept them out of the NBA Cup quarterfinals. They can’t afford to sacrifice possessions in close games in the playoffs like they have until now.
ESPN’s Zach Kram highlights the push and pull of the Timberwolves point guard situation. It’s a good thing that 38-year-old Mike Conley hasn’t fallen off a cliff, but he’s never added less to the box score. Donte DiVincenzo is getting the starting run he wanted with New York, but he’s miscast as a lead facilitator.
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It doesn’t sound like the Coby White rumors will come to fruition. Darius Garland would be intriguing if the Cleveland Cavaliers make him available. It’s also possible that veteran Kyrie Irving simply changes teams once he’s healthy.
At any rate, the team Chris Finch currently has won’t be the one that wins an NBA Championship. Moving Julius Randle would hurt, so Tim Connelly might need to get creative. A level of activity before the deadline is a must though.
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