‘Everything’s on the table’: Wolves considering lineup changes

Chris Finch and the Timberwolves are still looking for their identity this season.

Dec 21, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch looks on against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Timberwolves picked up their third straight loss on Monday night to the Hawks. Now 28 games into the season, questions are starting to be asked about whether or not Chris Finch and the coaching staff need to make big lineup changes.

Despite Julius Randle averaging 20 points per game, it's apparent that it has not been a smooth transition after October's blockbuster trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks. The Wolves' fourth-year head coach was asked about making changes to the rotation after Monday's loss to the Hawks and he gave a traditional coach-speak answer.

"Everything’s always on the table, for sure," he said. "But also we need to keep looking at lineup combinations as the game goes on, too."

Randle's 20 points per game, ranks second-best on the team, but his defensive energy is a big change from what they received from Karl-Anthony Towns last season. It's clear that their struggles go much deeper.

After winning Sixth Man of the Year last season, many people thought that Naz Reid could take another step forward with Towns' departure. That has not been the case, as he is averaging fewer points and rebounds and his three-point percentage has decreased from 41.4% last season to 35.4% this season.

Another change that fans are clamoring for is more minutes for rookie guard Rob Dillingham. Minnesota aggressively traded up to select him with the eighth overall pick in last spring's draft, but he's averaging only 8.5 minutes in the 15 games that he has played this season.

Their other notable acquisition in October's trade was Donte DiVincenzo. His scoring average has plummeted from 15.5 points last season to 8.9 points per game this season, while his three point percentage has decreased from 40.1% last year to 33.1% this season.

The Timberwolves haven't scored more than 110 points in a game since Nov. 26, which was 11 games ago. They returned to dominant defensive form to begin December, but that has not been the case in their three-game losing streak allowing 121 points per game.

A change of putting Reid into the starting lineup in place of Randle, or giving Dillingham some of DiVincenzo and Conley's minutes could be exactly what this team needs. Finch has proven to be one of the NBA's best coaches over the past few seasons, and he will need to prove it again if Minnesota wants to work its way back up the Western Conference standings.