Wolves bench is clicking early, but starters still need to 'find some rhythm'

Minnesota has several second-unit lineups that are finding early success.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo shakes hands with a fan after making a shot against the Charlotte Hornets in the second half at Target Center in Minneapolis on Nov. 4, 2024. / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets went into the second quarter of Monday night’s game at Target Center in Minneapolis tied at 24-24. Then the Timberwolves were off to the races. 

Nickeil Alexander-Walker drilled a 3-pointer for the opening points of the second frame. Donte DiVincenzo’ got a steal that led to a transition dunk for Rudy Gobert. DiVincenzo found Gobert later for another dunk, and DiVincenzo hit a 3 their next possession. Mike Conley helped generate another steal for DiVincenzo, and on the other end, Naz Reid grabbed an offensive rebound and got a putback to cap a 12-2 Wolves run that came in just 2 minutes, 29 seconds of game time.

The Hornets called timeout.

The Wolves stretched that lead to 12 by halftime and 20 by the end of the third quarter. That same lineup opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run as Reid and Conley hit 3s and Alexander-Walker made a pair of free throws. The final result was a convincing 114-93 victory over the Hornets. The game was a prime example of the Wolves bench clicking early.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was asked about his bench postgame, and he cited the plus-minuses on the box score. Reid and DiVincenzo each posted a game-best plus-33. Alexander-Walker was a plus-22. To round out the five-man lineup that dominated in the game, Conley finished as a plus-20, while Gobert ended his night as a plus-15.

“They continually get us kick started into the game,” Finch said. “We got to find some rhythm with our starting group, but our bench has been huge, and they’re all — I’m lucky, I have eight starters. Really spoiled for choice there.”

Several of the bench units for the Timberwolves, particularly the second-unit lineup of Conley, Gobert, DiVincenzo, Alexander-Walker and Reid, have found their rhythm early, but the starting five hasn't always been on the same page.

Conley, Gobert, DiVincenzo, Alexander-Walker and Reid have a season-long plus-minus of plus-30, which is the best of any five-man combination on the team. Their offensive rating of 119.7 is the second best of five-man combinations that have played at least three games, and their defensive rating of 74.2 is the fourth best of the five-man combinations who've seen three games. They average 33.3 assists per 100 possessions and have a 2.75 assist-to-turnover ratio.

 Conley said the surplus of playmakers has made his job easier.

“We actually get excited when we’re all coming into the game, and it’s just like your little group of guys and you don’t know who’s gonna be the guy, who’s gonna score, who’s gonna be the guy who has the moments,” Conley said. 

Other lineup combinations have excelled, too. Conley, Gobert, DiVincenzo, Reid and Jaden McDaniels, for example, are scoring 133.3 points per 100 possessions and have a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. Gobert, DiVincenzo, Alexander-Walker, Reid and Anthony Edwards are allowing a mere 70.2 points per 100 possessions. Julius Randle, Alexander-Walker, Reid, DiVincenzo and Edwards are a plus-12, second best on the team, and have been efficient on both ends of the floor.

The starting lineup hasn't been as effective. The starting group has a season-long plus-minus of minus-13, an offensive rating of 111.4, a defensive rating of 120.3 and by far the most turnovers of any five-man group with 35. It's a work in progress integrating the new pieces, and some fit better together than others, like Edwards and Randle, for example.

Randle's physical presence and propensity to attack the paint have allowed more catch-and-shoot opportunities from the 3-point line for Edwards. Finch said before the Hornets game he'd give that duo a B-plus through five games. He's pleased with their success in the pick-and-roll, the way Randle looks for Edwards in transition and how Randle can take some of the pressure off Edwards. That duo has an offensive rating of 115.2, but Finch still sees room for improvement.

But the starting five as a whole hasn't quite gotten everything together. Randle's skillset is much different from that of Karl-Anthony Towns, and the spacing, particularly with Gobert in the post, remains a work in progress. McDaniels is working through some early-season struggles. There are still things to figure out, but there's reason to be optimistic.

"We got to get used to spacing ... how we could play off of each other better, which will take time, and when we do figure it out, we blend that with the way the second unit kind of has a jumpstart, that’s when you get really, really, really good, consistent performance,” Conley said.