Mike Conley is willing to do whatever it takes to be a part of a championship run before he retires. If that happens, it will almost certainly be with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“I think my role is one that I’ve been willing to do anything,” Conley said during his exit interview in May. “Play any amount of minutes; start, come off the bench. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do. Whatever would be best for the team. … Whatever is best for our team.”
Last season, Conley spent more time on the bench (2,210 minutes) than on the court (1,756), the first time since 2020-21, when Conley played in 51 games. He knows the years of averaging typical starter minutes are behind him. As Conley’s near 20-year career is likely drawing to a close, he is still important to Minnesota’s championship hopes.
For the Wolves to win it all with Conley, his role must continue changing. He is ready for it. With a roster that is essentially the same as last season, how does Chris Finch attack that change?
Diversifying the “point guard” minutes.
In January, Finch asked Conley if he would be willing to move to the bench for the first time since 2022. Graciously, and to no one’s surprise, he agreed for the team’s betterment.
Finch started Donte DiVincenzo for the next six games. Having DiVincenzo’s scoring threat and quick tempo in transition around the starters showed flashes of team success, but nothing significantly better than before.
DiVincenzo then suffered a toe injury, which kept him out of 19 straight games. Finch promoted Conley back into the starting lineup, where he remained for the rest of the year.
Sending Conley to the bench wasn’t the magic bullet Finch was hoping to fire. However, it was the first sign of Finch — a coach who historically keeps things the same — being willing to mix things up with Conley and Minnesota’s point guard minutes.
There wasn’t a magic bullet providing the Wolves with an answer to the point guard situation in January, and there isn’t one now.
DiVincenzo proved last season that he is at his best as a movement-shooter, which means he shouldn’t be viewed as a point guard option entering this season. Nickeil Alexander-Walker ate up some of Minnesota’s primary ball-handling duties, but he signed with the Atlanta Hawks.
Aside from Alexander-Walker, Minnesota’s point guard room is identical to last season.
- Conley, who is coming off the worst statistical year of his career.
- Rob Dillingham has had up-and-down results so far in his young career.
- Bones Hyland, who hasn’t played meaningful minutes consistently since 2023-24.
- Tristen Newton (2-way), who didn’t prove at Summer League that he can be trusted in big-league minutes.
Tim Connelly could have fired the magic bullet by acquiring a veteran point guard this summer who the Wolves could rely on to eat up most, if not all, of Conley’s minutes. However, the Timberwolves were hard-pressed to keep their salary under the second apron, or they would face draconian penalties for being a second-apron team for consecutive seasons.
The Wolves also valued continuity this off-season, which meant that a significant trade — aside from Kevin Durant, maybe — was off the table.
As a result, Finch is staring at the same group that he had last season, minus Alexander-Walker. No one player will play 30+ minutes a night as a primary ball handler.
Obviously, the ball will be in Edwards’ hands more than any other player. Still, it has proven valuable to have someone next to him who can take command, play faster, or provide order to the offense when Ant is facing his myriad of defenders in the half-court.
Conley, Dillingham, Hyland, and Newton. Especially with the one-sentence description I gave of each player above, it would appear as if the Wolves are thin at point guard entering this season. On paper, they surely are. However, in a league that continues to become more positionless, there are ways to compensate for roster vulnerability.
For Finch, it starts with extending his rotation to nine players and splitting the “point guard” minutes up between four players, two of whom aren’t actually point guards.
Conley should still start games for the Wolves and play most of his minutes next to Rudy Gobert. Conley spent 75% of his total minutes last regular season next to Gobert. When they shared the floor, Minnesota had an offensive rating of 118.8 with a net rating of +8.98.
Gobert and Conley have a uniquely good connection, one that can keep Minnesota’s offense focused. When things go astray, Finch tends to call for an empty-side pick-and-roll with Conley and Gobert. The result is usually positive.
Conley had a nagging wrist injury in his shooting hand that had bothered him for most of last season. It was a reason he got off to such a poor start shooting the ball, which he corrected as his wrist began to feel better. Conley finished last season shooting 41% from deep. With a healthy off-season to prepare for this year, Conley has a chance to be the consistent 40+ percentage three-point shooter he was two years ago.
Doing so will mean good things for his on-court fit with Edwards and Julius Randle, who both need all the shooting around them to be at the height of their powers.
Randle is a true point forward, and he should be viewed as Minnesota’s second primary ball-handling option. When Randle was on the court in the playoffs, the Wolves shot 37% from three. When he was on the bench, they shot 32%. Simply put, Randle creates open shots for his teammates.
He’s a talented passer who also commands a defense’s attention in isolation. Randle can ease the pressure off Conley when the starting lineup is on by taking the ball up, playing fast in transition, and being the “point guard” in certain set half-court plays. He did all of those things last year. Now, as Randle feels more comfortable, he should do it more often.
When it’s time for Finch to make a move to his bench, we know he will call Terrence Shannon Jr.’s name frequently this season. Shannon is another “point guard” option the Wolves will turn to. He may not be a level-headed floor general like Conley. However, even more so than Randle, Shannon is a blur in transition.
In Summer League this year, Shannon combined his lightning-quick speed with a focused effort to find his teammates. More than anything else — the dunks, step-back threes, or crossovers — Shannon’s passing flashed brightly.
Minnesota will need all the pace they can get this season. Shannon must be a freight train in the open court while also keeping his teammates in view, providing the Wolves with a dynamic option out of their primary ball-handler spot that they lacked for most of last season.
To round out his nine-man rotation, Finch should call on Dillingham.
Jaylen Clark did everything in his power to prove he’s ready for a rotational spot last year with his unproblematic offense and dependable defense. On the other hand, Dillingham excelled in certain spots but also showed the glaring holes that you would expect from an undersized, young point guard.
At a certain point, the Wolves have to take their lumps and start getting Dillingham consistent minutes. That may only be five minutes one night or 20 minutes the next. It all depends on the circumstances of that game. If Dillingham is succeeding, he will work with Shannon to lead a fast-paced, sometimes erratic offense off the bench. But it’s an offense that gives Minnesota a valuable dynamic while taking the pressure off Conley with another ball-handler in the fold.
On paper, the point guard position is Minnesota’s biggest weakness. That doesn’t bode well for a team that is trying to win a championship right now — a team that is trying to do it for Mike.
Mike is no longer the player he once was, but his role remains important as he enters Year 19. At the same time, the Wolves must have a plan in place to back-fill some of his minutes with ball-handling talent. That won’t come in the form of a magic bullet.
Instead, it will come from Minnesota’s preexisting depth.
