The Minnesota Timberwolves walked into Wednesday night’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies shorthanded - and left with more questions than answers. With both Anthony Edwards and Mike Conley sidelined for a third straight game, head coach Chris Finch once again leaned heavily on a tight rotation. And when we say tight, we mean six-man tight.
Bones Hyland got the nod in the starting lineup, but beyond that, Finch showed little willingness to go deep into his bench. The numbers tell the story: of the 61 total bench minutes played, nearly half belonged to Naz Reid, who logged 30.
The rest? Spread thinly among rookies Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Jaylen Clark - and not in a way that suggests growing trust.
A Bench in Name Only
Let’s put it plainly: Finch isn’t showing much faith in his young guns, even with two key rotation players out. Dillingham and Shannon Jr. combined for just 11 minutes, while Clark saw the floor for nine. That’s not much of an audition, especially considering the opportunity presented by Edwards and Conley’s absence.
Over these last three games without the two starters, the trio’s combined minutes - Clark (45), Dillingham (40), and Shannon Jr. (54) - suggest only a marginal bump in playing time. And even that is skewed by Shannon Jr.’s 30-minute outing against the Warriors in the first game of this stretch.
On Wednesday, the group combined for just 13 points on 5-of-15 shooting. Not exactly a breakout performance, but also not a sample size large enough to draw definitive conclusions.
The Trust Gap
What’s more telling than the numbers is the pattern. This isn’t a one-off.
Earlier this month, with the roster still healthy, Dillingham didn’t even check into the game against the Suns - a DNP-CD that spoke volumes. Finch turned to Hyland instead, and it’s fair to wonder if Dillingham would’ve seen the floor at all if not for the recent injuries.
Shannon Jr., meanwhile, had logged just 26 minutes across the four games leading up to this recent stretch. He hasn’t hit double-digit scoring since November 29 and currently holds the team’s worst plus-minus on the season at -87. That’s a tough stat to ignore, but it’s also one that comes with the caveat of limited opportunity and inconsistent usage.
Then there’s Jaylen Clark. Before Wednesday, he had quietly carved out a solid role with eight straight games of double-digit minutes.
And here’s the kicker: the Timberwolves are 14-0 when Clark plays at least 14 minutes. That’s not a typo.
Yet on Wednesday, he played just one second in the second half - and that was during a late-game intentional foul.
Sure, he was a -9 in his minutes against the Grizzlies, but one subpar stint shouldn’t erase what’s been a quietly impactful stretch of play. If you’re looking for a case to give a young player more leash, Clark has made his.
A Crucial Test Ahead
The Timberwolves return home Friday to face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and it’s a matchup that looms large. Not just because of the opponent, but because it may force Finch to reevaluate how he’s managing his rotation.
Beating the champs is hard enough when you’re fully healthy. Doing it while essentially running a six-man rotation?
That’s a tall order.
If Edwards and Conley are still out, the Timberwolves will need more than just heavy minutes from the starters and Naz Reid. They’ll need a spark - and maybe, just maybe, it’s time to see if one of those young players can provide it.
Because if they can’t earn extended minutes now, with key veterans on the shelf, when will they?