Timberwolves face tough test without Donte DiVincenzo: Who steps up?

Donte DiVincenzo will not play Friday night when the Timberwolves visit Madison Square Garden for a matchup with Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks. His absence could pose significant challenges for Minnesota.

DiVincenzo had replaced Mike Conley in the starting lineup just six games ago and was outstanding during that span, averaging 17.5 points on 42.1% shooting from three along with 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Meanwhile, Conley, coming off the bench in those six games, has averaged 6.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

It’s unclear how Minnesota will adjust its starting lineup, but there appear to be two logical options. They could either reinstate Conley in the starting five or assign DiVincenzo’s minutes to Nickeil Alexander-Walker to maintain Conley’s rhythm with the second unit.

If Conley returns to the starting lineup and his workload increases from 21 minutes per game to over 30, the most viable option to cover his backup minutes at point guard would be to give rookie Rob Dillingham about 20 minutes per game. match. Dillingham was called up from the G League on Thursday after a two-game rehab for a sprained ankle that has sidelined him since Dec. 23.

DiVincenzo had played in all 40 games this season, making his absence uncharted territory for Minnesota. The challenge consists of their grueling schedule, which includes games against the Knicks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Mavericks and Nuggets over the next nine days.

Replacing DiVincenzo’s three-point shooting will be critical. He has averaged over four made threes per game in the last six contests. While Conley has shot effectively from deep (40% in his reserve role), it will be crucial for the Timberwolves to continue to get offensive contributions from Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels and Alexander-Walker.

On the bright side, Reid has been on fire, shooting 46.9% from beyond the arc on 5.3 attempts per game. games over the last six games. McDaniels has also been reliable, hitting 42.9% of his threes on 3.5 attempts per game. match on the same stretch.

Minnesota hasn’t been a strong offensive team this season, and now they face the added challenge of overcoming the loss of a player who has been their second-best player of late.

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