donte divincenzo

What will Wolves look like once Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle return?

Reinforcements are on the way for the Minnesota Timberwolves as both Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo are expected to return from long injury absences this week, potentially as soon as Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Randle has been sidelined since suffering a groin injury in a game against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 30, and DiVincenzo has been out even longer with a turf toe issue, having last played against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 15. Yet the Wolves have managed to tread water in their absences, currently sitting seventh in the Western Conference with a 32-27 record, and even with both sidelined, they’ve gone 5-6 in February, including two wins against the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder. Both wins against the Thunder also came without Rudy Gobert, who’s missed four games with back spasms.

What’s helped the Wolves stay afloat without two of the key rotations players, who were both in the starting lineup when they went down, has been the emergence of some of the team’s young players like Jaylen Clark, Terrence Shannon Jr., Rob Dillingham and Luka Garza. Mike Conley returned to his starting spot after DiVincenzo went down and has played well, and Naz Reid stepped in for Randle and Minnesota seemingly hasn’t missed a beat. And the good news is now the Wolves are approaching full strength as they prepare for the stretch run of the season and an easy schedule in March.

But with Randle and DiVincenzo returning any day now, it does present a number of questions as to how the Wolves and coach Chris Finch approach lineups. Who will be starting now with a multitude of capable options? What roles are there for the young guys when the team is at full strength? How can they maintain the emergence of players like Reid and Jaden McDaniels when two more higher-usage players will be getting significant minutes in the rotation?

Here’s a look at some of good problems the Wolves have as they return to full strength:

This is a particularly challenging dilemma for the Wolves. Randle had started all 48 games he played before suffering the groin injury and remains the team’s second-leading scorer at 18.9 points per game, the team’s second-leading rebounder at 7.2 per game and is also a good facilitator, averaging 4.5 assists per game. And while there were questions about his fit in the starting lineup, Randle was appearing to find a rhythm with the group right before he went down with the injury.

On the other hand, Reid has been excellent since stepping into the starting role, and his jack-of-all trades play style just seems to fit seamlessly into any lineup. While his season averages are all below Randle’s, Reid has started all 10 games in February and is averaging 20.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He’s also averaging 1.5 blocks per night.

There’s a case for either player to take on that starting spot. Reid is the more natural fit as his ability to play along the perimeter pairs better with Gobert, and he doesn’t require the ball in his hands to score, allowing the likes of Conley or Anthony Edwards to run the offense more often. But Randle’s playmaking creates a lot of opportunities for others, and he’s often the only player other than Edwards who can get to the rim and give you a bucket when the team needs it.

Meanwhile, DiVincenzo had entered the starting lineup for Conley just before he went down with the injury, and DiVincenzo was playing some of his best basketball for the Wolves. But the rhythm Minnesota caught when DiVincenzo stepped in didn’t slow down when Conley returned to the starting five. Despite a trying start to the year for the veteran point guard, he found his rhythm at the end of January and start of February, though a finger issue has been limiting lately.

Still, Conley’s points (9.6) and assists (5.6) have both been up in February, and he is a more natural point guard. DiVincenzo was a better fit in the starting five alongside Randle, whom he built a chemistry with on the New York Knicks, as he wasn’t expected to run the offense like a traditional point guard, and his shooting was an upgrade from a struggling Conley. He averages 11.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game overall to Conley’s 8.2 points, 4.5 assists and 2.6 boards.

Again, a case can be made for either player in the starting five. But perhaps the answer, at least on paper, is the best possible fits would be either Conley and Reid starting or DiVincenzo and Randle. Conley is the more traditional point guard, and with Reid in the starting lineup over Randle, he has opportunity to run the offense and have the ball in his hands. Randle’s playmaking can negate the need for a traditional point guard, and his old Knicks teammate can alleviate some of the spacing issues between Randle and Gobert while spacing the floor as a threat without the ball in his hands.

Those configurations should also leave opportunity for McDaniels to continue his offensive surge.

What the starting lineup ends up becoming will be one of the most intriguing storylines in the coming weeks.

Clark, Shannon and Garza have all played their first meaningful minutes of the season since Randle and DiVincenzo have been sidelined. Dillingham has seen an increased role, and the likes of Josh Minott and Joe Ingles have also had extended opportunities during the recent stretch. Clark and Shannon, in particular, have really given the Wolves something valuable.

Clark’s first opportunity came on Jan. 29 against the Phoenix Suns, a game he had no idea he’d be playing in. Clark was impressive, so much so that he quickly started seeing 20 minutes a night and has since made three starts. Clark has lived up to his college reputation of being a lockdown defender. He’s averaging 1.4 steals per game in February, including three games with three or more, and is giving the Wolves something offensively, too, with 6.9 points per game in the month.

Shannon’s opportunity came on Feb. 6 against the Houston Rockets. He knocked down a corner 3 on his first attempt from the field, and while minutes were sparse in those first few, he’s been around 20 or more minutes per game in each of the last five games. Shannon has proven to be a capable defender, an impressive scorer and his speed gives the Wolves something they haven’t had in transition. He’s averaging 7.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in February.

The struggles for Dillingham have been evident, but every so often he shows he’s capable of big things. After four straight duds, Dillingham shined in Monday’s win over the Thunder and even closed the game. He had 12 points, five assists and four rebounds in 26 minutes. But in February, he’s shooting just 35% and averaging 5.7 points and 3.3 assists per night.

Before Randle and DiVincenzo went down, Dillingham’s minutes were sparse; Clark, Shannon and Garza didn’t see the court; Minott would get sparing minutes from time to time; and Ingles didn’t typically come in for more than your late-game inbounds pass. That’s not likely to be the case moving forward as some guys have earned their keep in the rotation.

Clark, in particular, has appeared to earn Finch’s trust because of his stalwart defense. Clark even started over Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the back-to-back games against the Thunder on Sunday and Monday because of his ability to guard the league’s best like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It feels safe to say Clark has surpassed Dillingham for the ninth spot in the rotation. Finch didn’t typically go deeper than nine before Randle and DiVincenzo’s injuries, but opportunity is there now.

The 10th spot could be a little more interesting. Dillingham is the only other true point guard on the roster besides Conley, and having someone to fill that role is of benefit. But he’s also struggled in recent weeks while Minnesota’s other first-round pick, Shannon, has started to thrive. Shannon is older and is just more NBA ready. He’s a much better defender, he can knock down shots when he’s open and he can provide a similar juice as Dillingham with his speed in transition.

Garza’s minutes only seemed to come out of necessity and there doesn’t appear to be a role for him when Randle, Reid and Gobert are all healthy in the lineup. Minott has fallen out of Finch’s good graces for defensive lapses. Dillingham has shown his abilities at times, but when he’s not knocking down shots, he tends to hurt more than help a team that’s still looking to contend this season. If Finch extends the rotation to 10, Shannon feels like the natural fit for those minutes.

Nolan O’Hara covers all things Minnesota sports, primarily the Timberwolves, for Bring Me The News and Sports Illustrated’s On SI network. He previously worked as a copy editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism. His work has appeared in the Pioneer Press, Ratchet & Wrench magazine, the Minnesota Daily and a number of local newspapers in Minnesota, among other publications.

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Julius Randle Injury Update: Right Groin Strain on February 26, 2025

Julius Randle of the Minnesota Timberwolves is out due to a right groin strain. He will not play in upcoming games as he recovers from this injury. Randle has played 48 games this season, averaging 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. He has been inactive for 11 games this season due to various injuries. In the recent game on Feb 24, 2025, against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Randle did not play. The Timberwolves won that game 137-129.

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What will Wolves look like once Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle return?

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