Chris Finch has a history of sticking with trusted veterans, even during lengthy mid-season struggles.
Kyle Anderson couldn’t find his shot and at times crushed Minnesota’s offensive spacing because of it two years ago.
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Julius Randle’s fit was clunky, at best, over the first half of last season.
Yet the Timberwolves’ coach never flinched in regard to his backing of both players. Anderson’s spot in the rotation was never threatened, nor was Randle’s spot in the starting lineup.
Finch’s patience paid off in the playoffs with both guys, with Anderson serving as a key cog in Minnesota’s run to the Western Conference Finals in 2024, and Randle doing the same in 2025.
Mike Conley is another test. Frankly, a reboot of one from a year ago for Finch.
The veteran point guard is struggling with his shot this season, hitting just 34% of his 3-point attempts this season. That number plummets to 24% since Dec. 1.
Which renders Conley as a de facto “zero” in the scoring department in his current state. He hasn’t been effective attacking off the bounce over the last two seasons. So when the outside shot isn’t falling, he’s simply not a threat to score in any fashion. Conley hasn’t produced a single point in either of Minnesota’s last two losses to San Antonio or Utah.
That’s frustrating for fans to watch. Pitchforks were out with added force following Minnesota’s inexplicable loss to the tanking Jazz on Tuesday.
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Minnesota’s current three-game skid has led to similar calls from various corners of the internet for the coach to take action on a struggling veteran. Will he?
There are compelling reasons to this season. Conley’s net rating – how the team is performing when he’s on the floor – is the worst among all current rotational players.
Plus, the Timberwolves have actual options to turn to. Conley exiting the rotation could free up playing time for rookie center Joan Beringer if the likes of Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels slid down positions in the lineup. Or, more plausibly, Jaylen Clark and/or Bones Hyland could simply absorb Conley’s minutes.
Those are more enticing routes for Finch to take than demoting a struggling Randle last season to promote a struggling Reid. Or to take Anderson out of the rotation in favor of … no other real legitimate NBA option two years ago, when depth pieces like Troy Brown and Shake Milton struggled so mightily in Minnesota, they were dealt during the season for Monte Morris, who hasn’t regained his NBA footing at other stops over the last two years.
Minnesota could also make a move at or prior to the trade deadline to upgrade the roster at the guard position and potentially force Finch’s hand.
But he could still stick with Conley. He trusts Conley and what he brings to the floor – Conley’s decision-making with the ball and team defense are very much still positive assets for this team – even if that package doesn’t include an ounce of scoring. There could be something to say for Conley’s mere presence on the court. The last two games he sat for rest purposes in December — against Atlanta and Brooklyn — were both embarrassing losses for Minnesota.
The tide could turn on the shooting. Conley shot 36% from deep pre-Christmas last season, and 44% from deep after the holiday. A similar bounce back is no guarantee. Conley is now 38 years old. Father Time does eventually come for all.
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And it won’t be as easy for the veteran, who has started his entire career up until this season, to find the rhythm he’s searching for in his diminished reserve role. But that’s the job currently available on this roster. It’s on Conley to find a way to fill it. If he can’t, Finch may eventually have to make a tough decision.
But history suggests the coach will give the player who has done so much for the team in recent years every chance to correct course before taking an alternative route.
It also suggests he’s right to do so. A slow trigger may be the most accurate shot.
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