Did Donte DiVincenzo Solve the Timberwolves PG Problems?
The Minnesota Timberwolves come into the 2024-25 NBA regular season seeking yet another legitimate opportunity at the NBA Finals. Karl-Anthony Towns is gone, Julius Randle has arrived, leaving the Wolves frontcourt about as stacked as it has ever been.
But where Tim Connelly and Chris Finch may have improved their roster most by dealing away KAT… is out on the wing AND at point guard, where they now employ a feisty 27-year-old named Donte DiVincenzo, who’s listed position at Basketball-Reference.com is shooting guard.
Minnesota Timberwolves got the backcourt help they needed in Donte DiVincenzo
That isn’t the only spot on the floor where he will make the Wolves better and deeper, though. Starting point guard Mike Conley is entering his third season playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. At 37-years-old, he’s not the youngster he once was. Adding depth behind Mike was a top priority this offseason.
Not only did the Wolves move up in the draft for Kentucky PG Rob Dillingham, who has looked electric at times thoughtout the preseason, but Chris Finch told media on Thursday night that Donte DiVincenzo will get plenty of minutes as the main ball handler too. A veteran that Finchy already feels like he can trust with the ball in his hands.
Dane Moore asked Finch how many of the questions the team had about the PG position had been answered by DiVicenzo. "A lot. I mean, he's been outstanding with the ball in his hands as a playmaker," Finch replied. So we know who backs up Conley at the 1 for the foreseeable future
— brittrobson (@brittrobson) October 17, 2024
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Last season DiVincenzo played a career-high 29.1 minutes per game for the New York Knicks. He surpassed 15 points per game for the first time in his career. A strong shooter, DiVincenzo is also capable of running the offense and Finch will ask him to do so in Minnesota.
DiVincenzo is more than just a wing player for Wolves
Without DiVincenzo, backup point guard duties would have fallen on first round pick Rob Dillingham. Yes, Anthony Edwards is going to get plenty of opportunities to handle the ball, too. Rob Dillingham has a bright future, but asking that much of him out of the gate, on a team with NBA Finals aspirations, would have been risky.
Donte DiVincenzo mentoring Rob Dillingham pic.twitter.com/AyTTFsrTqz
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) October 13, 2024
It has been evident that DiVincenzo was looking for a greater opportunity than what the New York Knicks had to offer. From the looks of it, he will get everything he wanted, and more, with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Last season the Timberwolves needed more shooting help, and struggled to find it consistently from perimeter players not named Anthony Edwards or Mike Conley (I’m not counting Naz Reid). Now, with both Dillingham and DiVincenzo available to Chris Finch, that should not be the case in 2024-25.
Related: 3 Minnesota Timberwolves Under the Most Pressure This Season
Remember, Donte DiVincenzo has seen the top of the mountain, winning a title with the Golden State Warriors in 2021. You can tell, with the tenacity he has brought to the preseason, that he’s incredibly motivated to get back there. No doubt, that hunger has already started rubbing off on teammates, including Anthony Edwards.
Anthony Edwards on how it feels playing alongside Donte DiVincenzo:
— Wolves Lead (@TWolvesLead) October 14, 2024
"Fuckin' incredible. I don’t need the ball. You see it. I’m having fun, man. It’s fun to play with Donte."
(via: @JonKrawczynski) pic.twitter.com/wjp9mvwoCR
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