Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 most commonly-used lineups in 2019-20
By Zach Lung
The most commonly-used Wolves lineup
D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Josh Okogie, Juancho Hernangomez, Naz Reid
Congratulations to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ five-man lineup with the most minutes together in 2019-20: D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Josh Okogie, Juancho Hernangomez, and Naz Reid.
Yes, you read that correctly; the team’s most commonly-used lineup for the season included three players who were a member of the franchise for exactly 14 games each. This rotation was Minnesota’s most-used lineup despite not playing a single minute together until Feb. 12, and then their season was cut short less than one month later after the league-wide stoppage.
The end-of-season starting lineup was on the court together for 127 minutes and finished the year with a net rating of -6.7. While the net rating wasn’t great, this lineup gives fans a good idea for both the style and roster construction that Minnesota will be looking to utilize next year.
Russell, Okogie, Beasley, and Hernangomez could remain starters at the beginning of next season, barring restricted free agency decisions on the latter two. Naz Reid meanwhile will ideally be replaced by a healthy Karl-Anthony Towns which will make a huge difference on both sides of the ball.
Notably, this lineup looked to push the pace, averaging over 107 possessions and 9.5 3pt attempts per game. This group, led by their dynamic backcourt of Russell and Beasley, shot 41 percent from beyond the arc despite missing the team’s best 3pt shooter. Defensively there was room for improvement but the group’s aggressiveness did result in a large number of steals and fast-break opportunities.
Overall, Minnesota wants to play small and fast next year, so expect to see lineups featuring many of these players in 2020-21.