Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 most commonly-used lineups in 2019-20
By Zach Lung
The second-most commonly-used Wolves lineup
Shabazz Napier, Jarrett Culver, Andrew Wiggins, Robert Covington, Karl-Anthony Towns
The Timberwolves’ second-most commonly-used lineup featured exactly zero players from the previously mentioned lineup.
The five-man lineup of Shabazz Napier, Jarrett Culver, Andrew Wiggins, Robert Covington, and Karl-Anthony Towns played 106 minutes together with a net rating of +0.3.
Once again, this lineup offers a great look at Minnesota’s desired lineup construction. Covington served as the small-ball power forward while he, Wiggins, and Culver all offered length and switchability on the defensive end. This lineup unsurprisingly struggled in terms of rebounding and blocked shots but they made up for it with an incredible 118.2 offensive rating. The offensive rating was boosted by 60 percent true shooting and great ball movement all around.
Unfortunately, this group was unable to contribute towards winning as the team dropped nine straight games in January and February in which this lineup played regular minutes. Part of the problem was a lack of consistent effort that resulted in a much slower pace than the coaching staff’s desired style of play. As a result, Covington, Napier, and Wiggins were all traded away immediately following this lineup’s time together.
The blueprint for 2020-21 is likely to include elements of the two most common lineups from this past season. Towns will continue to be featured as the focal point of the offense while Culver is likely to see continued minutes as a point of attack defender. Combining those two with some combination of the previously mentioned Russell, Beasley, Okogie, and Hernangomez gives fans a glimpse into the small ball lineups that are likely to see heavy minutes in 2020-21.