Recently, Chris Finch sat down with Britt Robson of MinnPost to discuss a variety of topics ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves' upcoming season. Much of the interview talked about the Wolves' guard rotation. When asked about Donte DiVincenzo possibly getting more minutes at point guard, especially with the loss of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Finch noted he prefers DiVincenzo in an off-ball role.
"I like him better off the ball, Finch said. Where we really like Donte and where I think he can fill in really well for Nickeil, is in creating pace. Nickeil was a really good “push guard,” he got the ball up and out of his hands relatively quickly. I think that suits how Donte likes to play and how he plays the best. I think he can help us there. But to rely on him to do any heavy ball-handling is probably not putting him in the best position for himself."
While the Wolves could need some extra ball handling, DiVincenzo is best used off the ball due to his elite shooting. Seeing DiVincenzo operate as a "push guard", especially in transition and as a secondary ball handler in the half-court, makes sense. Regardless, using DiVincenzo as a lead ball-handler isn't logical.
DiVincenzo's role is clear after Finch's comments
Amid rumors of a possible starting lineup change where DiVincenzo would replace Mike Conley, Finch's comments make this change seem less likely. It's still possible DiVincenzo starts, and there's a ball-handling-by-committee approach with Anthony Edwards likely taking on more ball-handling duties. Nevertheless, that seems unlikely, and after Finch's comments, my guess is that Conley stays in the starting lineup.
Per Cleaning the Glass, DiVincenzo spent 15 percent of his minutes playing point guard last season. Surprisingly, the Wolves' efficiency differential was higher (+8.4) with DiVincenzo at point guard than with him at shooting guard (+5.3). However, there's a lot of evidence to back up the claim that DiVincenzo is better utilized off the ball.
DiVincenzo's career assist % (15.5) is just above his career turnover % (13.3). Additionally, DiVincenzo isn't an elite self-creator, with 77.2 percent of his made field goals coming off assists last season. DiVincenzo's biggest strength is his knockdown shooting; he netted 39.7 percent of his 3-pointers on 7.1 attempts. To best utilize DiVincenzo, placing him off-ball and maximizing his shooting would be wise. Sure, he can handle the ball on occasion, but that shouldn't be a significant part of his role.
Finch's comments hint that second-year guard Rob Dillingham could play a bigger role. Alternatively, Edwards and Julius Randle could take on more ball-handling duties.