Chris Finch's loyalty to Julius Randle has been a frequent point of contention among Minnesota Timberwolves fans. Whether it's how much he's empowered him in the offense, his unwillingness to publicly criticize him, or insisting on closing with Randle even on his off nights, Finch's treatment of Randle has bothered fans.
I am generally more pro-Randle than much of the Wolves fan base. Even still, there's no denying that his offensive production has been subpar, and it's time for the Wolves to lean on Naz Reid a bit more. Having arguably the best sixth man in the league, who plays a similar role to Randle, has only increased fans' frustrations.
In the second-round against the San Antonio Spurs, Reid has outplayed Randle; there's no doubt about it. Randle is averaging 34.4 minutes (the most on the team), 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 4.5 turnovers with 37/26.7/76.5 shooting splits. Conversely, Reid is averaging 28.4 minutes, 14 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on stellar 52.5/47.4/71.4 shooting splits.
Randle has struggled with the Spurs' athleticism, and their double teams have forced him into a ton of turnovers. This, paired with the Spurs' size and rim protection, has limited Randle's scoring. He simply hasn't been impactful on offense. The bright side is that Randle has been playing stout defense, but frankly, so has Reid.
While a starting lineup change of this magnitude is too severe, a little less Randle and a little more Reid feels like a necessary adjustment. Likewise, if Randle is having an off night as he did in Game 4, Finch should close with Reid in place of him.
The Timberwolves can no longer be so dependent on Randle
The Wolves pulled off a win in Game 4 following Victor Wembanyama's ejection. However, Finch heavily leaned on Randle down the stretch despite him having an off night. At some point, this unwavering loyalty to Randle feels bound to backfire.
In Game 4, Randle scored 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting, grabbed a solid eight rebounds, dished out three assists, and committed an inexplicable six turnovers. Reid notched 15 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Still, Randle played seven more minutes than Reid. He also played eight more minutes than Rudy Gobert, who had a good game in his own right.
Both Randle and Reid played all 4:18 minutes of clutch time; 2:02 of these minutes came in a supersized lineup with Gobert. As noted, playing Randle down the stretch didn't cost the Wolves in Game 4. It's fair to wonder if this would have been different with Wemby in the fold, though.
I understand the logic of pairing Randle and Reid late in games for floor spacing reasons. Nevertheless, if Reid and Gobert are playing better than Randle, Finch needs to put his best five that night on the floor. Time and again, he's been reluctant to close games without Randle.
Additionally, Randle needs to be less involved in the offense when he plays. Throughout the season, his high-post playmaking and bully-ball style of scoring were vital to the team, but this series has proven to be an awful matchup for him. With how this series is playing out, Finch should prioritize other aspects of the Wolves' offense over Randle.
Again, pulling the plug on Randle isn't a reasonable solution, but relying on him a bit less (especially with how Reid is playing) is something Finch should absolutely do. All things considered, Finch is a great coach, especially in the playoffs, but this is one thing he needs to change.
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