Timberwolves' bold Donte DiVincenzo decision proves they're championship material

The Minnesota Timberwolves have reached the Western Conference Finals in each of the past two seasons. It's a feat the franchise has never previously achieved, which left many pondering if they were in an ideal situation to make the leap to the NBA Finals.

Minnesota has already revealed that it's championship material by thinking outside the box and choosing to start Donte DiVinceno over Mike Conley.

Teams in Minnesota's position are often stuck in a state of limbo that's equal parts dangerous and compelling. They're somewhere in between making the leap to championship status and falling into a state of complacency, hoping that it can make the leap without embracing change.

According to Chris Haynes of NBA TV, the Timberwolves are acting in a way that's closer to the former than the latter by starting DiVincenzo over Conley.

It's an unorthodox solution to the problem at hand, but the Timberwolves deserve praise for doing what champions must: Thinking outside the box.

Timberwolves to start Donte DiVincenzo at point guard

Minnesota has a superstar who has yet to enter their prime in 24-year-old shooting guard Anthony Edwards. It also has a four-time Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert, a two-time All-NBA honoree in Julius Randle, and an All-Defense selectee in Jaden McDaniels.

With a starting lineup that's flush with decorated players, the only remaining question was a matter of who would be playing point guard.

Debates have been held ad nauseam in regard to who the better option would be between Conley and Rob Dillingham. Conley is a respected veteran, but he experienced a statistical decline in 2024-25 and played just 24.7 minutes per game.

Dillingham has clear potential as a former top-10 pick who's still just 20 years of age, but even after a strong preseason, there was concern in regard to how ready he is for a starting role.

Rather than allowing that situation to drag out, the Timberwolves did what true contenders do: They acted decisively. DiVincenzo is by no means a traditional point guard, but he offers Minnesota an opportunity to roll out a lineup with elite size and defensive versatility.

DiVincenzo is also one of the best shooters on the team with a career mark of 38.0 percent from beyond the arc, including 39.9 percent over the past three seasons.

Furthermore, DiVincenzo averaged 5.0 assists per 36 minutes in 2024-25, thus suggesting he's capable of excelling in a committee of playmakers. Alongside Edwards and Randle, who averaged a combined 9.7 assists per 36, he should keep the offense flowing smoothly in both on and off-ball situations.

There's no way around how risky the game the Timberwolves are playing is with an unorthodox point guard solution, but thinking outside the box proves they're willing to do what's necessary to contend.