For most of the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves' bench seemed to be their fatal flaw. However, this changed in a significant way with the additions of Ayo Dosunmu and Kyle Anderson. Following these roster moves, the Wolves were seemingly locked into a nine-man playoff rotation.
With the regular season winding down, the Wolves have dealt with injuries and have rested some key players. In turn, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Mike Conley have taken advantage of the bigger roles afforded to them, which could cause Chris Finch to rethink his playoff rotation. Given that Shannon and Conley had struggled mightily in the rotation up until recently, this development is clearly unexpected.
Running an 11-man rotation is highly unlikely, but Finch certainly has some decisions to make.
Shannon's emergence could allow him to earn playoff minutes
Shannon has looked tremendous recently. Over the past two games, he has notched a total of 56 points while netting 10 3-pointers. Likewise, in the past eight games, TSJ is averaging 10 points and shooting 57.9 percent from beyond the arc.
He gives the Wolves' bench some needed extra pace and scoring. After a stellar 23-point game in a four-point win over the Houston Rockets, Finch spoke about Shannon's possible role in the playoffs.
"It could be style of play-based, it could be matchup-based, it could be need a spark-based, it could be finding an opportunity to throw him in there because he has been playing well, it could be a lot of things. Those are great options to have. But, the thing about the playoffs is that everybody's got to be willing to kind of sacrifice if the series moves away from you or moves to you, you've got to be ready," Finch said.
It sure sounds like Finch is ready to play Shannon if and when the right situation calls for it, and there seems to be plenty of avenues for that. Both the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers lack rim protection, which could further open up a runway for TSJ.
I don't know if Shannon will be in the rotation from the get-go, but if the Wolves need an infusion of energy and scoring, it's likely that Finch will turn to him. Plus, it's not unlikely that Kyle Anderson and/or Bones Hyland will struggle to some degree in the playoffs.
Last year, Shannon had a stellar playoff stretch against the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he scored 35 points in three games.
Finch could also turn to Mike Conley
Conley hasn't had quite the offensive upside as Shannon in recent games. However, Conley has netted 45.2 percent of his triples, which is a big boost to his offensive impact. This, paired with his stability as a playmaker, makes it possible that we see Conley get some rotational minutes in the playoffs.
And let's be honest, it's no secret that Finch is fond of him. After Friday's win against Houston, Finch even called Conley "an elite defender." If the Wolves struggle to take care of the ball, I would venture to guess that Finch will push the Conley button.
Shannon and Conley clearly give the Wolves some extra optionality
My expectation is that in Game 1, we will see the Timberwolves' previously expected rotation. However, as the series goes on, I think Shannon and/or Conley will get some real opportunities. To be clear, my perference is for Shannon to play over Conley, but the possibility of Conley playing can't be discounted.
We never know how a game or series will play out, though. As such, if the context of the game calls for it, an early Shannon or Conley sighting wouldn't be a total shocker.
I think it's equally possible that Finch leans into a 10-man rotation or cuts someone who struggles and is out of the rotation to make room for Shannon or Conley.
In any event, I envision Shannon and/or Conley to be given some meaningful playoff minutes, something that would sound absurd a couple of weeks ago. Nevertheless, the emergence of these two players clearly gives the Wolves a much-needed extra wrinkle, which could ultimately be a difference maker in the playoffs.