The Minnesota Timberwolves could use help at point guard, given starter Mike Conley’s decline in his age-37 season.
The 17-year NBA veteran has struggled to create space and knock down his shots, shooting 40% from the field this season. That’s the lowest rate of Conley’s career, other than the 2017-18 season, where he played just 12 games due to an Achilles injury.
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At times earlier in the season, first-round rookie Rob Dillingham gave the Wolves offense more of a spark in Conley’s absence.
However, Dillingham is questionable ahead of Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham (4) listens to guard Mike Conley (10) during a timeout in the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Target Center.Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
According to the team, Dillingham is questionable with a right ankle sprain, which they announced Saturday ahead of the 5:30 p.m. PT tip off at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
While the Timberwolves may have a shorter bench to run the point without Dillingham, the rookie wasn’t seeing as many minutes as he had earlier in the season.
In the Wolves’ final 21-game push to earn a playoff berth, Dillingham saw more than five minutes of action just three times.
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The Timberwolves have deferred to Donte DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to replace Conley on the floor. The elder guards of Dillingham provide a much higher defensive floor for the team, however, he showed he could be an offensive sparkplug through the middle of the season when DiVincenzo and Conley missed time due to injuries.
Whether Dillingham, selected No. 8 overall out of Kentucky last year, will play a role in the series remains to be seen.
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