“There’s a chain reaction to everything you do. There are other combinations and things that go on on the floor that are just as important, if not more so, than the starting lineup.” With this response, Chris Finch had highlighted on Saturday Night that he had no intention of changing the Minnesota Timberwolves starting lineup.

However, a few hours ago, he made a 360-degree turn! After all, having lost 6 of their 9 previous matchups, the head coach may have been convinced that it was time for a change. As a result, Mike Conley ended up being demoted from the starting five for the first time for the first time this season. Fortunately, despite the message that being benched would have sent to NBA fans, the point guard accepted the change with grace.

The Minnesota Timberwolves broke their losing streak through the close 108-106 win against the LA Clippers. The home team matchup saw Donte DiVincenzo starting in the point guard position instead of Mike Conley. After the game, media members asked Rudy Gobert about the changes to the starting lineup.

The French star believed that the Timberwolves possessed an advantage over the fact that “we have a bunch of guy(s) that can start. I think the most important thing is that, you know, the spirit is there, and that we play together. You know, we compete together”. The presence of that ‘spirit’ is what may have convinced Gobert that his teammate didn’t mind the snub.

“Sure” said Gobert when asked whether Mike Conley will handle moving away from the starting role well. “Mike’s the one that wins, sacrifice(s) for the team, you know, and he’s still getting back to games, either way. But he’s, I think, he’s definitely one that is able to take that with, you know, no ego, and I understand that whatever it believes that it can help the team or not that, you know, sometimes it can change like that. That ‘I can give you life’.”

Amongst the players struggling to find a footing during the ongoing season is Mike Conley. Throughout 31 games, he has averaged only 8.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. Conley’s shooting percentages have dropped, as he averaged only 2.5-7.2 (35.4%) field goals and 1.8-4.9 (36.6%) three-pointers. The previous matchup against the Detroit Pistons saw Conley scoring 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 5 assists. He did this despite being on the court for 21 minutes! Therefore, it was clear that the Timberwolves needed to change. They needed to do so by experimenting with the point guard position.

If Chris Finch is to be believed, then the media may have influenced the decision. During a presser, when asked what led to the change in his mindset, the HC revealed “You know, I just read all the papers John. Everybody was telling me and I said ‘You know what? Sh*t, I should change the starting lineup”. There is a very good chance that Finch’s remark may have been sarcastic. Then again, you never know.

Amidst all this, one would also question how the main individual himself feels. Fortunately, Mike Conley was willing to share his reaction to the starting lineup change.

Mike Conley believes that he can “just feel more injected into the game” as a non-starter

During the post-game presser, a reporter revealed that Mike Conley was the primary and secondary initiator during the previous season. Amid the recent changes, however, the responsibility of carrying the offensive effort has reduced on him a bit. This, Conley, stated, is a change that he welcomes.

“Yeah, I think that’s probably the biggest difference from the two years. You know, if I’m out there, just running corner to corner, and not really, you know, being myself, you can start anybody at that point, you know what I’m saying?” said the 37-year-old. “So, I think that’s what the idea was behind it. Like hey let’s see what it looks like coming in with a different unit, where you (can) be more ball-dominant, and not necessarily shoot more, but just feel more injected into the game, and play my role best I can.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves hold the 9 seed on the points chart, thanks to their 18-17 record. They have a limited timeframe to ensure that they do not slip too far down, and avoid making it to the playoffs. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether the change to the starting lineup will improve their record.