NEW ORLEANS – This week, when Chris Finch made a change to his starting lineup, he substituted Donte DiVincenzo in at point guard for Mike Conley. Staying in the starting lineup, perhaps to the chagrin of a portion of Timberwolves fans, was Julius Randle.

Putting DiVincenzo in the starting lineup also gives him a role closer to what he had in New York last season when he thrived as a spark-plug shooter and defender for the Knicks. He started 68 games in the regular season and every playoff game for New York.

When the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Donte DiVincenzo in the offseason, many assumed he would become Anthony Edwards’ backcourt running mate. Instead, Chris Finch stuck with 37-year-old Mike Conley in the starting lineup for most of the first 34 games of 2024-2025 until he finally cracked on Jan.

Chris Finch had a comical answer when asked about his decision to make some changes to the Timberwolves' starting lineup.