5 Timberwolves players off to slow 5-game starts, ranked by concern level

DiVincenzo, who has started all five games for the Wolves, is their fourth-leading scorer behind the big three of Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, and Jaden McDaniels. He's averaged 12.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting his usual strong clip (42 percent) from long range. His net rating of -3.8 is better than everyone else's on this list, even if it's not ideal. The main issue for DiVincenzo has been turnovers, but he has just five of them in four games since his six-turnover season opener.

He's mostly been solid since the first game and, with Edwards out, should be taking more than the seven shots he attempted on Wednesday against the Lakers. DiVincenzo isn't a true point guard, but he's capable of handling the ball and initiating offense when called upon to do so.

4. Naz Reid

Reid has averaged just 10 points and 6 rebounds so far while shooting 40 percent from the field, 25 percent from deep, and 58 percent from the free-throw line. He's been held to six points or fewer in three games and has more turnovers (9) than assists (8), although that was also the case when he won sixth man of the year in 2023-24. His net rating is -11.3.

It hasn't been a great start for Reid, but he looked more like himself in the Pacers and Nuggets games. His track record suggests that shots will start falling for him soon and he'll get back to producing at a high level off the bench, at least on the offensive end of the floor. Defense is a legitimate worry with Reid, especially in lineups where he's asked to play out of position at the five spot.

It's also worth noting that Reid, who signed a five-year, $125 million contract in the offseason, dealt with a major personal tragedy less than two months ago.

3. Terrence Shannon Jr.

Shannon said on Wednesday that he needed to be more aggressive on offense after a slow start. He proceeded to score 0 points that night on 3 shot attempts in 16 minutes. In two games against the Lakers this season, he's gone 0 for 6 in 29 scoreless minutes. In total, Shannon has averaged just 4.4 points per game in 18 minutes per night. His net rating is a ghastly -19.7. That's not how he hoped to start the season after essentially stepping into Nickeil Alexander-Walker's rotation spot.

Because he's less proven than everyone else on this list, Shannon could arguably be ahead of the next two players we'll talk about. But he was so effective in his role last year that it feels like only a matter of time until he gets back to finishing at the rim and helping the Wolves in transition.

2. Rudy Gobert

Gobert has always been a fascinating player. His 111.6 defensive rating is the best among Minnesota's top nine players in minutes per game. At the same time, his 107.7 offensive rating puts him just ahead of Mike Conley and Shannon for third-worst among that group. The four-time defensive player of the year remains highly impactful on that end of the floor, with the Wolves' defense cratering when he's on the bench. But Gobert's overall effectiveness has been mitigated by the extent of his struggles on offense.

Gobert has averaged 8.6 points and 8.4 rebounds so far. Both would be his lowest marks since he became a full-time starter for the Jazz a decade ago. When he tries to do anything with the basketball other than dunk it, things typically don't go well. His tendency to get one hand on potential rebounds but not go up and snag the ball with both hands remains maddening. And at 33 years old, it's reasonable to be concerned about age being a factor in his production. If Gobert continues to play at this level, it's hard to see how the Wolves get back to true contender status. His track record over the last decade suggests improvement will come.

1. Mike Conley

Largely due to age, no player is more worrisome right now than the 38-year-old Conley and his -9.3 net rating. He dropped off to 8.2 points and 4.5 assists per game last season, and through five games this year, he's down to 5.4 and 3.0 on 20 minutes per night. The Wolves' offense has really struggled when he's been on the floor, and unlike Gobert, he doesn't have the defense to make up for it.

In last year's playoffs, Conley made 29 of 96 shot attempts (30 percent). So far this season, he's made 8 of 26 shots (31 percent). If this is who he's going to be moving forward, the Wolves need to seriously think about phasing him out of their rotation and leaning on DiVincenzo, Bones Hyland, and Rob Dillingham as their point guard options moving forward. It's not time to make that conclusion yet, but they also can't afford to be too patient with Conley if he's lost the battle with Father Time.

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