The Timberwolves’ overlooked problem is hurting the team immensely

Besides Naz Reid, the Minnesota Timberwolves have had trouble finding another bench piece who can consistently produce for them. There’s a reason they currently rank third in bench scoring. Amid much discussion about the Timberwolves’ point guard play hurting the team, the lack of bench production is equally problematic.

It doesn’t happen often, but so far in the season, when the Wolves have two reserves finish with at least 10 points, they are 3-1.

More bench production on Thursday than they often get

Minnesota won its most recent outing against the Pelicans on Thursday by a score of 125-116. Reid led the bench with 19 points, but Jaylen Clark also had one of his best offensive performances of the season, finishing with 12.

In their first 22 games, Thursday’s game marks just the fourth time the Timberwolves have had at least two players reach double figures in scoring coming off the bench. If that happens, they are now 3-1.

On November 29, in a win against the Celtics, both Reid and Terrence Shannon Jr. scored. 10 points. In their win over the Kings on November 9, Reid (13), Rob Dillingham (11) and Clark (11) all reached double figures.

The only loss came against the Thunder on November 26 (no shame, as OKC only has one loss this season). In that match, Shannon Jr. scored. 18, while Reid also added 12.

Will anyone other than Naz step up?

The fact that Minnesota has only four of 22 games in which two bench players scored at least 10 points is further evidence that the non-starters are not producing enough.

The exception, of course, is Reid, the 2023-2024 Sixth Man of the Year. After starting the year with six sub-10 point performances in the first eleven games, he has now achieved double-digit points titles in ten of the last eleven (the one game he didn’t, he scored nine).

Shannon Jr. and Clark have both played just two games of at least 10 in their first 20 appearances. Mike Conley has started five games, but in his seventeen games off the bench, Conley has not scored more than eight in any game. Rob Dillingham scored 11 on November 9, but no more than eight in his other 19 appearances. Bones Hyland scored 12 in one game, but he is now out of the rotation.

Remarkably, the Timberwolves have only six instances where a reserve player other than Reid has scored at least 10 points. While many have looked at point guard as an area that Minnesota should improve, a move to strengthen the bench might pay even more dividends.