I spoke to Nickeil Alexander-Walker before the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 112-110 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 29. I asked him a question that had been nagging in my mind the last few games:
How important is it that Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert are so supportive and willing to not finish games when someone else is playing better?
Alexander-Walker didn’t take even a second to answer.
“One thing that we talked about from the beginning of the year, he said, “was what it meant to win.”
“Also, we talked about it during that little tough rough patch that we had,” he continued. “We got to be willing to actually do what it takes to win. Sometimes that’s going to be stepping down, like in Mike’s (Conley) case, take his role per se.”
The first half of Alexander-Walker’s answer alone is enough to discuss at length. It confirms that rotations have been a talking point in the locker room. So is the support Conley and Gobert give the team when Chris Finch benches them in the late stages of games for better matchups. Alexander-Walker, who’s often introspective, continued with his answer.
“[Conley is] backing the team, like a ‘next man up’ mentality. All of those things play a role,” Alexander-Walker said, briefly pausing before finishing his answer. “All of us trust each other, so it’s huge for the team to remain confident in each other and know that as much as the competitor in us wants to be there, we got to be there for the team. To surrender ourselves to a greater purpose.”
The second half of his answer confirms that the team has talked about having veterans understand that some nights aren’t their nights to close games. They have also discussed how important their support and trust are in surrendering to a greater purpose, which we can assume is a championship run.
Almost on cue, the Wolves closed that Sunday night game against the Spurs with Donte DiVincenzo instead of Mike Conley. DiVincenzo scored 26 points off the bench and had a game-best plus/minus of 23. In Minnesota’s 113-105 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder the following Tuesday, the Wolves rotated DiVincenzo and Alexander-Walker in for Conley at the end of the fourth quarter and Naz Reid for Rudy Gobert.
Conley played fairly well in Oklahoma City. He finished 5 of 10 for 16 points, logged two steals, and had four assists. However, he finished the game on the bench because Alexander-Walker and DiVincenzo were a better defensive matchup, switching against OKC. Meanwhile, Reid provided more of a scoring threat than Gobert.
Thursday’s Boston Celtics game offered more of the same when it got close and slowed down in the fourth quarter. Finch chose to close with DiVincenzo again over Conley and Reid over Gobert. Conley played fairly well in the 118-115 loss, finishing with 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists on 2 of 4 shooting.
However, DiVincenzo’s defensive versatility and scoring punch usurped Conley’s game. DiVincenzo had 12 points on 3 of 5 shooting and 3 rebounds and 3 assists. It was a similar case with Gobert and Reid. Gobert didn’t have the best game, with 6 points and 7 rebounds, but he was solid. However, Reid outperformed Gobert with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists while also playing good defense and providing much more spacing.
Conley and Gobert have been gracious and understanding when Finch substitutes them at the end of games. As Alexander-Walker pointed out, they “back” the team and view it as a “next man up” mentality. Something that has helped the Wolves greatly in navigating minutes for eight starting-caliber players on the roster.
“Most definitely, it brings confidence,” he said, “but also I believe in myself. I know my teammates believe in me. At the end of the day, I understand pressure is what you make of it. You can’t be afraid of the moment. We’re trying to win games.”
Alexander-Walker’s sentiment adds to the importance of Conley and Gobert’s willingness to sit. Alexander-Walker, and likely Reid and DiVincenzo, are unafraid of the closing moments of games. They are confident in their abilities, and when they are having a good night, they can swing the momentum of a game.
This does not always go as well as it has been for the Wolves. Likely, everyone can think of an aging athlete getting towards the end of their career that held on too long or didn’t help facilitate passing the torch to the younger players as well as they could. (*cough *cough Favre *cough).
However, Conley and Gobert are still effective NBA players, and the Wolves will need them if they hope to make a deep playoff run. As Alexander-Walker eloquently stated, they also understand the need to occasionally “surrender themselves for a greater purpose. “