Mike

Conley

After coming off the bench in his return to action on Friday, Dosunmu moves into the starting lineup for Sunday night. As a result, Mike Conley will head to the bench and could fall out of the rotation entirely. With Dosunmu available, Conley played four minutes in Friday’s Game 3 defeat despite remaining in the starting lineup.

Due to injuries, the Timberwolves have relied on Conley far more than anticipated at the start of the postseason. The 38-year-old point guard shot 4-of-7 from beyond the arc and did not commit a turnover in his 24 minutes. Conley’s playing time should remain in the 24-26 minute range moving forward, especially with Anthony Edwards (knee) back in action.

Edwards landed awkwardly and hyperextended his left knee late in the second quarter of Saturday’s game. The Timberwolves’ star remained down on the court, holding his knee and requiring help getting back to the locker room. With Donte DiVincenzo (leg) going down during the first quarter, the Timberwolves will finish Game 4 without their starting backcourt. Ayo Dosunmu and Mike Conley started the third quarter.

While Dosunmu and Conley played rotation minutes in Friday’s win over the Rockets, Hyland was unavailable due to a hip injury. All three will sit out Sunday’s regular-season finale, which opens things up for Terrence Shannon Jr. Given how well he played against the Rockets, it would be unsurprising if Shannon had a big Sunday against New Orleans.

Conley is back after sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the Magic, which was Minnesota’s second game in as many nights. His return gives the Timberwolves added depth on the perimeter, which will be key if Anthony Edwards and Ayo Dosunmu can’t play. Both are listed as questionable on the injury report.

The Timberwolves are waiving the white flag against Orlando, and most of the regular starters are expected to be sidelined. Bones Hyland should see a major bump in usage and playing time tonight with both Dosunmu and Conley out of action.

Having played 31 minutes or more in six consecutive games, Randle did not have to play as much on Tuesday. The veteran forward played 28 minutes against the Pacers, finishing with a modest stat line. The only Timberwolves’ starter to play less was Mike Conley (8/2/3/3 with two three-pointers), who logged 21 minutes as he continues to fill in for the injured Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves have three more games to play this week, starting with the Magic on Wednesday.

Edwards will remain out for a second straight game, which means Mike Conley should get another start in his place. However, Bones Hyland played a larger role off the bench and was far more productive than Conley was. Hyland should be the preferred streaming option.

The Timberwolves won’t have Anthony Edwards (knee) for Sunday’s game, so Conley returns to the starting lineup. However, Bones Hyland offers a higher fantasy ceiling with Edwards unavailable.

Edwards has now missed eight of Minnesota’s last ten games, which is a major concern for the Timberwolves heading into the postseason. Mike Conley is the likely replacement in the starting lineup, but Bones Hyland offers a higher streaming ceiling when Edwards sits.