The bench and starters are still in the process of integrating DiVincenzo and Randle’s styles. The defense was just as inconsistent as the offense early on, and the Wolves focused on strengthening that end of the court on Monday. They did this by holding the Hornets under 100 points – the first time they had done so this season, having done so 23 times a season ago.

“Be offended,” DiVincenzo said. “Tonight our focus was on defense. I think the ball pressure was there, the second layer defense was there, the rebounding was there. So it was a good game to get back to who we are.”

DiVincenzo shot 3 of 6 from three-point range in the season opener after shooting just 31%. He said it’s not unusual for him to start the season slowly, but his shooting looked quite good on Monday, especially when he closed the third quarter with a stepback three-pointer off the bench by Anthony Edwards (21 points). made me very excited. The Wolves are also getting used to playing with him, and Finch has paired him more with Mike Conley, who had one of his best games of the early season with 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting. He added five rebounds and four assists.

“I really love it,” Conley said. “I love being out there with Donte and Nickeil, just a bunch of multiple playmakers, multiple passes. The ball moves really well. Honestly, I don’t have to do that much. I can literally just be a basketball player. … We honestly don’t need a point guard or anyone labeled that. It gives us another layer of attack for our offense.”

A lot of things looked the way the Wolves had imagined on Monday evening. Reid seethed and said Monday was an important game for him. Now he wants to show that he can surpass such achievements.

“It’s time to show that I’ve worked hard and am capable of reaching the next level,” Reid said.