Chris Finch is about to learn a lot in a hurry.
Minnesota’s head coach has already had months to start sorting through a roster that changed shape in June when the Timberwolves traded for LaMelo Ball, but the real test arrives Wednesday evening when the season opener flips the lights on for good. The exhibition slate is gone.
The guesswork gets real. And Finch can’t spend the year doing what he did in preseason, cycling through 15 players and poking around the end of the bench.
The first stretch of the regular season will be about more than just wins and losses. Finch has to figure out which player combinations actually fit, and how to blend the starters with the bench in a way that makes sense now and still leaves him with something usable when the postseason comes around.
That’s not new territory for him. It took nearly a full season, plus the Mike Conley trade, before things clicked after Rudy Gobert’s arrival.
When Julius Randle came to Minnesota, Finch didn’t really settle into the right rhythm until after the All-Star break. This time, though, the puzzle looks a little different.
Naz Reid is gone. Randle is gone.
The gap in the frontcourt is now between Gobert and second-year player Joan Beringer, and that’s a much thinner line than Minnesota had before. Last season, the Wolves posted a 5.5 net rating with Gobert on the floor and a .33 net rating when he sat.
The defensive difference was even sharper: 109 with Gobert out there, 119 without him. The starting group and the closing group are basically set.
The real question is what happens in between.
That means the attention turns to Beringer, and to how Finch handles the backcourt rotation around him. Will LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards be staggered so Ball can feed the young French big man?
If that happens, Minnesota gives up some chances to maximize Gobert offensively. And Edwards’ style doesn’t naturally mesh with a bench unit built around plenty of ball handling from Ayo Dosunmu, Bones Hyland, and Terrence Shannon Jr.
This isn’t a simple “Ant with the bench” or “LaMelo with Beringer” equation. The tricky part is finding the right pairings and timing so the offense doesn’t get clogged and the pieces actually complement one another.
Jonathan Kuminga brings another layer to the mix. He looks like a candidate to find success alongside a second unit that can run and give him space to attack.
He won’t have that freedom with the starters, where he’ll need to act more like a connector. But with a contract to win ahead of this offseason, he’ll want to put improvement in that area on film.
Then there’s Trey Lyles, maybe the most intriguing wild card of the group when it comes to minutes. He should be in the rotation on a fairly steady basis as a veteran who thinks the game at a high level.
His movement without the ball stands out, and if the jumper is falling, he fits cleanly next to a group that needs smart, low-drama basketball. The question is where Finch will feel most comfortable using him once the games start tightening up.
“Because he knows how to play basketball, like he just has a high IQ, great feel, a connector in his own way, makes great decisions, he’s always in the right spot. He’s an unbelievable team…”
That kind of versatility is part of why Lyles keeps finding a role. But it also underscores the larger issue Finch faces: almost everything about this team is new, and almost every rotation decision matters.
The preseason gave Minnesota a few clues. It did not give the final answer.
The actual closers haven’t closed actual games yet, and the coaching staff still has a lot of sorting to do. Finch and his staff have handled complicated rosters before.
This one just may need to come together faster than the others.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Opening Night Rotation Leaves One Immediate Battle To Watch
The Timberwolves are about to find out what their opening-night rotation really looks like when they tip off against Miami, and the most notable change is up front. Jonathan Kuminga is projected to start at power forward alongside returning regulars Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, while new point guard Ball is expected to settle into a heavy workload right away. After that, though, the picture gets a lot less settled, with the bench group still very much in flux as Minnesota tries to balance continuity with a few new faces.
Ayo Dosunmu appears lined up as the top reserve and could give the Wolves a steadier second-unit hand, but the rest of the rotation is more of a live audition than a finished product. Joan Beringer and Terrence Shannon Jr. are among the names expected to get looks depending on matchups and performance, and Shannon in particular enters the season with his spot far from secure after an uneven preseason. For a team trying to establish its identity early, how those minutes shake out could become one of the first real tests of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Faces An Early Wolves Test Fans Will Be Watching
Jonathan Kuminga is about to get an immediate read on what life looks like in a Timberwolves uniform, and it comes against one of the leagues toughest frontcourt assignments. Minnesotas debut for Kuminga lands against the Heat, a setting that asks plenty of him right away because Miami brings size, physicality and a defense built to make wings uncomfortable before they ever get settled.
For the Wolves, the early intrigue is less about scoring punch and more about how Kuminga fits into the work around the margins, especially after some recent progress on the glass. His ability to hold up in the matchup at the center of this test could shape how Minnesota handles the rest of the night, since containing Miamis interior pressure is part of the larger formula for making the offense and overall rotation click. [Read more 🡒]
Jaden McDaniels Could Open The Season With A Huge Wolves Edge
Jaden McDaniels enters the opener with a matchup that looks tailor-made for him if the Timberwolves can get the look they expect against Miami. Minnesota has spent the offseason imagining how its wing group can tilt games, and McDaniels stands out because of his size, clean shot selection and the way he carried himself in last springs playoff run. In a game where early-season rhythm matters, a favorable defensive assignment could give him a real chance to set the tone.
The intrigue is in the personnel and the history around it, because this is not just any one-on-one look on the wing. The Wolves have seen McDaniels draw the type of attention that can swing an entire possession, and the expected matchup brings a familiar name back into the picture for fans who remember how physical these teams and players can get when emotions start to rise. If Minnesota is going to get an edge early, McDaniels may be one of the clearest paths to it. [Read more 🡒]