Chris Finch has a clear path to Coach of the Year buzz this season, and it starts with the Timberwolves turning a loaded roster into something even better than the preseason projections suggest.
Finch already has the résumé to belong in that conversation. He’s established himself as one of the league’s top coaches and, by the source’s description, the best in Timberwolves history.
He hasn’t always had full support from the fan base, but that comes with the job. The results are the bigger story, and they’ve been strong enough to put him in position for a career-defining year.
The outside case for Finch is pretty simple: Minnesota is expected to be good, but not necessarily great enough to dominate the league’s headlines. The Wolves’ preseason over-under is 48.5 wins, which puts them fifth in the Western Conference.
That means the most direct path to Coach of the Year would be for Minnesota to jump beyond expectations - into a top-three seed, or even higher. If the Wolves crash that tier, Finch’s name gets real traction.
That kind of award race usually favors coaches whose teams outperform the forecast, and the Timberwolves are in a tricky spot because they already look like a playoff team. But there’s still enough uncertainty around this revamped group to create room for surprise. If Finch gets the most out of the roster, he can absolutely build a credible case.
He was already in the mix last season. In 2023-24, Finch finished third in Coach of the Year voting after Minnesota finished third in the conference.
That run was fueled by the team’s defense, and now the angle is different: the Wolves’ offense could be the thing that lifts them again. If that side of the floor takes a leap, Finch’s candidacy follows right along with it.
A big part of that comes down to how hands-on Finch chooses to be. He has talked openly about taking a more active role in shaping the Timberwolves’ new offense.
For much of his coaching career, his systems have leaned free-flowing, with less structure than what he may be building now. That looks set to change with LaMelo Ball in the mix.
The preseason already offered a glimpse of where this is headed. Finch showed some creativity with the design, including guard-to-guard screens, off-ball actions to create cleaner looks for Anthony Edwards, and a general offense that carried more structure.
To get the most out of Ball, the Wolves are going to need more pick-and-rolls - and they’ll need them run with imagination. Minnesota also appears ready to push the pace, and Finch will be central to that identity.
The upside is obvious. Minnesota’s offensive ceiling is elite, and Finch is the guy who has to pull all the pieces together.
That’s no small task. The starting lineup of Ball, Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, and Rudy Gobert brings a lot of talent, but it also brings plenty of competing demands.
Finch will have to sort out the touches, the roles, and the rhythm. If the Wolves hit their stride, his imprint will be all over it.
Ball is the obvious engine, and his presence should create more openings for Edwards. But the real questions go beyond that.
Can Finch make that pairing work cleanly? And how does he distribute usage among McDaniels, Kuminga, and Gobert?
Kuminga may be the biggest swing factor of all. A fully unlocked version of him could be the difference between a strong season and a special one, but it remains to be seen how he handles a complementary role.
That is the biggest variable in Minnesota’s season.
If Finch can get that version of Kuminga in the mix - especially with the narratives around him and his rocky relationship with Steve Kerr - it would only strengthen his Coach of the Year case.
Still, the bar is high. Finch likely needs Minnesota to finish as a top-three seed, and the offense has to look like a true force.
The new pieces need to fit. The system needs to click.
But none of that is out of reach. If it all comes together, Finch has a real shot to leave the season with hardware.
In Other News...
Shaq Just Put Minnesotas LaMelo Ball Situation Under A Real Spotlight
LaMelo Balls recent turn on Inside the NBA offered a window into how he views his first season with the Timberwolves, and it was pretty simple: he is not walking around with a rigid set of team goals. Ball said he prefers to focus on bringing his best effort, a measured answer that fits a player still settling into a new situation while also talking about life off the court, from changing his sons diapers to getting a feel for playing alongside Anthony Edwards.
Shaquille ONeal, though, clearly saw it differently and used the segment to put Minnesotas bigger-picture pressure on display. ONeal pushed back on Balls approach and framed the move to Minnesota as the kind of addition that should raise the teams ambitions in a major way, which is exactly why the exchange landed as more than just a quick TV moment. It also underscored how much attention Balls fit with Edwards is already drawing, even before the season really gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Opening Night Exposed One Problem Fans Can't Ignore
Minnesota opened its regular-season schedule with a win over Miami, but the bigger takeaway from opening night was how much the Timberwolves leaned on their new backcourt to survive the early push. Anthony Edwards led the way with a huge scoring night, while LaMelo Ball added timely perimeter shooting in a debut that gave the offense a different kind of juice. The guard play was the clear strength, and it helped Minnesota mask some of the uneven stretches that showed up elsewhere.
The frontcourt, though, is already something to watch. Minnesota had trouble early defending a bigger, physical attack, and the game turned into a reminder that the Wolves can be stretched when opponents go after their smaller bigs. The good news was that the team tightened things up after halftime and found a way to limit Bam Adebayos influence, but the questions around how this group handles elite interior pressure are not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Send An Early Message Against Miamis New-Look Team
Minnesotas season opener offered an early look at how much the Timberwolves can still dictate terms against a reworked Miami roster. Giannis Antetokounmpo made his Miami debut with 35 points, the most ever by a player in a debut for the Heat, but the Wolves still came away with the win and gave the new-look group plenty to sort through after one night.
For Miami, the issues went beyond one stars scoring burst. The Heat had trouble generating help around him, and the glass was an issue too, which made it hard for them to get the kind of open-floor opportunities they want. Minnesota, meanwhile, left with a result that felt bigger than a single October game, especially with Anthony Edwards continuing to be a problem for Miami whenever these teams line up. [Read more 🡒]