Chris Finch has the Timberwolves looking like a team that already knows exactly what it is.
At 6-3, Minnesota is off to the kind of start that feels sturdy rather than lucky, and the numbers back that up. All six wins have come by double digits, four of them by at least 20 points, and that has pushed the Wolves to the league’s best Net Rating. The schedule hasn’t exactly been kind either, with two of the three losses coming on the second night of a back-to-back.
That’s why Finch deserves so much of the credit. With a roster that changed dramatically in the offseason and has continued to shift because of injuries and lineup changes, he has kept the Wolves humming. The latest proof came in their best win of the season, a fourth-quarter takeover against the Houston Rockets.
The biggest challenge, of course, is the absence of Anthony Edwards, who will miss multiple months after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Losing a player like that could easily knock a team off course.
Minnesota stumbled in its first game without him, a loss to the Golden State Warriors after having no practice time to adjust. Since then, though, the Wolves have won three of four, including a 26-point win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Finch said it plainly after the Rockets game: "We’ve been trying to reinvent ourselves since Anthony went down," Finch said after the team’s win over the Rockets. "Every time you get a win like this, it builds confidence in what you’re trying to do."
That reinvention has forced real role changes. Ayo Dosunmu moved into the starting lineup, LaMelo Ball became the team’s main scoring threat, and other players such as Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Kuminga had to shoulder more offense. Minnesota hasn’t just survived the adjustment - it has looked increasingly comfortable in it.
Ball has been a big part of that. Before Edwards got hurt, he fit cleanly as the secondary scorer and primary ball-handler the Timberwolves needed. Against Houston, he took over late, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter to help close the door.
Kuminga has been just as important, and maybe the clearest example of Finch’s ability to define a role and get buy-in. After being cast out by both the Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks, Kuminga has settled in as Minnesota’s starting power forward and embraced the job Finch laid out for him.
"We asked him, when he got here, we knew he needed to be our dirty work guy," Finch explained about Kuminga. "Run the floor, get rebounds, guard at a high level. Just be some connective tissue out there doing all the things that he can do with his physicality, his athleticism."
Kuminga’s response has matched that message. "We have so many people who can put the ball in the hoop. The rest of the jobs, like rebounding, playing hard, defending-it’s right there; why not do it."
The offseason turnover mattered too. Julius Randle and Naz Reid are gone, and Ball and Kuminga arrived with different skill sets and different responsibilities. Finch has gotten both players to settle in quickly, and now they’ve had to adapt again as injuries have changed the picture.
There’s also Joan Beringer, who is starting to chip away at the idea that Finch can’t develop young talent. In his first season with consistent rotation minutes, the 19-year-old backup center has been a real bright spot.
His rim protection remains strong, his touch around the basket is improving fast, and he’s pulling down 3.6 offensive rebounds per game. Even the foul trouble that showed up in the preseason has disappeared.
Finch and the Wolves have been vocal about how much they like Beringer, and the reason is obvious in the way he’s playing. He’s getting room to grow, and he’s doing it without the constant threat of being yanked if he makes a mistake.
That’s the bigger story here. A team that lost its best player and absorbed a major roster shake-up could have easily unraveled.
Instead, Finch has kept Minnesota organized, adaptable, and winning. The Wolves are waiting on Edwards, but until he returns, they’ve already shown they can keep rolling.
In Other News...
Pelicans Injury Report Could Change Minnesotas Next Test
The Timberwolves next matchup could look a little different depending on how New Orleans sorts through its injury report. The Pelicans have already listed Trey Murphy III as day-to-day with a patellar injury, while Yves Missi is out with a knee injury, two absences that could affect how the game is played on both ends when Minnesota gets back on the floor.
For a Wolves team trying to keep its own rhythm against a Western Conference opponent, the availability of key Pelicans pieces matters more than just the names on the report. New Orleans still has enough talent to make this a useful test, but the uncertainty around Murphy and the absence of Missi add another layer to a game Minnesota will be watching closely before tipoff. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Return Could Change Everything For Timberwolves Contention
Ayo Dosunmu took a moment to speak directly to Timberwolves fans, and his message centered on the kind of edge Anthony Edwards brings every time he steps on the floor. Dosunmu praised Edwards for his trash-talking and competitive fire, saying the star guard carries himself like the sort of player who can tilt a game just by being in it. He also pointed to the intensity Edwards shows in practice, a reminder that the Wolves tone often starts long before tipoff.
With Edwards working his way back from knee surgery, the conversation in Minnesota is less about what the team is right now and more about what it could become once he returns. Dosunmus note was essentially a vote of confidence in the Wolves ceiling, with Edwards presence viewed as the kind of addition that can change the way opponents have to prepare. For a team trying to keep its contention window open, that kind of optimism carries real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Defense Is Giving This Team A Real Title Case
The early-season case for Minnesota has been built less on flash than on resistance. Through nine games, the Timberwolves have stayed near the top of the league in defensive rating, and the groups identity is already looking familiar: Rudy Gobert anchoring the paint, Jaden McDaniels hounding wings, and a supporting cast that has kept opponents from getting comfortable. It is the kind of foundation that travels, and it showed up again in a recent win over Houston, a game that asked Minnesota to deal with one of the better offenses in the league.
What stood out in that matchup was how little the Rockets were allowed to breathe. Minnesotas length and discipline made every possession feel crowded, and the Wolves were able to keep the game on their terms against a team that had been rolling. For a roster still sorting out its broader ceiling, that kind of defensive consistency is the clearest sign that the floor is high, and maybe even higher than some expected this early. [Read more 🡒]