Chris Finch is treating the preseason like it matters for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and that’s the right approach.
Some teams are perfectly willing to hold starters out or keep them on a very short leash in exhibition games. The Philadelphia 76ers, for example, just sat out LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid from their preseason opener. Minnesota, by contrast, got a real look at its first unit on Monday, even if that group was done for the night by halftime.
That matters this year because the Wolves are asking two new starters, LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, to fit in quickly. It also matters because this team has been slow out of the gate in recent seasons, and Finch is trying to make sure that pattern doesn’t repeat itself.
Minnesota opened the preseason with a 116-97 win over the rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks, and the starting five of Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, Ball, and Kuminga each logged 14-18 minutes. The group started together for the first 6:43 of the first quarter before Finch went to his bench with the Wolves ahead 19-12.
The full five didn’t share the floor again in the second quarter, but the rotations still kept three or four of them out there together often enough to build some chemistry. That’s the kind of early work Minnesota needs with a new look in the lineup.
The recent history is why. Last season, the Timberwolves were 10-8 after 18 games and 4-4 through eight, with those four losses coming against the Los Angeles Lakers twice, the Denver Nuggets, and the New York Knicks.
The season before that, it took them nearly half the year to really find their footing, as they sat at 22-21 after 43 games. In 2024-25, the team was working Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo into the mix, and the late surge only carried them to sixth in the Western Conference.
This season brings another reason to take the early games seriously: the schedule. Twelve of Minnesota’s first 18 regular-season games are at Target Center, so there’s a real opportunity to bank wins at home right away.
The Wolves don’t want to spend October and November explaining that they still need time to gel. A shaky start could end up costing them in the playoff race, which is why Finch’s choice to play the starters together in the preseason makes so much sense. With four preseason games left, the next question is how much more run that starting group gets before the real thing begins.
In Other News...
Joan Beringer Could Fix A Timberwolves Problem Fans Know Too Well
Joan Beringer enters his second season with a clear opening on the Minnesota Timberwolves roster: the chance to handle the minutes behind Rudy Gobert. For a team that has long had to manage the non-Gobert stretches carefully, that matters. Beringers appeal is straightforward enough for a coaching staff to appreciate. He brings athleticism, a promising defensive profile and enough presence around the basket to give Minnesota a different look at center when the starter sits.
The bigger question is how much of that potential shows up right away. Beringer is still a developing player, but his value could reach beyond simple backup duty if his defense translates the way the Wolves hope and his offense adds some easy finish opportunities at the rim. For a team built on making life difficult for opponents, even modest progress there could make a noticeable difference in the minutes that have too often been a soft spot. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Finch Sees One Early Sign Wolves Fans Will Love In LaMelo Ball
As Minnesota settles into the early stages of the season, Chris Finch has been paying close attention to LaMelo Balls fit and, more importantly, to the parts of his game that can sharpen the Timberwolves right away. The coachs perspective matters here because Minnesota is not looking for a reinvention so much as a seamless addition of talent, and Finchs read on Ball has centered on the idea that the guard can bring his usual style without being boxed into something unfamiliar.
The encouraging part for Wolves fans is the way Finch has framed Balls preseason work on the defensive end, where Minnesota has been searching for signs that his tools can translate beyond the highlight plays. With his length and awareness already drawing notice alongside Rudy Gobert, there is at least a real opening for Ball to contribute in a way that fits the Wolves identity, even if the full picture of his role is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Joan Beringer Just Gave Timberwolves Fans A Reason To Watch Him Closely
Joan Beringer gave the Timberwolves a useful look in their preseason meeting with the Bucks, showing why the front office is still intrigued by his long-term upside in the frontcourt. The young big man looked more comfortable as a screener and more dependable around the rim than he did as a rookie, which matters for a Minnesota team that is always searching for size and reliability inside.
The performance also came with a reminder that his development is still a work in progress. Foul trouble clipped his stint and kept him from building on the strong stretches he flashed, leaving the Wolves with the same kind of question they have had around him all along: how quickly can he turn promising tools into something they can count on every night? [Read more 🡒]