Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch sees a real limitation in the kind of teams built around ultra-ball-dominant stars like Luka Doncic, James Harden and Trae Young.
On the “Dan Moore NBA Podcast,” Finch said those players can drive elite offenses, but he believes playoff success for those groups can run into a hard stop unless the roster is built a different way.
“I mean, those guys are elite playmaking passers. Those teams have maybe had a glass ceiling on what they’ve been able to do in the playoffs, you know, like they’ve had some incredible runs.
Now, with roster building, you’ve got to build your roster a little differently, I believe. Depth, young depth, interchangeable pieces.”
Finch’s point was that the heliocentric model - with one guard carrying both the scoring load and the playmaking burden - can be wildly effective, but it also asks a lot from everyone else. Earlier in the conversation, he tied that idea to Anthony Edwards, whom he described as a “hard-wired scorer,” suggesting that forcing him into a similar role last season didn’t suit him.
When the discussion turned to whether Minnesota itself has hit a ceiling in recent seasons, Finch pushed back a bit on the idea of a fixed limit.
“I think we maximized our opportunities. And if you want to say, as a glass ceiling, I feel like maybe as you continue to tweak teams and add pieces like you can, I guess one year is kind of different than the next. It’s really kind of hard to project.”
“One of the reasons why I’m pausing to answer this is we’ve had what, seven champions in seven years or eight? I lost count.
So, I think everybody has a chance. So, like, there’s no glass ceiling in that environment now.”
Edwards’ 2024-25 season backed up Finch’s view that the young wing is at his best when he can lean into scoring. He averaged 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. But with the 25-year-old asked to be the main creator, Minnesota limited him in a way that didn’t fully match his strengths.
That changes next season. After acquiring LaMelo Ball, the Wolves have shifted Edwards back toward scoring while Ball handles the offense. With Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Kuminga on the wings, Minnesota has a different look and a deeper one.
Finch’s broader message was clear: teams built around a single heliocentric guard can win plenty of games, but Minnesota is now trying something more balanced. And after earlier runs that stopped at the Western Conference Finals, the Wolves believe this version has more ways to hurt teams.
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