Through 20 games, the Minnesota Timberwolves sit at 12-8-a record that doesn’t quite scream dominance, but certainly keeps them in the thick of the Western Conference race. Still, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride to get there.
While they’ve now won two straight, the early season has been marked by inconsistency, including a stretch of three straight clutch-time collapses that left fans scratching their heads. And when that happens, the spotlight often shifts to the man on the sidelines: head coach Chris Finch.
Now, Finch isn’t new to navigating tough stretches. He’s generally respected around the league for his basketball mind and adaptability.
But even the best coaches come under fire when late-game execution falters-and some of that criticism is fair. Timeout usage, lack of structured sets in crunch time-those are areas where Finch has room to tighten things up.
That said, he deserves credit for one thing that’s hard to teach: the willingness to make tough, sometimes unpopular decisions in the name of winning.
Take Sunday’s 125-112 win over the San Antonio Spurs as a case study. The Wolves trailed by one at halftime and looked like they might be headed toward another shaky finish.
But in the second half, Finch made a bold adjustment-he significantly scaled back Rudy Gobert’s minutes, playing him for less than seven minutes after the break and keeping him on the bench for the entire fourth quarter. That’s not a move many coaches would make, especially with a player of Gobert’s stature, both in terms of impact and salary.
But the move paid off. The Wolves closed the game on a 55-35 run without Gobert on the floor, leaning into a smaller, more offensively versatile lineup that gave the Spurs fits.
It wasn’t about punishing Gobert-it was about finding the right formula for that particular matchup. And on this night, it meant going with Julius Randle and Naz Reid in the frontcourt.
Gobert remains a cornerstone of this team, especially on the defensive end. He’s still the anchor of Minnesota’s identity on that side of the ball.
But Sunday wasn’t his night, and Finch recognized that. In a game the Wolves won by 13, Gobert posted a minus-8.
Meanwhile, Randle and Reid gave the Wolves a different look-stretching the floor, increasing pace, and allowing Minnesota to go five-out, which proved to be the right call against a Spurs team missing Victor Wembanyama.
That smaller unit-Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid-was especially potent. Edwards did what he does, pouring in 32 points to lead the way, but it was Randle’s playmaking that really stood out.
He racked up 12 assists, including seven in the fourth quarter alone, orchestrating the offense like a point forward. With Randle and Reid on the floor, Minnesota posted a staggering 151.3 offensive rating and a 100 defensive rating.
Those are elite numbers, regardless of the opponent.
Sure, the Spurs were thin in the frontcourt without Wembanyama, relying on Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk to hold things down inside. But even with that caveat, the Wolves' second-half performance was a clear example of what can happen when a coach leans into flexibility and trusts his bench.
After the game, Finch addressed the decision to sit Gobert down the stretch, reinforcing that it was situational-not a sign of a permanent shift.
“We’ve always said we’re gonna play the lineups that work,” Finch said. “And 90% of those times, Rudy is driving great defense and a lot of good things… Rudy has played a ton of basketball.
He’ll be fine. He’s happy the team won - and that’s the most important thing.”
That’s the kind of leadership you want from your head coach. It’s not about ego, it’s about results.
Finch isn’t married to a rigid rotation. He’s shown time and again-whether it’s adjusting the starting lineup just hours before the season opener or making in-game calls like Sunday’s-that he’s willing to shake things up if it gives his team a better shot at winning.
Will Gobert be closing games most nights? Absolutely.
His defensive impact is too valuable not to. But the fact that Finch is open to adapting, even if it means sitting a marquee player for the final frame, speaks volumes about his approach.
This isn’t about making a statement-it’s about winning basketball games. And if the Timberwolves want to keep climbing in the West, that kind of coaching flexibility could be one of their biggest assets.