Timberwolves Roundup: Thibodeau on coaching role models

As the Timberwolves return home to once again attempt to avoid a lengthy losing streak, let’s take a look at some Wolves-related notes from around the NBA blogosphere.

Dating back about two weeks, it’s been a rough go of it for the Timberwolves. They’ve played the most games of any team in the NBA in the month of January, and it’s seen them go a woeful 1-7 on the road, although they have stretched their home winning streak to 10 games along the way.

The Wolves will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday at Target Center in a game that will also see them roll out their fourth and final new uniform design of the season. They’ll look to continue the odd pattern of a series of two-game losing streaks, and hopefully start a new winning streak with a more tenable schedule on the horizon.

In the meantime, ESPN NBA reporter and former ESPN Chicago Bulls reporter Nick Friedell spent some time interviewing coaches around the league, as well as Tom Thibodeau himself, regarding Thibs’ coaching role models.

The list includes New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, of course. The similarities start with the fact that Thibodeau grew up in Connecticut as a Patriots fan and then went on to be an assistant under Doc Rivers with the Celtics. Their overall level of preparation, practice theories, and coaching style seems to be right in line with one another as well.

Thibodeau also names the Spurs’ Gregg Popovich and former St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa as role models, as well as college basketball coaches Mike Krzyzewskiof Duke and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse. Thibodeau has apparently only met Belichick one time, but remains an admirer from afar — an admirer who just might attend the Super Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday night.

Here’s an excerpt with a quote from Rivers:

"Aside from Thibodeau, there’s a long line of NBA coaches who have tried to pick things from Belichick’s program over time as well. Like Thibodeau, Rivers was able to develop a relationship with Belichick during the pair’s time in Boston.“From a coaching perspective, watching film, and it’s not just him, it’s all of them,” Rivers said of the Patriots. “All their players, all their [staff], it’s really awesome to watch. You know someone’s going to beat them eventually, but they’re not going to beat themselves. That’s what you know going into the game, and it’s just a beautiful thing to watch. Their execution is just — it’s incredible. It really is. You shake your head every single time. It’s fun to watch.”"

It’s a fun read that includes quotes from the likes of the Warriors’ Steve Kerr and the Sixers’ Brett Brown, so be sure to read the article in it’s entirety if you get the chance.

Elsewhere, our friends at A Wolf Among Wolves posted a great video that encapsulates just how great of a performance Gorgui Dieng had off the bench in Tuesday’s loss to the Raptors.

You may recall that Dieng shot the ball at a 6-for-7 clip in the first half before not hoisting a single shot attempt in the second half as the offense once again slowed to a crawl. And for as good as the bench unit was as a whole early, they struggled mightily late in the game.

Next: Timberwolves road struggles are starting to add up

We’ll have another Dunking With Wolves podcast shortly, as well as continuing coverage of the slide in which the Timberwolves suddenly find themselves.