Minnesota Timberwolves Roundup: Coaching staff updates and more

The Minnesota Timberwolves have at least two spots on head coach Chris Finch’s staff that need to be filled, and we now know the name of someone that Finch is reportedly targeting.

Additionally, players are in town working out, and the NBA has announced important dates for the 2021-22 league year.

Minnesota Timberwolves coaching staff updates

Weeks after an ESPN report that associate head coach David Vanterpool and assistant Bryan Gates wouldn’t be returning to the Timberwolves, we have the first bit of news regarding potential replacements.

First of all, it’s no surprise that Finch wants to at least partially fill out his own bench. He was hired midseason, and virtually every head coaching hire gets to hand-pick their staff. Finch wasn’t afforded that opportunity when he joined the team, so there was always expected to be some turnover.

There isn’t much out there on Micah Nori, but here’s what we know.

Nori was a longtime scout for the Toronto Raptors and was promoted to an assistant coach job under Dwane Casey several years ago. When Casey was fired, Nori latched on with Mike Malone in Sacramento and sat on his bench until following him to the Denver Nuggets.

That’s where we find our connection with Finch, as Nori and his potential future boss worked together in the Mile High City. He eventually went to Detroit when Casey received the Pistons job, and he’s been there for the past couple of seasons.

The track record is solid, as Casey and Malone are two of the better coaches in the league, and the Denver-Finch connection is encouraging as well.

Important dates for 2021-22 NBA season, plus Wolves players in towns

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium announced a few key dates for the 2021-22 NBA season that were reportedly given to teams on Thursday.

It certainly appears as though the league is moving back to a more traditional timeline for the upcoming season, which was at least partially influenced by the 2021 Summer Olympics.

The resetting of sports calendars back to something resembling normal will be nice, won’t it?

In somewhat related news, there are a handful of Timberwolves players in town working out at Mayo Clinic Square.

File this under the category of “great to see” after the pandemic wiped out not only the end of last season but also anything resembling a normal offseason.

For a team like the Wolves that is still desperately trying to implement a culture and have their young players grow together, this sort of thing is vital.

Here’s to a normal-ish offseason. NBA Draft Lottery, the NBA Draft itself, and Summer League are all coming in hot. In the meantime, enjoy the playoffs!