Change is never easy. But sometimes it all depends not on how much is actually changing, but rather on how prepared everyone is for the changes. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been searching for a new president for a year, so the hiring of Tim Connelly has caught nobody by surprise.
But the arrival of any new chief means that there will likely be a new perspective, a new strategy, and in some cases, redundancy of doubling back to create a fresh start in that new direction thanks to a new strategy. And it’s all up to new Minnesota Timberwolves President Tim Connelly.
It’s his prerogative.
Thankfully, you should not expect Connelly to make any changes just for the sake of change. He has the reputation for observing, listening, discussing, and collaborating before making any final decisions. He is not the type to rush in half-cocked to batch through a host of changes.
A couple of comments on Tim Connelly leaving for Minnesota: Tim is one of the really good guys in this league. Came up from the bottom rung, always respectful and approachable. Never took himself too seriously. Does the work. This is a great hire (Part 1)
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) May 23, 2022
Of course, this is the Minnesota Timberwolves, and history has not been especially kind to the franchise. It seems that as soon as success finds its way back, events cause a sudden dip and the process starts all over again. Perhaps that gloomy perspective is best stated by Andy Grimsrud of Punchdrunk Wolves in this curious take:
"‘Connelly inherits a slightly better situation than Rosas did. Even if last year’s 46 wins was a little inflated, he’s still got a KAT that he can sign to a long-term extension and an Ant who is STILL NOT EVEN 21 YEARS OLD. (Sorry– caps lock got stuck.) This roster needs work, and the first order of business is navigating the D’Angelo Russell Is Up For a Kahntract Extension that Nobody In Their Right Mind Would Give Him, But You Also Don’t Want Him Checked Out Next Year If He’s Not Extended terrain.For those of us who have been here for the last 3 seasons, there’s probably some type of rough consensus of wanting to see a bright future with Ant, Jaden, and KAT.But Connelly hasn’t been here. He’s new…”-per Andy Grimsrud of Punchdrunk Wolves"
So the forces of optimism and novelty are clashing with the past history of disappointment. Which side will win the day?
I believe that Connelly will prove to be the turning point for this franchise. Unlike past regimes, Connelly has a well-earned reputation for team-building among all of his stakeholders. And that type of management style multiplies its overall effectiveness because the staff grows comfortable in sharing ideas or voicing concerns.
Does that mean an error-free debut? Doubtful. But it will mean that fewer errors will occur, and necessary corrective actions for those errors will be implemented more quickly. Everybody makes mistakes. So rather than prevent them, the goal is to learn from them. Tim Connelly is the right leader for the job.