How might Milwaukee Bucks HC search impact Minnesota Timberwolves?
By Bret Stuter
Timberwolves coaching staff
With the changes to the team’s front office, we truly never really explored the Timberwolves coaching staff for the 2022-23 NBA season. So why not take a moment to reacquaint ourselves with the team’s coaching staff now?
Gregg Farnam – Trainer: Gregg Farnam was hired by the Minnesota Timberwolves prior to the 1997-98 season before being named the Head Athletic Trainer in September 2000. A Minnesota native, Farnam was born and raised in Pine River, Minnesota. He served as the Chairman of the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association (NBATA) as well as a member of the NBATA Executive Committee as Secretary and Western Conference Head Athletic Trainer Representative.
Kevin Hanson – Assistant Coach: Kevin Hanson serves an important role for the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he is the Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development for the team. He joined the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2019. Prior to that, he served in a similar role with the New Orleans Pelicans and was the key to their development of center Anthony Davis.
Joe Boylan – Assistant Coach: Coach Joe Boylan is often the face who shows up during halftime interviews for Bally Sports, as he shares his insight on how the game is progressing to that point. He is also a former assistant coach from the New Orleans Pelicans, hiring on with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2021. Per the Minnesota Timberwolves Org Chart, he is also tasked as a Director of Player Development.
Timberwolves assistant coaches are tasked with assisting younger players to build their skillsets to the NBA threshold.
Pablo Prigioni – Assistant Coach: Pablo Prigioni is another relatively recent arrival to the Minnesota Timberwolves, currently serving in the role of Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator. An Argentinian native, Prigioni has the unique distinction of coaching the Minnesota Timberwolves 2019 Summer League team to the championship game.
Prigioni previously coached for the Brooklyn Nets and is one of the highly respected assistant coaches on the Timberwolves staff.
Micah Nori – Assistant Coach: Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch did not stock his coaching staff with Yes men or coaches whose strengths fall in line with his own. Rather, he sought to reinforce areas he is challenged at by reinforcing those areas with assistants who excel in those areas. When it comes down to in-game coaching strategy and adjustments, Finch is aware that is not an area of strength. But it’s the wheelhouse of assistant coach Micah Nori.
That is not to say that Nori and Finch are polar opposites. Quite the contrary, Nori and Finch both have the same perspective and relaxed nature to game strategy and management. It is Micah Nori who coined the phrase “If the clock is running, so are we.“ in his interview with Coach Finch that landed him the job.
Elston Turner – Assistant Coach: The venerable sage assistant coach on the Minnesota Timberwolves staff is Elston Turner. Much of the progress on defense by the Timberwolves is credited to Turner, which resulted in the Timberwolves to their first top-10 ranking in defensive efficiency since the 2003-04 season.