Chris Finch is already the most successful coach in Minnesota Timberwolves' franchise history. He's helped transform the team from irrelevant to a perennial title contender, leading the Timberwolves to two conference finals in the past three years.
However, no coach is perfect. In fact, for much of the regular season, a portion of the Wolves' fan base was calling for Finch's job. These calls quieted in the playoffs, but there are areas for Finch to improve.
With a new-look roster headlined by the addition of LaMelo Ball, there's a lot of responsibility on Finch to help get the team over the hump. As such, let's take a look at three specific things he needs to change to maximize the Timberwolves' outlook this season.
Chris Finch needs to ramp up the Timberwolves' pick-and-roll frequency
One of the biggest criticisms of Finch has been his lack of offensive structure. That's a pretty general criticism, though. When looking at specific areas in which Finch can implement structure, utilizing more pick-and-roll actions feels like a no-brainer, especially with the roster changes.
Last season, the Timberwolves ranked in the bottom 10 per pick-and-roll frequency. This is understandable to some degree given the lack of natural playmaking. However, with LaMelo in the fold, this trend simply can't continue. Ball is a pick-and-roll wizard, and it would be a disservice not to utilize this side of his playmaking.
Additionally, a higher PNR frequency would unlock more of Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer. From maximizing LaMelo's playmaking, amplifying the rest of the roster, and adding more structure to the offense, a higher pick-and-roll frequency seems like an easy adjustment for Finch to make. Still, it's one that could help the Timberwolves reach their offensive ceiling.
Finch needs to be a bit more flexible with his rotations
Barring a major roster move (such as signing Jonathan Kuminga), the Timberwolves' depth chart has some uncertainty, especially about the power forward position.
Currently, there's no clear power forward option, and thus a flexible mindset from Finch will be required to negate these concerns. Both the starting lineup and overall rotation could be more matchup-dependent. With a less proven (yet still intriguing) bench, Finch could also use a deeper rotation, something that he has previously resisted. Even if this wouldn't solve the Timberwolves' power forward worries, this shift toward flexibility would make them a brutal matchup.
When speaking to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, Finch openly discussed adopting a more flexible approach.
“I see the opportunity to be creative with that, maybe, every night,” Finch said. “Maybe it’s a different person starting at the four based on who we’re playing. Why not?”
It's certainly a promising sign that Finch is open to more creativity and flexibility. Still, this would be a significant departure from Finch's typical rigid rotations.
Finch needs to ensure the Wolves have an egalitarian-style offense
A major issue of not having a point guard (and having Julius Randle as Anthony Edwards' co-star) was a lack of general ball movement. The Timberwolves ranked 16th in assists per game, which is fine. Nevertheless, they ranked 28th in potential assists, and beyond any stats, we all know that the Timberwolves' offense didn't have enough ball movement last season.
Part of the Timberwolves' issues stemmed from having two high-usage players who aren't natural playmakers. And while LaMelo is a natural playmaker, he's still a high-usage player. As such, Finch will have to emphasize an everybody-eats style of offense with heavy ball movement, which will be a tricky balance, though.
Having the offense be all LaMelo and Ant might sound enticing in theory. But the reality is that the Timberwolves' ceiling is an offense with multiple creation threats in the mold of the 2025 Indiana Pacers. For far too long, Jaden McDaniels hasn't been involved enough as a creator. Ayo Dosumu is another skilled secondary creator that the Timberwolves want to empower. Even bench players like Terrence Shannon Jr. deserve some creation opportunities.
Ball's elite playmaking can help the team lean into an egalitarian-style offense. Nevertheless, Finch must build his offense around this style of play and ensure that there's ample usage for the team's complementary players. If Finch can do this, the sky is the limit for the Timberwolves' offense.
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