We all know that the Minnesota Timberwolves have been a frequent topic of discussion for even the neutral NBA fan recently. On top of the fact that Anthony Edwards is must-see TV, plenty of viewers were interested to see how the Wolves' bold move to trade Karl-Anthony Towns would pan out in the early parts of the season.
When the team began struggling, fans and critics alike began drumming up their hot takes and potential solutions for this team. Donte DiVincenzo recently pointed out just how important it is for this team to stay together and keep everything in their circle. He is not wrong, but a moment like Anthony Edwards' from last week is obviously going to bring some of Minnesota's deepest issues out into the public eye regardless.
After the Timberwolves' loss to the Sacramento Kings last Wednesday, Edwards got candid and told reporters that the team's identity was how soft they were internally, and called out their sometimes lacking communication with one another. It was a moment that instantly reached every corner of the internet, with seemingly everyone having an opinion on it one way or another.
Many wondered how Chris Finch felt about his star player saying these things publicly, and Finch recently shared his thoughts publicly. Joining Paul Allen on KFAN FM 100.3 on Tuesday morning, the Timberwolves' coach unpacked his honest opinion on the matter.
Speaking of when Ant called the team out, Finch says he didn't have a problem with it because the same things had been said behind closed doors.
— Will Eudy (@WillCEudy) December 3, 2024
Also noted that Edwards' leadership and maturity have set a precedent for him to do something like that.
"He's built up great…
Finch says Edwards' leadership was shown with comments
Some might think that a head coach might want their best player to do as Donte DiVincenzo said and keep these kinds of things in-house, but Finch explained why he did not have a problem with Edwards airing their issues out publicly. "The same things were said to each other behind closed doors," said Finch. "Now ideally, you don't want those things to get out, but he put it out there. It wasn't like it got out through some locker room leak.
" put it out there because he was going to challenge his teammates. And with Anthony, everybody who knows him, certainly his teammates, they know that it comes from a good place. He's got a great heart, he cheers hard for his teammates' success, he wants to win, he's about the right things. And even when he doesn't know or have all the answers himself or makes mistakes, he's held accountable, he's allowed to be coached, and so he's built up great credit with his teammates."
This is a great perspective on what could otherwise be seen as a troublesome moment by an outsider. Finch knows that Edwards is emerging as a leader while also taking accountability for himself, and so his teammates understand that Ant calling them out comes from a place of constructive criticism and of desiring more from them in a healthy way. Minnesota's coach even thinks that Edwards' leadership has been the best element present during their struggles.
"If nothing else through this tough period of play," said Finch. "Anthony's leadership, his voice, his emergence, his maturity, the conversations that we've had, the recognition about what is and what is not right with our team is the best thing about it, because that's what you want from your young star player."
What a massive reassurance this is for Timberwolves fans. The more we see Anthony Edwards seek to refine his teammates in this loud but honest way, the more we can be sure he is growing into the type of championship-caliber leader his coaches want him to be.