Throughout the regular season, fans were highly critical of Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch. The team was highly erratic and frankly looked disconnected at times. All of this contributed to the criticism around Finch and made fans wonder if a coaching change was needed. I certainly wondered if this was the case at times.
Nevertheless, four games into the playoffs, none of these concerns should remain. The Wolves are up 3-1 against the Denver Nuggets and have played their best basketball of the season. In my eyes, Game 4 was their most impressive win of the season, and before that, you could say the same thing about Game 3.
Still, the resilience and composure the Wolves showed after Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards left the game with devastating injuries was flat-out inspirational. Winning the game alone, given the circumstances, would be impressive, but winning by 16 points was truly tremendous. Ayo Dosunmu paced the team with a remarkable 43-point performance while the Wolves' stifling defense continued to shut down the Nuggets.
Finch deserves a ton of credit for keeping the team together. Likewise, this type of win is the sign of a well-connected and well-coached team. With DiVincenzo out for the season and Edwards sidelined for the time being, the Wolves might not make another deep playoff run. Regardless, these first four games of the playoffs should be more than enough solidify Finch's future with the team.
Chris Finch has solidified his future with the Timberwolves in the playoffs
All series long, Finch has been fantastic. His game plan of trusting Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert to guard Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic one-on-one has really stood out. Most coaches would opt to double and/or change up the coverage on Jokic and Murray. Now, the Wolves personnel have helped mightily with their success against the Nuggets' offense, but Finch deserves his flowers, too.
Offensively, Finch has been central to the Wolves' game plan of matchup hunting and attacking the rim. Finch has not only made this a point of emphasis, but he has also found creative ways to open up shots around the rim with off-ball actions.
Both in terms of the schematics and how connected the Wolves look, Finch has answered the biggest questions about his question. It's clear that the team genuinely respects and responds to Finch; beyond anything else, this should be enough to keep him around no matter what.
Overall, if the playoffs have taught us anything, it's that the Wolves' top gear is championship level and that Finch is still the right man to lead the team.
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