Saying the Minnesota Timberwolves were right to trade Julius Randle at this point is like beating a dead horse. Between his playoff shortcomings and unideal body language, it was clear that, following the playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs, the relationship between the two parties was fractured beyond repair.
However, amid all of the drama, Randle always had one defender, and it was Chris Finch. One of the more frustrating things about Randle's tenure was how immune he was to public criticism from his head coach. Finch had no problem calling out bad effort and play when it came to guys like Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert, but Randle was always seemingly protected.
But now, it seems like Finch is ready to admit the problems that last season's team had with his quote before their preseason game against the New York Knicks.
"We referred to ourselves as a moody team in the last couple of years at times, and it's probably gotten in our way. We've traded moodiness for giddiness," Finch said.
The vibes are simply better with LaMelo Ball in the fold
While that quote obviously doesn't mention Randle, or Naz Reid, for that matter, it's obvious that this is what that quote is about. The team fluctuated in consistency way too much over the past couple of seasons to be considered a true championship threat, and a lot of that was due simply to the fact that the vibes of the team weren't that good.
Say what you want, but it's hard to win at the highest level if the players aren't all connected off the court. Look at the last two champions: the Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder both had impeccable chemistry, and it paid dividends come playoff time. The entire fan base loves Reid, but it does speak volumes that Anthony Edwards essentially gave the front office the 'OK' to trade him.
Ball hasn't played a single regular-season game with the Wolves yet, and the camaraderie of the whole team feels like night and day from last season. They're playing together on the court a lot more; the ball is swinging, and it looks like everyone is happy. That's not a coincidence given the infectious energy that Ball brings to his game.
It says a lot that Finch agrees that last season's team was moody, and the theme of the offseason has been to, in a sense, erase that. The Wolves have done just that, and if their team is firing on all cylinders this season, you can point to the brotherhood and togetherness they've built as a big reason why.
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