The Minnesota Timberwolves are 2-3 after surprisingly falling short 116-115 to a snake-bitten Los Angeles Lakers squad. What's really been shocking about the Wolves' struggles is how bad their defense has been, ranking 25th on the season after back-to-back seasons in the top 10.
After Monday's loss to the Denver Nuggets, head coach Chris Finch controversially called out the team's best two defenders, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels. If you are a part of Wolves Twitter, you'll know this caused an uproar, and many people began pointing fingers at Finch. Additionally, McDaniels didn't seem to appreciate this message.
However, Finch changed his tune after Wednesday's loss, taking the blame for the final possession, which led to an Austin Reaves buzzer-beater.
"It's on me. I should have had Rudy just switch. We got split in coverage, and we should have just blacked it and switched it, and just kept everyone in front," Finch said regarding the final play.
Whether switching was the right play or not, this message of accountability is what fans and players want to hear.
Chris Finch taking accountability is the right message
I've never been in the Finch should be fired camp, or believe that he is a bad coach by any means. Frankly, I think it's a bit silly how many Wolves fans are turning on a coach who just guided them to consecutive Western Conference finals appearances after five games.
Regardless, I thought Monday's quote was misguided.
Sure, you want to motivate your players, and it's fair to ask a lot of your defensive leaders. Still, the Wolves have a high-level defense with Rudy on the court. And while McDaniels hasn't been elite at the point of attack, he is overtaxed, especially without Anthony Edwards and Jaylen Clark. McDaniels has also been incredible as a defensive playmaker, averaging 2.6 stocks per game.
The surrounding pieces are more of the problem, and defense is truly about how a unit plays together. Five games in, the Wolves have looked disjointed. Whether it falls on him or not, I want my coach to take some accountability for it as the true leader of the team. Thankfully, Finch did just that after Wednesday's loss.
Simply put, a little accountability goes a long way. Great coaches often take responsibility for their team's shortcomings even if they don't believe it falls on them. I'm not saying Finch isn't a great coach; by all means, he's the best coach in franchise history. However, these are the types of quotes fans and players want to hear.