A lot of people have many different reasons for wanting Chris Finch fired; I am not one of those people. I think that a lot of the issues this team faced this season were predicated on a flawed roster rather than bad coaching. But despite that, there are some very fair criticisms that people are throwing Finch's way.
This past season, two former Minnesota Timberwolves took gigantic steps forward on other teams. Now they showed these abilities on the Wolves, but not consistently enough to keep them around. Karl-Anthony Towns is a franchise icon, and number 32 will be up in the rafters one day, but he was always looked at as a player who had a ceiling to him in Minnesota. Now, he's in the running for Finals MVP.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker was a beloved role player who resurrected his career from the brink in Minnesota. He brought energy, defense, and timely shot-making. But last offseason, the Wolves had to choose two of Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Nickeil was the odd man out. Fast forward to today, and Nickeil was a 20-point-per-game scorer in Atlanta, winning the Most Improved Player award, while the whole Wolves fan base wants Randle anywhere but on the team next season.
Arguing that Finch held these players back is an intriguing idea at the surface level, and it's concerning that two players are thriving to this degree on new teams. However, it's an idea that doesn't hold up under scrutiny.
Most of the blame should be placed on the second apron -- not Finch
While I agree that Finch could have experimented with different roles with these guys, especially Nickeil, the second apron is essentially the sole reason they aren't here. Furthermore, the roster context of their new teams made it easier for these players to succeed in bigger roles.
Hindsight is 20-20, and obviously now I would rather have NAW than Randle every day and twice on Sundays, but at the time it didn't make sense to choose Nickeil. The second apron is why we had to pick two of the three to bring back, instead of all three.
In the KAT instance, it is also the second apron. Tim Connelly has said himself that the move's primary purpose was to maintain roster flexibility below the apron.
Regardless of how highly you think of KAT, his contract is huge, and would have made it impossible to build a roster around it in Minnesota. It's a lot easier to do that in New York when Jalen Brunson took a pay cut and is making a fraction of what he's likely worth.
Again, I understand a lot of the Finch slander, and truthfully, it is a lot easier to blame the head coach than to blame complicated new salary rules, but the Timberwolves didn't have much of a choice when it came to retaining those guys.
Now they're blossoming, which makes it sting even more. But understanding the logic behind these moves is vital, and, especially in the case of NAW, it's worth noting that this version of him wasn't possible given the context of the Wolves roster.
KAT and NAW are two of my favorite Wolves of all time, and seeing them have so much success with other teams is bittersweet, but I also don't blame Chris Finch for them not having those successes here. That is more so, looking for a scapegoat.
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