Before joining the Minnesota Timberwolves to become their head coach midway through the 2020-21 season, Chris Finch grinded as an NBA assistant for a decade. During that time, he became known for his creative offensive mind, and it’s what attracted the Wolves to go outside the organization to hire him after they let go of Ryan Saunders.
Since joining Minnesota, Finch hasn’t seen the team roster a star-level point guard until now. The trade for LaMelo Ball finally provides the team with one. On the most recent episode of the Dane Moore NBA Podcast, Moore spoke on this by saying,
“I think Finch, the 'offensive guru/genius' that was brought in, the type of player that he really appreciates and has been missing from this team is just a very high-level passer…he loves the idea of what this can be.”
Ball should allow Finch to get back to being what he had been most noted for as an assistant, which is utilizing a great passer in order to come up with a grand offensive scheme.
Finch has coached players like James Harden in the past
As head coach of the Timberwolves, Finch’s lead guards have included D’Angelo Russell and Mike Conley. The latter has always been a favorite of Finch's, but especially in the last few years, age has caught up with him (Conley signed with the Boston Celtics this offseason).
Without doubt, Ball's blend of scoring and playmaking can help show off Finch's offensive creativity. By coaching more limited offensive talents, this aspect of Finch's coaching has gone under the radar.
As an assistant, Finch began with the Houston Rockets. He got to coach James Harden for four seasons, and before Harden, he had a year with a young Kyle Lowry. Finch was also an assistant with the New Orleans Pelicans, who rostered Jrue Holiday and again spent time with Lowry with the Toronto Raptors. During those years as an assistant, Finch was often seen as the offensive coordinator.
Harden was obviously the most explosive of those names, but they were all great passers. While the narrative surrounding Ball has been that he sometimes can exhibit poor shot selection, nobody has ever doubted his court vision and passing ability. Just having him on the court can unlock more within Minnesota’s offense.
Ball has averaged more than seven assists per game in each of the last five seasons with the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte scored 11.6 more points per 100 possessions with him on the floor compared to when he was off in 2025-26 (11.4 more in 2024-25).
There’s a reason there’s so much excitement within the Wolves’ fan base. A backcourt of Ball and Anthony Edwards will be electric, and Finch finally has that lead guard who can bring Minnesota’s offense to new heights.
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