CBS Sports massively underrates Chris Finch in NBA coaches poll

The conversation of which NBA coaches are best is always an interesting one. It can admittedly be challenging at times to properly evaluate which coaches in the NBA are best due to vastly different circumstances and roster situations across the league.

It seems that in general, every NBA fanbase probably has an overly pessimistic view of their coach for one reason or another. Sometimes, that may just come down to needing someone to blame for a less-than-desirable situation.

We have seen this scenario in particular play out in recent months where numerous NBA teams had problems that seemingly were deeper than just coaching issues, but firing the head coach was the route multiple front offices seemed to take regardless. The coaching carousel in this league just seems to go round and round for certain teams.

Thankfully, Minnesota Timberwolves fans can rest assured their coach is likely not leaving town anytime soon. Sam Quinn of CBS Sports recently devised a list where he ranked all 30 NBA coaches, breaking them down into tiers. Chris Finch was surprisingly placed outside the top 10 of this list.

Chris Finch is ranked as the 12th-best NBA coach

Plenty of Timberwolves fans will have a gripe with this list after seeing that Finch was placed probably a few spots lower than he should have been. Chris came in at number 12, ranked in tier number four, and behind coaches like Joe Mazzulla, Tom Thibodeau, Mike Budenholzer, Ime Udoka, Will Hardy and others.

No disrespect to any of these guys, but it would seem fairly obvious that Finch has done enough to earn a ranking higher than at least a few of them. The way he turned this Timberwolves roster into a 56-win team and a Western Conference Finals participant after the national media tried to make them into a laughingstock is no small matter.

Making two big men work in a starting lineup in 2024 is a big challenge, and Chris has nailed it every step of the way. While putting him at 12th is far from disrespectful, it is still reasonable to say this placement leaves him as an underrated, underappreciated coach.

The more Finch can continue to achieve success with this roster in Minnesota, the more he will begin to be recognized for being closer to a top-five level coach in the NBA. Give it another season or two, and everyone's eyes will be opened should the Timberwolves continue their winning ways.