One underrated factor will give Julius Randle a head start in Minnesota

As the Minnesota Timberwolves gear up for their first preseason game on Friday, they are still in the early stages of incorporating Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo into the team. As of this writing, the trade was announced less than six days ago, with it not being finalized until Wednesday.

That is a very short amount of time to try to get new guys acclimated to any team, regardless of experience or skill level. Even the players who have been on this roster for years will need their proper time to shake the offseason rust off, re-establish chemistry with their teammates and get into a solid rhythm.

So it is natural to assume that Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo would be at something of a disadvantage at this point in the game. But if we stop to consider all the factors at play, it is actually reasonable to assume Randle in particular will have a step up on his peers.

The main reason being that Julius has already played for head coach Chris Finch in the past. Some Timberwolves fans may not be aware of this, but Finch was the associate head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans from 2017 until 2020. Randle was a member of the organization during the 2018-19 season.

Randle has been coached by Chris Finch in the past

With this prior connection already established, it should give Randle a bit of a boost during his various preparations during preseason. Having a coach who already knows your game well, knows your strengths and weaknesses, what you respond to and do not respond to, should be quite the luxury for Julius as he gets adjusted to a new team.

This is the first time in Randle's career that he has been traded. This situation comes with some obvious difficulties, not all of which are familiar to the veteran power forward. But having a coach who you know is in your corner and is well-equipped to help you adjust to life with a new team should go a long way toward Julius' adjustment being as smooth as possible.

The Timberwolves are going to need Randle's A game this season as they attempt to run it back and compete for a championship once again. With Finch already possessing a wealth of knowledge about Julius and how he operates, I feel confident saying he will be able to acclimate to life in Minnesota easier than many might think.