Chris Finch has established himself as one of the league's best coaches and the best coach in the Minnesota Timberwolves' history. Sure, he hasn't always had a 100 percent approval rating among fans, but that comes with the territory of being an NBA head coach, and his success is undeniable.
Now, with the best roster, particularly Finch could have a career-best season. Best-case scenario, this could result in Finch winning the Coach of the Year award.
Most of the time, the Coach of the Year goes to the coach whose team most exceeds expectations. The Wolves' preseason over-under win total is set at 48.5, which slates them at fifth in the Western Conference. If they can crash the party and become a top-three seed or even a top-two seed, then Finch could be in a position to win Coach of the Year.
Being an established playoff squad means that the Wolves won't take the league by storm, which could hurt Finch's case. Still, there's some uncertainty around this new-look roster, and if Finch can maximize this group, then he could certainly generate some Coach of the Year buzz.
In the 2023-24 season, Finch finished third in Coach of the Year voting, as the Wolves finished third in the conference. The Wolves exceeded expectations that season through their tenacious defense. Now, their dynamic offense could give them a path to exceeding expectations again, which could ultimately give Finch a Coach of the Year case.
Chris Finch can help the Timberwolves reach their ceiling
Finch has openly discussed taking on more of a hands-on role in the Timberwolves' new-look offense. For most of his coaching career, Finch's offenses have been free-flowing with not a ton of structure. That feels poised to change with LaMelo Ball in the mix.
In the preseason, Finch showed some scheme creativity, including some guard-to-guard screens, off-ball screens to open up shots for Anthony Edwards, and, generally speaking, the offense just had more structure. To maximize LaMelo's fit, running more pick-and-rolls and doing so creatively will be vital. The Timberwolves are also primed to push the pace, which could help them reach another level offensively, and Finch will be a big part of this identity.
Minnesota's offensive ceiling is elite, and Finch will play a key role in helping the team reach this ceiling.
While there's a ton of talent in the starting lineup of Ball, Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, and Rudy Gobert, there's also a lot of mouths to feed. As such, Finch will have a lot of responsibility. If the Wolves put it all together, his fingerprints will be all over the Wolves' success.
Of course, Ball will be crucial in the Wolves' success and will naturally unlock opportunities for Edwards, but can Finch make this pairing work? More importantly, how does he balance the usage of McDaniels, Kuminga, and Gobert? An actualized version of Kuminga is key to the Wolves reaching their ceiling, and it remains to be seen how he handles a complementary role. That's perhaps the biggest swing factor of the Wolves' season.
Regardless, if Finch can unlock this complementary version of Kuminga with the narratives around him and his rocky relationship with Steve Kerr, then that would help generate some Coach of the Year buzz.
All things considered, a lot of things have to go right for Finch to win Coach of the Year. At the bare minimum, I think the Wolves need to be a top-three seed. Furthermore, their offense will need to be a true juggernaut, and their new pieces will all have to fit together. Nevertheless, all of these things are real possibilities, which could allow Finch to bring home some hardware.
Add us as a preferred source on Google