Chris Finch rarely breaks his straight-faced, no-nonsense exterior as he stands on the sideline during games. But when he does, it is usually during a bout of agitation as he calls for a timeout after his players make a mistake or screams in a referee’s face.
But rarely — if ever — will you see the 56-year-old coach burst with joy after a big play or even a game-winner. Maybe he’ll clap a few times, but that’s it.
Despite Finch’s po-faced exterior during games, he still believes it’s important for his players to have fun. And last season, as the Minnesota Timberwolves battled through maturity, connectivity, and on-court fit issues, he saw a team that lacked joy. A team that understood the weight of competing for a championship, but let that goal get in the way of them simply having a good time along the way.
Finch believes the Wolves need to have more fun this season. And he knows that his new starting point guard will naturally help inject that enjoyment into the team.
“The heaviness, the expectations of trying to meet these expectations every year sometimes got the better of us last year,” Finch told Jake Fischer and Mark Stein on a Bleacher Report livestream Friday. “Remember, we are still young, and we’ve still done a lot, but we know we’ve got a long way to go, but we probably need a little bit more fun along the way.”
As Finch walked off the court after Minnesota’s season-ending 139-109 Game 6 loss against the San Antonio Spurs, he didn’t necessarily believe the Wolves needed a big change. Still, he knew they couldn’t run the same roster back.
The Spurs lacked preseason experience but proved to be the more mature team in the second round. San Antonio also frequently double-teamed Anthony Edwards, limiting him offensively because Minnesota lacked a second option capable of creating for himself.
Julius Randle had been that player for the Wolves with his strong isolation scoring and productive floor vision. Still, he struggled in the playoffs, highlighting that his productive moments were too situational for the Wolves.
When things went well for Randle, he was bought in on defense, assertive on offense, and a vocal leader. But when things went wrong, he seemed to grow disconnected from his teammates during games. Randle had a 9-18 assist-to-turnover ratio against San Antonio and was the only player in Minnesota’s rotation to skip his end-of-season interview.
It felt his time with the Timberwolves had grown stale. And just over a month after Minnesota’s season ended, Tim Connelly traded Randle, along with fan favorite Naz Reid, in a four-team trade. The Wolves brought in LaMelo Ball, the flashy, one-sided point guard who heaves halfcourt shots, commits too many stupid turnovers, and doesn’t promote winning basketball while driving recklessly around Charlotte.
At least that is what Ball’s narrative has been since his days at Chino High School, where he was on a reality show with his two brothers, Lonzo and LiAngelo, and his dad, Lavar. If there’s any truth to that narrative, Ball could be damaging to a Timberwolves team that needs to mature.
But the Wolves don’t see him that way. They see Ball as an offensive engine capable of driving winning basketball, and as much more grown-up than the narrative suggests. Finch’s first impressions of Ball since the trade are that he’s personable, a mature communicator, and a happy individual who is excited to be in Minnesota.
Finch also believes that Ball, who still loves the long-range shots and flashy passes, will promote fun, joyous basketball alongside Anthony Edwards.
“I think that is one thing our team lacked at times was a little bit of joy,” Finch said on the Bleacher Report live stream. “[LaMelo] plays with a joy. I know Anthony plays with a joy. I can see those two guys really setting each other off in a good way.”
Last season, the Wolves seemed to grow apart when things went wrong. Perhaps part of that was due to their lack of joy in the face of adversity. But with Ball at the helm, Minnesota’s offense will consistently have a jolt of energy that only Edwards previously provided.
Finch is getting another player who can create something out of nothing. Ball can hit a side step, contested, one-legged three with two defenders on him. Edwards loves those types of shots, too. Objectively, they are bad attempts. But not for Ball or Edwards. Those three-point attempts are uniquely magical. They spark a reaction in that crowd and demoralize the opponent, making the shots feel worth more than three points.
And that first Ball-to-Edwards lob at Target Center? Your Apple Watch will probably give you a decibel warning afterward.
The Timberwolves are likely hoping that the Ball-Edwards duo will provide a consistent, dependable spark to carry them through difficult stretches. The Wolves found that spark occasionally last season, but let it die too often as they grew apart. Edwards called the team out for being frontrunners two years ago, and that largely held true into last season.
Minnesota’s maturity woes felt connected to its fit issues. Finch had two non-shooters next to Edwards in Randle and Rudy Gobert, leaving no natural point guard and leading Edwards to assume that role. Finch recognized that making Edwards the de facto point guard and still asking him to carry the offense was too much to ask. But this season, there is a legitimate point guard next to Edwards who fits alongside him perfectly with a captivating mix of amusing offense.
Will their partnership sometimes lead to ill-advised shots and head-scratching turnovers? Yes. But Finch believes Ball and Edwards’ dynamic offensive ability and contagious joy will serve the Wolves well.
Ball is ready to compete for a championship. Edwards has been trying for years. The two will be backcourt partners for the foreseeable future, and they know the pressure that comes with expectation. But Finch doesn’t want that pressure to keep the Wolves from having fun during a long, daunting 82-game regular season.
Ball will hoist from halfcourt. Edwards will step back, swish a three, and talk trash to anyone near him. Ball will throw a behind-the-back no-look pass, and Edwards will catch it and make a three.
The Wolves will have more fun than last season. And who knows? Maybe Finch will crack a few more smiles.
