Chris Finch gives testy response to question about changing starting lineup
Yesterday at 09:16 PM
Chris Finch's comments after the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 119-105 loss against the Detroit Pistons were blunt, as expected. Despite acknowledging the struggles of the starting lineup, which has failed to gel as anticipated, Finch made it clear that he has no intention of making any changes to the group. His reluctance to alter the lineup continues, even as the team faces ongoing decline.
“You guys ask me this question all the time. If I felt that the magic bullet was changing the starting lineup, I would’ve done that already,” said the Timberwolves head coach via ESPN.
Throughout the season, Chris Finch has remained patient, holding onto the belief that Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle, and Rudy Gobert will eventually develop the necessary chemistry and rhythm to succeed.
Ripple effect on the Timberwolves after trading Karl-Anthony Towns
The lineup was put together hastily when the Timberwolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns for Randle and Donte DiVincenzo just before training camp. Finch has been granting the group time to mesh, offering the five players—each of whom has had success in the league—the opportunity to find their stride.
Despite Finch’s firm stance on the matter, it feels as though change is inevitable. The Wolves have been stuck in mediocrity for too long. Either this starting lineup needs to find its rhythm soon, or Finch will have to make adjustments to tackle the team’s sluggishness.
While the group still holds a positive net rating of 1.1, the starting lineup has occasionally appeared disjointed offensively, especially with the spacing issues between Gobert, Randle, and Edwards. Defensively, the team has faced challenges, particularly in transition.
These struggles have often resulted in slow starts, as seen in Saturday night’s 119-105 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Detroit jumped to a 9-3 lead and was up 17-12 by the time the Wolves made their first substitutions.
The Detroit Pistons overpowering the Timberwolves
Finch began the second quarter in Detroit with Conley, DiVincenzo, Randle, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Naz Reid — two starters paired with three bench players who had recently shown solid chemistry. However, the Wolves couldn’t get anything going offensively, failing to score for the first 4 minutes and 32 seconds. This lapse allowed a five-point deficit to grow to 18 points. Reid, DiVincenzo, and Alexander-Walker struggled, shooting a combined 6 of 21 from the field.
The Wolves needed their top players to step up, and Edwards did just that. He posted a career-high 53 points, sinking 10 3-pointers and pulling down six rebounds. Just two days after voicing frustration about his scoring struggles, Edwards made 16 of 31 shots, went 11 of 12 from the free-throw line, and contributed to 50.5 percent of the Wolves’ total points — the highest single-game scoring share in franchise history.
Nevertheless, Chris Finch acknowledges there are areas for growth. He believes the Wolves often overreact to opposing runs and missed shots, which causes impatience on offense and leads to defensive struggles. Despite this, the starters’ offensive performance has been relatively strong, putting up 112.8 points per 100 possessions — ranking fourth out of their eight five-man lineup combinations that have played 50 minutes or more together this season.
Something has to change soon. Whether it's a new lineup or a newfound chemistry, the Wolves need a boost from their starting five. Finch has expressed his confidence in the group, but now they must prove they're worthy of that trust before any adjustments are made.
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