The OKC fans got their thunder up, which got the Wolves’ pants down. They felt the pressure right from the get go. And that’s what led to a first quarter straight from the depths of hell. When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. went up 26-9 in Q1, it marked Minnesota’s worst first quarter performance for as far as memory serves. But the 4-1 WCF series blowout did more than just hurt deep. It also exposed some vulnerabilities that Chris Finch would rather have kept closeted. And that’s their dependency on Anthony Edwards.
Julius Randle’s 24/5/3 scoreline was the only close support Edwards got in the game. All three of their other starters finished with single-digit points, and Mike Conley was just 1 assist away from being Kardio Kuzma’s buddy in the gutter. You must be thinking – they’re only the second team to reach consecutive WCFs in the past decade, since that dominant Warriors team of the mid-2010s.
That’s gotta count for something, right? Well, they beat a center-less Lakers and a Stephen Curry-less Golden State to get here. So the 4-1 series loss to the Thunder was probably the best representation of their harrowing reality.
What’s next then? Anthony Edwards is just 23, so they have a long time before he starts to wear off. But they have to capitalize on his prime when they can. What they need most is to help Ant break defenses better, with a facilitator or an initiator rather than someone who can take charge of the attack. And that’s exactly what Coach Finch admitted in the postgame press- with a little bit of excitement of the future, of course.
“It felt like a lot of times he was the only one who could really break down out the bounce, especially tonight… You gotta be have guys and go somewhere, break the paint, make a play. But I’m excited. We got a lot of good young players on our roster here that didn’t necessarily get the run that maybe they should have this season. But I really like where we are and I’m sure our front office will do a great job in the off season in the draft ’cause they always do,” said the Timberwolves gaffer.
It won’t be easy. Finch can see the rest of the West barely even going through a rebuild. And with the state of the competition, it’ll be hard to replicate the vibes of this season. But that doesn’t mean he’s gonna back down from a fight. It just makes it that much more fun.
“I do think it’s replicable. I do think next season is going to be extremely hard in the West- even harder than this year. There might not be teams in a “rebuilding” phase next year. They might have 15 teams going for it next year. Like a great season in the West for some teams might be 42-40. I mean, that’s insane if you think about it,” said Finch in the postgame press.
But Finch’s chat with Anthony Edwards probably puts this into perspective better. They were clearly the underdogs in every series so far- and getting to the WCF is no small feat. The chat says more about their grounded nature than anything else.
Chris Finch and Anthony Edwards were on the same page heading into the playoffs
Minnesota ended the season in blistering fashion – going on an 8-2 run in the last 10. But they knew the might of their opponents ahead. The Lakers had both Luka Doncic and LeBron James, against their defense that had a rating of just 111.5 – the 6th best in the league. Even after that tall task, came either a young and hungry Rockets team, or the Golden State team brimming with quality and class. And well what do you know – they got past all of them. It was so easy that they might as well have been puffing on a cigarette in their backyard while doing it.
But that wasn’t their mentality heading in. In fact, a “good season” for Ant and Finch would’ve been just getting to the semis. So they’re more than proud about their achievements this season. Maybe that’s why the Wolves HC is more excited about their future than anyone else.
“I remember having a conversation with Anthony mid-season. said, do you think a good season feels like? What do think that looks like for us right now? And he said, let’s get into the playoffs, win a round, and see where we go. it was exactly my thought at the time, too. I felt like we can get into the playoffs and win a round. There’s no reason we couldn’t go farther. And at the time, we were not a very fully formed team. We had a lot of struggles at that point in time. But that was the goal,” said Finch on that private convo with the Ant-Man.
Dec 21, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch talks with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) against the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Well, the only way is forward now. Timberwolves lying in the second apron for the next season gives them a decent chance of reinvigorating their squad. But they need smart decisions – more to do with what support they can give to Anthony Edwards. Who do you think Minnesota will get in first?
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