Do the Minnesota Timberwolves have a coaching problem? | The Athletic NBA Show

Do the Minnesota Timberwolves have a coaching problem? | The Athletic NBA Show

We were talking off air like can you share with us a little bit of the the locker room color from last night and how waiting to talk Joel I was Ang I mean it’s not like it’s no secret by the way listeners I was late so this is I

Was angry with myself I was angry with myself when I when I wrote when I finished the column when I sent it in because I forgot to write part of the reason why everything was so late last night and we waited an hour for embiid postgame was cuz he was in the locker

Room watching in the Wolves game watching the end of the Timberwolves game and his arch nemesis Carl Anthony towns and so I and so I think he took some pleasure in the fact that that Carl scored 62 in a loss you know what I mean

And he scored 70 and a win and it was like it wasn’t just 62 in the loss either it was like 44 in the first half I’m feeling it but we’re only up by like six and and second half you know good third quarter but fourth quarter that

Well somebody mentioned it last night while we were waiting somebody was looking at the stats and they were like wait a minute car Anthony town has 60 points and his plus minus is two oh yeah it was yeah you know because it was the it was the thing I’ve watched this

Happen many times Sam you’ve seen it too where the one guy gets hot because like when Klay Thompson gets hot like that’s what the words do the entire offense is thrown off the window and it becomes get that guy the ball get him the ball right uh but usually when that happens you’re

Probably up my big you know 25 points whatever like they were like you know blow for blow with with lamelo and them and they could they couldn’t shake him they couldn’t shake him so the entire second half was like even Ed Edwards who like will be MVP MVP one day is deferred

And it became the car Anthony Town show and I don’t know that he gave it up to one player but he gave up 62 on the other end so what it was just like yeah I mean they were it was it was unbelievable I mean Chris Finch I’ve

Never seen a coach so mad at a career high for player that dude I mean that the Mike it was talking crazy about his own team after the guy scored a career high I’ve never seen that what he say it was embarrassing what did he say he said yeah that’s what

He embarrassing selfish play like you know what saying they in there they in there signing the ball for car like you know what I’m saying game and the coaches in the room like this was awful D great it’d be great if Finch W gave the the game ball to Charlotte just

To prove a point I know right right absolutely disgusting performance of defense and immature basketball Chris Finch I mean it really did evolve into like some Rucker Park scene except it wasn’t that good like it wasn’t like you know what I’m saying like there’s a

There’s you can feel it when when a dude is hot it’s like the other team is like Ah that’s it it’s over yeah they were like nah I mean literally they were like nah PJ was Charlotte this is Charlotte this isn’t the you know what I mean

Charlotte in your spot is going no we good keep scoring we good guys what what happened at the end I need Clarity on because I don’t want to get it wrong like didn’t some version of towns getting benched happen at the end he got benched yeah he got pulled yeah he got

Pulled for defense for defense and I’m sitting there going wait a minute ain’t y’all got the number one defense rating in the league with car huh but it does bring up no I mean this obviously is like a flute situation but one of the amazing things about the Timberwolves right because they’re

Really good it’s like Nas Reed it’s like really good player who finds himself on the bench at the end of games like how many teams would just be like yo Nas I got 30 a year for you right now and he literally he shoots threes he you know he blocks like he’s

Really good and at the end of the game just like all right bro you was that was a great three qu that was a great 36 that was like per 3 yeah exactly exactly it’s like yo this guy he just needs to go to the athletic

And and let his truth out you know what I’m saying that’s it come hey n come on N he needs to go to John to go to Kitz and say yo man this is some [ __ ] right it’s one it’s one of those things where like in the playoffs it’s it’s

Probably going to be really impactful it’s going to be really helpful right I mean think you could bring not Reed like as your backup big behind behind like uh cat and and goar but it’s like yo there’s a lot of managing that has to happen before that

You know what I’m saying like so it’s it’s just interesting watching them like juggle this and I don’t you know I do feel like Finch like letting them know like hey this ain’t cool right it’s part of that like man this dude is out here and they were feeding them but at some

Point it just became a circus and it was like Y what what are we doing actually right now it was just wild to watch and Mike connley very important Point Mike Conley did not play he was on the side so they were not organized yeah on side

And some uh like looking like a 25 year old on the side and like painted jeans and all that I’m like yo M you should be tucking your shirt in young you OG now like what you doing man [Laughter] put a TI the suit right man now that was crazy that was

Crazy watching that I don’t know sorry D go ahead no no go ahead go ahead go ahead I do Wonder like you know nobody beats Mr krin’s perspective but I’ve been around the Timberwolves a decent amount this year and so to to unpack the whole thing a little more I

Do wonder you know Finch to this point and I wrote this in a round table we did yesterday like I think his coach to the year case is is largely rooted in his ability to navigate a pretty tricky locker room when you have a bunch of guys who the outside world has been

Telling you that you’re on two different tracks and that some of you are disposable and typically that you know that that kind of Fosters uh negativity and and you know divisiveness and they’ve had a good vibe and a good culture so now you look at a game like

Last night where Carl who to this point has been getting Ray reviews from everybody in Minnesota for his willingness to do some of the little things to take a back seat to not be in his his feelings too much and to put the ego on the side so here he’s got this

Night that that in a perfect world he gets one night to cook to be celebrated they get the W yeah one night only but instead because he falls short like he gets to see the other side of his coach which is just like dude this is not what

We’re doing and now you’re going to get killed I mean we’re on here talking tough about him and that’s the type of thing that I wonder I have wondered for a while like how long can they keep this Kumbaya thing going you know given uh

The state of the roster this is a good question I think well I mean as long as they keep winning I think they’ll be all right but they got to keep winning you know and that’s even in even though the West is somewhat I think diluted this

Year it’s not nearly as good you know top to bottom as it’s been in previous years I still think it’s really hard to win a lot of games in the Western Conference you know even though Golden State’s mediocre and the Lakers are mediocre they still got dudes on their

Team that can go get 50 you gotta beat yeah you gota beat yeah you know what I’m saying like so it’s not like you Ain just gonna walk in the chase Center and beat the Warriors by 30 you know what I mean unless you’re the Raptors than you

Unless you’re some mediocre e Conference Team you you’re good but yeah I still can’t believe Charlotte winning him and gave them the business in their spot you know what I mean that’s crazy to me that’s like the Wizard’s going in and kicking somebody Good’s ass you know that’s

How there is a yeah there is a uh I I really want Minnesota to kind of keep it together they’ve been keeping it together I mean I just remember last year all we talked about was how Rudy and Cat didn’t fit right you know what I’m saying like and now like you just

Want to see the price tag you want to see A-Rod and and Mark lur have to you know pay that Freight couple years down the road y yep man I’m telling you Minnesota will be the next hub of NBA’s like success I’m telling you it’s going

To be the spot California New York way too expensive man way Minesota in the spring time is fantastic unbelievable unbelievable great not good great people sleep on it people sleep on it and yeah I’m with it

The Athletic NBA Show discuss the Minnesota Timberwolves’ potential and struggles.