Chris Finch pens multi-year contract extension with the Timberwolves
After guiding the Minnesota Timberwolves to their second post-season appearance since 2004, head coach Chris Finch and his staff have signed an extension.
Chris Finch and his coaching team have committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves signing a multi-year contract extension. Details of the new deal haven’t been disclosed. Finch was already a well-respected assistant coach at the Toronto Raptors when he was hired in February 2021, having earned his reputation after being named 2010 D-League Coach of the Year with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. In his first full season in charge, Finch turned the Timberwolves into the seventh-best offense in the NBA, averaging a club record 115.9 points per game, and built largely around the talent of All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and the top overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, Anthony Edwards.
The Timberwolves also finished the regular season in the top half of the league in defensive efficiency, addressing concerns some had that it may be impossible to build a solid defense while Towns is playing center, which is the most important defensive position by far. As well as Towns – Edwards and third ‘star’ D’Angelo Russell also have poor defensive reputations, so to counteract that, Finch made the move to start defensive specialists Patrick Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt to balance things out.
“Easy decision to make”
Finch said it was the franchise who initiated the new deal. “They came to me,” he said. “I think that shows the type of energy and commitment in the building. Everything’s going in the right direction here. It’s a fun time to be a part of the Timberwolves.”
Vice president of basketball operations Sachin Gupta added, “They’re not always easy decisions in this business, but this one was a very easy one. The coach has been a terrific partner for me, and the results on the floor are clear.”
After finishing seventh in the Western Conference (46-36), the Timberwolves take on the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA play-in tournament on Tuesday, with the winner earning the seventh seed and a series against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the Playoffs. If Minnesota lose against the Clippers, they will get another chance to earn the eighth seed, hosting the winner of the nine-versus-10 matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs.