On Monday, the Minnesota Timberwolves extended Chris Finch. Finch agreed to a four-year extension with the Timberwolves.

Success and Struggles

The Minnesota Timberwolves have struggled to maintain any semblance of success throughout their existence. As an expansion team in 1989, they had very little going for them until Kevin Garnett. During Garnett’s years, the Timberwolves had their most consistent success. They had enough playmakers around an MVP in Garnett that they were able to reach the playoffs and eventually the Western Conference Finals. Eventually, though, Flip Saunders who was the head coach for much of Garnett’s time in Minnesota, left. Not too long after this, Garnett was traded and the Wolves looked to rebuild.

The team spent most of the years following near the bottom of the league. Many years, the Minnesota Timberwolves had lottery picks. Most of these picks either struggled to find their footing with the Wolves or with the league in general. This has finally changed.

First Overall Picks

In 2015, the Timberwolves selected Karl-Anthony Towns with the first overall pick. Towns has been a star for much of him time with the Wolves, but has been through a few ups and plenty of downs. He has been an all-star and has had multiple 50 point games (even one in the All Star Game) and a 62 point game. Even with his personal accolades and successes, the teams that he has been on have not lived up to expectations.

In 2020, Karl-Anthony Towns was joined by fellow first overall pick Anthony Edwards. Edwards as the first overall pick was heavily criticized at the time. The media questioned his love for basketball and if he was the right pick. The fans and media finally embraced Edwards as a potential superstar in the league this past year.

The Chris Finch Era

The year after Edwards was drafted, Ryan Saunders was fired and Finch was brought on to finish the season. Chris Finch led the Timberwolves to a playoff birth the very next season. Even though there was success, the Wolves went in a different direction with a new president of basketball operations: Tim Connelly.

Connelly made quite the splash shortly after his hiring. Connelly and the Wolves traded multiple players and multiple first round picks for Rudy Gobert. This is also a move that has been constantly critiqued.

After a regular season just above .500 (42 wins and 40 losses), the Timberwolves lost in the first round of playoffs to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets, where Connelly was previously.

The 2023-2024 Minnesota Timberwolves were the most successful team in their history since the Garnett-era 2004 team. The Wolves won 56 games and reached the Western Conference Finals. The Wolves had the Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert, the Sixth Man of the Year in Naz Reid, Anthony Edwards got his first All NBA selection, and Chris Finch was a finalist for Coach of the Year.

The Future

The Wolves decided to extend Chris Finch after the very successful 2023-2024 season. The Wolves look to continue their success. As of right now, the Timberwolves have the majority of their 2023-2024 roster under contract for next year. They now have their coach under contract for an additional four years. The Wolves showed that they have a team that can compete and running it back seems like their best option, and the option that they are choosing to go with.

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