Chris Finch on Ant's next step and preaching 'mindset month'
With the halfway point of the season approaching, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch says he is preaching a “mindset month.”
Speaking during his weekly appearance on KFAN, Finch discussed this being the time of the season guys start "losing focus" and having a "shorter finish line than you like,” saying the 28-11 Wolves "can't afford that."
Helped by a rejuvenated Rudy Gobert, a healthy Karl-Anthony Towns and a superstar takeover by Anthony Edwards, the Wolves have the second best record in the NBA despite playing the toughest schedule in the league.
Now with one of the easiest strength of remaining schedules in the league, Finch said the team has to go into games "with the right mindset." Three of the Wolves' next five games come against the three worst teams in the East, starting with the 4-36 Detroit Pistons on Wednesday — a game Finch calls "must win."
Mixed in among the Wolves' hot start is the fact they have the second best home record in the league. "It's actually something we talk about at the beginning of the season, and particularly this season," said Finch when discussing the team's home form.
"I identified having to be much better at home with how hard the West was going to be. In the West, we knew we needed to hold serve at home and be really dominant there. Last year we didn't play well at home, we almost played better on the road at times, not sure exactly why that was. It's one of those things that once you start playing better at home then you get good crowds, great atmosphere and it just keeps building on itself. So it gives you even more and more confidence."
One of the key reasons the Wolves have been so dominant this year has been Edwards really coming into his own. The 22-year-old guard is setting career marks in points per game, field-goal, 3-point and free-throw percentages all while upping his defensive output.
"People have asked me multiple times 'What’s the next step for Anthony?' For me it's consistency," Finch said when asked about Edwards. "To be a star in the league, you have to do it every single night. Then obviously raise your game against the best when they're in town. He's done that. He's got a great team that supports that opportunity for him and kind of allows him to do his thing. He's still got a ton of growth and lots to learn and figure out. But he has the DNA of being a superstar. [He's] driving a lot of winning for us. Plays both sides of the ball. Takes the challenge of these matchups. He loves to guard these other superstar players in the league. When you have that alone, it sets the tone of competitiveness and the willingness to do the tough work too that permeates your team."
Jan 10, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch talks with guard Anthony Edwards (5) during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.
Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Edwards isn't the only superstar on the Wolves this season. After a rough first season in Minnesota, Gobert has returned to being the defensive stalwart that dominated in Utah for nine seasons. Gobert is the current favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, which would be the fourth of his career to tie Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for most all-time.
"He's been extremely, extremely important to us at both ends of the floor," Finch said about Gobert. "Defensively it was a tour de force in there for changing the nature of how other teams want to play. They come to the paint with reservation and that alone allows us to get our guys back in front [and] square up. You don't have to have as much distortion to your defense. He rebounds at such a high level. Then offensively, a lot of gravity. He just pulls a lot of people with him when he's rolling, when they switch. It gets busy on the board. I love the fact that people foul him, it puts us in the bonus early. There's a lot of little benefits to having Rudy that don't always appear obvious."
