Wolves' Chris Finch third in Coach of the Year voting as Mark Daigneault wins

Oklahoma City's Mark Daigneault won the end-of-season award.

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch looks on against the Phoenix Suns in the second half during Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs at Target Center in Minneapolis on April 20, 2024. / Jesse Johnson / USA TODAY Sports

While the Timberwolves still haven't seen one of their coaches win the NBA's Coach of the Year Award, it feels like it's only a matter of time before that changes.

It just won't change this year.

Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault was named the Coach of the Year on Sunday after guiding his team to the top seed in the Western Conference. He edged out Timberwolves coach Chris Finch and Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, who were the other two finalists. 

Finch finished third in the overall voting behind Mosley and Daigneault. Finch was a finalist after guiding the Wolves to a 56-26 regular-season record, the team’s second-best mark in franchise history. It was only the fifth 50-win season in franchise history, and it was a special one. 

The Timberwolves were atop the Western Conference standings for much of the season, and they had a chance to clinch the top seed on the final day of the regular season.

While they lost the finale to the Phoenix Suns, who they’re currentlyfacing in the first round of the playoffs, they avoided the play-in after back-to-back seasons in that tournament.

Finch helped develop All-Star Anthony Edwards into one of the best players in the entire NBA this season. Edwards set career highs in points per game (25.9), assists per game (5.1), field-goal percentage (46.1%) and free-throw percentage (83.6%) this season and it feels like he's only gotten better during the postseason, something Edwards has credited Finch for.

It’s clear how much Edwards, and the Timberwolves as a whole, have valued Finch’s guidance this season. Finch isn’t afraid to call players out, and he’ll dish out praise when deserved. His no-nonsense coaching style is clearly respected throughout the Timberwolves locker room.

Finch also masterfully managed the Timberwolves’ Twin Towers lineup of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, using size to Minnesota’s advantage. With the likes of Gobert, Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker at his disposal, Finch coached a Timberwolves team that boasted the top-ranked defense in the entire NBA this season.

While Finch didn’t pick up the end-of-season award, it’s doubtful that’s something that will even cross his mind. Finch is focused on coaching his Timberwolves team to a deep playoff run, and it’s off to quite the start. The Wolves lead the Suns 3-0 in their first-round series, and they have the chance to secure the series sweep Sunday night in Game 4. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m.