You’ve seen the highlights of Anthony Edwards soaring for a dunk or Rudy Gobert swatting away shots at the rim, but there is a guy usually pacing the sidelines—or occasionally sitting behind the bench with a bum knee—who is the real reason this whole thing works.
Chris Finch isn't your typical NBA lifer. He didn't come up through the blue-blood college ranks or spend decades as a video coordinator in a windowless room. Honestly, the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves is a bit of a basketball nomad. He spent 17 years overseas, coaching in places like Sheffield and Belgium, before the NBA even bothered to look his way.
That "outsider" perspective is exactly why the Wolves are currently sitting near the top of the Western Conference in early 2026.
The "Fincher" Philosophy: It's Kinda Chaotic
Most coaches are control freaks. They have a play for every single possession, scripted down to the second. Finch? He’s basically the opposite. He preaches a "read and react" system. He wants his players to be smart enough to figure it out on the fly.
It's a free-flow offense.
If you watch a Wolves game, you’ll see a lot of improvisation. Finch believes that if you give players freedom, they’ll gravitate toward what they actually do well. But that’s also the scary part. When things go south—like they did in that weird stretch against Oklahoma City back in December—the offense can look stagnant. It looks like "park ball."
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That’s the trade-off. You get the exhilarating highs of a 139-106 blowout against the Bucks (which happened just a few days ago on January 13), but you also get those nights where the ball just stops moving.
Why the 2025-26 Season is Different
This year has been a massive test for Finch. The roster is different. The ownership is different. We finally saw the end of the Glen Taylor era, with Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez officially taking over in June 2025.
Plus, the roster had to adjust. Losing guys like Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Hawks because of those brutal "second apron" luxury tax rules hurt. Finch has had to lean heavily on younger guys like Terrence Shannon Jr. and even the rookie center Joan Beringer when Gobert is out.
Through 41 games this season, the Timberwolves are sitting at 27-14. That’s a .659 winning percentage. For a franchise that spent most of the last twenty years in the basement, that’s almost hard to wrap your head around.
A Career Built on the Long Road
Finch was born in Cambridge, Ohio, but his coaching soul was forged in Europe. He’s a guy who loves "café culture." He’s often spotted walking around the North Loop in Minneapolis, grabbing a beer at 2 p.m. on a summer day. He’s normal.
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That humility is why players like Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels seem to run through walls for him. He doesn't treat his job as a "tier above" everyone else. He even says he doesn't think being an NBA coach makes him better than a high school coach.
But make no mistake, he’s a winner.
- He won a D-League title with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
- He won championships in the British and Belgian leagues.
- He’s already the second-winningest coach in Timberwolves history, trailing only the legend Flip Saunders.
Dealing with the Noise
Lately, Finch has had some health hurdles. He missed a game against the Spurs on January 11 due to an illness. Assistant coach Micah Nori—the guy everyone loves for those hilarious halftime interviews—had to step in.
There's always talk about whether Finch's "free flow" style can actually win a title. Some fans on Reddit and Twitter get frustrated. They want him to call more timeouts. They want more set plays.
But the front office isn't blinking. Tim Connelly gave Finch a four-year extension back in June 2024 that keeps him through the 2027-28 season. They believe in the "Fincher" method. They think his ability to adapt to a roster that changed overnight (remember the shocking Karl-Anthony Towns trade for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo?) is his greatest strength.
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What to Watch Next
The Timberwolves are currently in a dogfight for the 4th seed in the West, trailing the Thunder and Nuggets. If you're tracking this team, here is what actually matters for the rest of the season:
Monitor the Rotation
Finch is known for running a tight rotation. Watch if he starts giving more minutes to Rob Dillingham or Jaylen Clark as the playoffs approach. If he doesn't trust the bench, the starters might burn out by May.
Watch the "Clutch" Offense
The biggest criticism of the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves is that the offense breaks down in the final five minutes of close games. Watch if they rely purely on Anthony Edwards isolation or if Finch can get them back into that "flow" he loves so much.
Check the Injury Report
Finch is still recovering from that ruptured patellar tendon from a couple of seasons ago, and his recent illness shows the grind of the 82-game season is real. A healthy coach is just as important as a healthy star player.
The Wolves are no longer the "spooky" team that might be good someday. They are here. And as long as Chris Finch is the one pulling the strings, expect it to be a wild, improvisational, and winning ride.