NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog
NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
Timberwolves blog – Minnesota Timberwolves blog
STATEMENT FROM THE NBA
The National Basketball Association announced today that in light of the tragic events in the Minneapolis area yesterday, tonight’s game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center has been postponed. The decision to postpone was made by the NBA after consultation with the Timberwolves organization and local and state officials.
Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Daunte Wright during this difficult time.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly being sold.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski via Twitter, “former Major Leaguer Alex Rodriguez and billionaire Marc Lore are finalizing a deal to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves from majority owner Glen Taylor, sources tell ESPN. Taylor will continue full control of team for two years before Rodriguez and Lore take over in 2023.”
An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) taken today at Mayo Clinic Square on Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley revealed a grade 3 left hamstring injury. Beasley will be sidelined between 4-6 weeks and will be reassessed in three weeks. Further updates to his progress will be issued when available.
In 37 games (36 starts) this season, Beasley is averaging 19.6 points on 44.0% shooting, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Per the Minneapolis Star Tribune, “guard D’Angelo Russell did return to the lineup Monday at Target Center against Sacramento. Russell had left knee surgery and missed the past 30 games.”
Here’s the latest on the Timberwolves, via the Star Tribune:
With the NBA trade deadline set for 2 p.m. Thursday, the Timberwolves continued to be active in what one source has said is a slow-moving trade cycle, with the league seeming to wait on a few big pieces to move before other dominoes follow in their suit.
Magic forward Aaron Gordon and Atlanta forward John Collins are among the players the Wolves have been inquiring about in the weeks leading up to the deadline. The Wolves are gauging the market to see if there’s a power forward they could partner with Karl-Anthony Towns, but there are a few complicating factors the Wolves have to overcome to get any deals done, and it’s perhaps why no deal has happened yet.
The Timberwolves are 10-33 this season, which is the worst record in the Western conference.
Their leading scorers so far in 2020-21 are Karl-Anthony Towns at 23.6 points per game (in just 23 games played), Malik Beasley at 20.5 ppg, D’Angelo Russell at 19.3 ppg (in just 20 games played), and rookie Anthony Edwards at 16.7 ppg.
Better days for the Timberwolves will presumably be ahead. Via the Star Tribune:
Gersson Rosas made no secret when he took the job as Timberwolves president that the primary way he was going to restructure the Wolves was through trades.
Minnesota has never been a free-agent destination in the NBA, and Rosas wasn’t naive enough to think he could change that overnight for big-ticket players. Instead, trades, the way Rosas’ former team in Houston became a contender in landing James Harden, were going to drive the roster overhaul.
D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez, Ricky Rubio and Jarred Vanderbilt all came to the Wolves via trade, and the draft pick that eventually turned into Jaden McDaniels also came in a trade.
The March 25 trade deadline is nearing, and reports are circulating of the Wolves’ reported interest in Atlanta’s John Collins and, to a lesser extent, Orlando’s Aaron Gordon. Hall of Fame NBA reporter Jackie MacMullan said on Bill Simmons’ podcast recently that she heard from sources the Wolves were “dying” to get Collins.
It would not be surprising if the Timberwolves were to trade literally anyone on the roster. Prepare for rumors to fly high these next 10 days.
Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas today announced he has named Chris Finch as the Timberwolves Head Coach.
“I am excited to announce Chris Finch as our next head coach,” said Rosas. “Chris brings a wealth of basketball experience from his time in the NBA, G League and Internationally. He is one of the most creative basketball minds in the NBA, has success maximizing players, and I am excited to see him bring our team to the next level and beyond.”
“I would like to thank Glen Taylor and Gersson Rosas for this incredible opportunity to be the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves,” said Finch. “I look forward to working hand and hand with Gersson to build and lead a team that Timberwolves fans will be proud of. We have excellent pieces in place and I can’t wait to get to work.”
Known as one of the best offensive coaching minds in the NBA, Finch has coached the likes of Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, James Harden, Nikola Jokić, Zion Williamson and Kyle Lowry.
Finch, 51, has over 24 years of NBA and G League experience, serving most recently as an assistant coach under Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors this season. Prior to that, he made coaching stops with the New Orleans Pelicans as associate head coach from 2017-20, the Denver Nuggets as an assistant coach from 2016-17 and the Houston Rockets as an assistant coach from 2011-16. Finch was named the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rocket’s G League affiliate in 2009. He led the Vipers to back-to-back G League Finals appearances, compiling a 67-33 (.670) record in his two seasons. After leading Rio Grande Valley to the 2010 G League Championship, Finch received the Dennis Johnson Trophy as the league’s best head coach.
The Reading, Pennsylvania native played overseas in the British Basketball League (BBL) for the Sheffield Sharks from 1993-97 before coaching the same team from 1997-2003. Finch was named the BBL Coach of the Year in 1998-99. He continued to coach overseas for 12 years including in Germany and Belgium.
Finch also served as the head coach of Great Britain’s National Team from 2006-13, where he led the national team in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He also led them to a European Championship berth in 2009 and 2011, the team’s first appearances since 1981.
A Franklin & Marshall College graduate in 1992, Finch was as a two-time All-American, and was inducted into the F&M Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. He started the final 115 games of his collegiate career and compiled a 102-13 record (.887), which stood as the most career wins as a starter in NCAA Division III history.
Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas tonight announced the team has relieved Ryan Saunders of his duties as Head Coach, effective immediately.
“We would like to thank Ryan for his time and commitment to the Timberwolves organization and wish him the best in the future,” said Rosas. “These are difficult decisions to make, however this change is in the best interest of the organization’s short and long-term goals.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the following injury updates on guards D’Angelo Russell and Jarrett Culver:
Russell, who has missed the last three games due to left leg soreness, will undergo arthroscopic surgery tomorrow to remove a loose body from the left knee. Russell will remain out between 4-6 weeks and further updates to his progress will be issued when available.
In 20 games (19 starts) this season, Russell is averaging 19.3 points on 42.6% shooting and 5.1 assists.
In the third quarter of the Monday, Jan. 25 game at Golden State, Culver sustained a left ankle sprain. As part of his ongoing rehab and reconditioning, Culver has been upgraded to on-court activity this week. He is expected to be reevaluated next week with potential to return to play late next week. Updates on his progress will be issued when available.
In 16 games (7 starts) this season, Culver is averaging 8.1 points on 45.9% shooting and 5.0 rebounds.
The Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday waived guard Ashton Hagans.
Hagans appeared in two games for the Timberwolves. He was signed to a two-way contract on Nov. 28.
The NBA game scheduled for tonight between the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center has been postponed in accordance with the league’s Health and Safety Protocols.
Because of ongoing contact tracing within the Timberwolves, the team does not have the league-required eight available players to proceed with tonight’s game against the Grizzlies.