Timberwolves get huge news on injured HC Chris Finch
Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch’s knee injury appears to be trending in the right direction ahead of his team’s second-round matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
Finch earlier this week had surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon he suffered during his team’s series-clinching win over the Phoenix Suns. Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. had accidentally crashed into Finch on the sideline late into the Game 4 win.
There is reportedly “increased optimism” that Finch will be present on the Timberwolves’ bench once the Western Conference semifinals begin, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Good news: There is increased optimism that Minnesota coach Chris Finch (torn patellar tendon) will be seated near bench for Timberwolves-Nuggets Western Conference semifinals tipping off on Saturday night, sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 4, 2024
Assistant coach Micah Nori will reportedly take on a “more active role” with Finch potentially parked in one spot on the sideline.
Finch was one of the finalists for the 2024 NBA Coach of the Year award after leading the 56-26 Timberwolves to their best regular season finish in 20 years. Having Finch on the sidelines battling through an injury would likely serve as a huge morale boost for the Timberwolves as they take on the defending champion Nuggets.
Finch also seemed to be in good spirits following his surgery given his playful desire to exact revenge on Conley for injuring him.
People are hopeful that Chris Finch, the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, will be able to sit near his team’s bench during their game against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday evening. He hurt his knee after colliding with Mike Conley, the point guard, last Sunday. This incident happened when Mike Conley ran into Finch following a foul by Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns during a game. Despite the injury, Finch, 54, had surgery on Wednesday and was directing practice on crutches by Thursday.
Reports by Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic mention that Micah Nori, the assistant coach, “will take the more active role with Finch’s mobility limited.” Nori has been coaching in the NBA since 2009 and joined Finch’s team in 2021. He is expected to take the lead while Finch recovers.
Tim Connelly, the president of basketball operations, praised Micah, saying, “Micah is going to make a great head coach when some smart team hires him.” He also highlighted the strong teamwork among the staff, stating, “The whole staff is really connected. I think Finch empowers those guys. So it’s a collective, it’s not just about one person. We have next man up with players and it’s the same with coaches.”
This playoff series is particularly important for Minnesota as it is their first time reaching the second round since 2004, and only the second time since the franchise started in 1989-90. The game against the defending champions is set for 7 p.m. ET on Saturday in Denver.
Leave a Reply