Ryan Saunders Has Been Fired - Chris Finch Hired!!!

FargoWolf · Post #41 » by **FargoWolf** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 4:54 am

Ryan needs to go coach some college ball or something, maybe he can climb up the ranks like his old man did but he needs to pay his dues. It is what should have happened in the first place, but Glen's gotta Glen.

I hope Finch can right ship but what a weird spot to step into.

TheDominator273 · Post #42 » by **TheDominator273** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 4:54 am

Mixed emotions on this, Finch was who I wanted when he was a candidate before Ryan got hired as full time coach, but Ryan got a raw deal with the roster he was given even without accounting for the injuries to KAT and DLo.

I'm shocked we went outside the organization mid season and didn't roll with Vanterpool as interim, but I guess Rosas thought we needed a fresh face to take over.

winforlose · Post #43 » by **winforlose** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 4:56 am

Calinks wrote:
RiRuHoops wrote:
Rookie-Mistake wrote:Did we go through a recruitment process?

If not. This is a dangerous hire..

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using RealGM mobile app

He interviewed for Wolves job in 2019 by Rosas. But I bet Taylor wanted his man. Now looks like Taylor was ready to move on and Rosas got his man.

My early theory is that Rosas never wanted Ryan, but Taylor really wanted him to keep Ryan. I said maybe Rosas will throw Ryan to the wolves so he can fire Ryan in a year or so without any issues. I was talked off that theory but now I'm starting to think maybe that was the plan after all.

Ryan never deserved an NBA job at any level. His father hired him as an assistant and brought him with him when Flip came back to the Wolves. Glen then kept him around after Flip passed and set him up to fail. The only sad thing about Ryan leaving is that it didn’t happen years ago. He made millions by helping to destroy this franchise and waste development years on key players. Good riddance to bad trash.

Also there is no way this all happened in the last few hours. Ryan was likely fired weeks ago and they waited until they had deal finalized with his replacement to announce. What’s scary is I have no idea if the new guy is a legit coach or just another small ball enthusiast hired because he is close to Rosas. If he doesn’t shake up the rotations real soon that will say a lot about him.

Post #44 » by **Calinks** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 4:56 am

I know one thing for sure. That's one scapegoat gone. People won't be bashing the new coach so looks like Okogie will take the brunt of everyone's hatred and a new challenger will emerge as the scapegoat number 1 contender to Okogie's title.

NattaNerNutta · Post #45 » by **NattaNerNutta** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 4:56 am

Klomp wrote:

Read on Twitter

This point is interesting to me. Does the impending ownership transfer actually make it more necessary for Rosas to see progress NOW? I know the focus would be squarely on him now, but I think it would be anyways after the sale. This gives him a little time for the team to grow and improve before the sale.

Also tells me tanking has not been the modus operandi here. Status quo would be kept if it were.

to be fair, I actually was ok with the prospect of tanking to try and keep a top 3 pick. However I never really thought that was the goal considering the immanent sale of the team meant they would (namely Rosas) had to show improvement in order to get a shot at keeping his job after new owners take over.

Post #46 » by **Klomp** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 4:57 am

NattaNerNutta wrote:Sooooo...now that Rosas got his man I expect him to start making moves quickly to balance out the roster and bring in a starting caliber PF (although I do like what Vandy has been doing , holding down the fort).

I think sights will be set elsewhere.

Dalvin · Post #47 » by **Dalvin** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 4:58 am

I hope we go on impressive run in the coming weeks. Enough to maybe be in playin zone and hopefully able to catch some teams by surprise make some damage during playoffs. But hey, this is the timberwolves, we might go on a run get a record that wins the 4th pick overall in the lottery and watch it go to the Warriors :lol:

IceManBK1 · Post #48 » by **IceManBK1** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 4:58 am

Good.. Now go all in and make a trade for Aaron Gordon or Julius Randle. Run the offense through dlo and towns.. Make sure they avg 18-20fga and play 36 mind per game. Then we'll start winning some games.

RiRuHoops · Post #49 » by **RiRuHoops** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:01 am

Calinks wrote:I know one thing for sure. That's one scapegoat gone. People won't be bashing the new coach so looks like Okogie will take the brunt of everyone's hatred and a new challenger will emerge as the scapegoat number 1 contender to Okogie's title.

hard to be a scapegoat if you're in the HC's doghouse (hopefully).

NattaNerNutta · Post #50 » by **NattaNerNutta** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:02 am

Klomp wrote:
NattaNerNutta wrote:Sooooo...now that Rosas got his man I expect him to start making moves quickly to balance out the roster and bring in a starting caliber PF (although I do like what Vandy has been doing , holding down the fort).

I think sights will be set elsewhere.

Are you in the "sell Beasley stock while he's hot"? Or a smaller move involving Okogie and/or Culver. Moving Beasley could get the best return, outside of KAT, Antman (team cornerstones) and D-Lo (who would even want him on his contract).

shrink · Post #51 » by **shrink** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:04 am

I appreciated Scoot’s post so much, I wanted to bring it over.

Scoot McGroot wrote:
shrink wrote:Anyone surprised they did not promote Vanterpool?

Lots of people.

Read on Twitter
?s=20

Read on Twitter
?s=20

Read on Twitter
?s=20

Post #52 » by **Klomp** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:06 am

shrink wrote:I appreciated Scoot’s post so much, I wanted to bring it over.

Read on Twitter

Baseline81 · Post #53 » by **Baseline81** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:07 am

Calinks wrote:I know one thing for sure. That's one scapegoat gone. People won't be bashing the new coach so looks like Okogie will take the brunt of everyone's hatred and a new challenger will emerge as the scapegoat number 1 contender to Okogie's title.

Losing is one thing, but the manner in which this team lost games under Saunders is what left fans shaking their heads.

shrink · Post #54 » by **shrink** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:08 am

Klomp wrote:
shrink wrote:I appreciated Scoot’s post so much, I wanted to bring it over.

Read on Twitter

shrink wrote:This isn’t my area, so I don’t want to go too far afield, but I have a couple theories.

1. Maybe Vanterpool was asked, but didn’t want to take on the interim job for the rest of the year, and stain his reputation?

2. Maybe Rosas thought a change required a new voice? David Vanterpool was among the many smart young people Rosas brought in, but DV was brought in as a defensive savant. There were hopes he could get Wiggins interested in defending as he had Dame. The truth is, MIN has been awful on defense. I don’t put the blame on Vanterpool, but on the players who wouldn’t run it. Last season, KAT was notorious for jumping out of the system to try to oppose the midrange jumper. When he got hurt, Gorgui Dieng stepped in, ran Vanterpool’s system, and MIN was top 3 in defense during those games. This year MIN is still bad defensively, and while KAT looks like he’s adopted Vanterpool’s system, Malik Beasley seems to be doing exactly what KAT did last year, and of course, DeAngelo Russell is not going to help. Anyway, if some of the Wolves have tuned him out, maybe Rosas thought they needed a new voice.

3. I know it’s the way of the NBA, for GM’s to fire coaches when the record is bad, and it was probably overdue for Saunders. However, part of the problem was the roster Rosas constructed. Many Wolves fans would like to see them both go.

_AIJ_ · Post #55 » by **_AIJ_** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:09 am

Calinks wrote:I know one thing for sure. That's one scapegoat gone. People won't be bashing the new coach so looks like Okogie will take the brunt of everyone's hatred and a new challenger will emerge as the scapegoat number 1 contender to Okogie's title.

I just hope the new coach wont play Okogie ever again.

Post #56 » by **Klomp** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:10 am

“Coaching in the NBA is about creating an environment for your talent and then getting out of their way, let them be the great players that they are. You've got to set the stage and the structure and keep the discipline.”

Finch knows he's on the threshold of a head coaching job in the NBA but understands nothing is a given.

“I know I'm ready,” he said, “(but) there are very few jobs that come open. Every situation is unique, depending on the type of candidate they're looking for.

“What's going to help me is the success that a guy like (Toronto Raptors head coach) Nick Nurse has had. Nick was on my staff in Great Britain. We have a very similar profile. He, Quin Snyder (head coach of the Utah Jazz) and I all coached in the D-League at the same time. I'm hoping that profile pays dividends.”

https://www.readingeagle.com/sports/basketball/chris-finch-has-carried-values-he-learned-at-wilson-to-the-nba/article_3e6b1706-6ec0-11ea-a2d2-8b4e68f74564.html

Post #57 » by **Worm Guts** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:10 am

Pretty crazy to hire someone from a different organization midseason. When’s the last time that happened?

jpatrick · Post #58 » by **jpatrick** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:11 am

As others have said, zero chance he wanted Saunders originally. A guy that waited that long for a GM job isn’t tying his success to the most unqualified coach in the league.

And yea, if this team doesn’t make an incredible turnaround, Rosas is 100% gone. A new owner isn’t going to retain a GM that traded away a top five pick for one of the worst contracts in the league (DLo) AND a top five pick. The optics will be bad after this season. Yeah

UnFadeable21 · Post #59 » by **UnFadeable21** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:12 am

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Pretty good summary by the Athletic Sam Vencenie about the entire situation

Pretty good summary by the Athletic Sam Vencenie about the entire situation

Shaka_Zulu · Post #60 » by **Shaka_Zulu** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:13 am