Fewer than five minutes remained in a tied Game 6 of Minnesota’s first round series against Memphis in 2022. The Wolves need a win to avoid elimination
Chris Finch sent the unheralded Jordan McLaughlin to the scorer’s table to sub in for D’Angelo Russell.
Russell struggled throughout the series, and had just committed yet another turnover when Finch decided to remove his starting point guard from the floor.
Minnesota still lost the game, as Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards took one rushed, bad shot after another down the stretch without the ball even touching McLaughlin’s hands.
But a tone was set — Finch was coaching to win. That wouldn’t be sacrificed in fear of hurt feelings, no matter your place in the perceived pecking order.
The coach demonstrated conviction in his instincts. That’s when he’s been at his best throughout his tenure in Minnesota, from benching Edwards in the fourth quarter of a game in his rookie season to send a message about his lack of defense to sitting Towns down the stretch of certain games during the 2023-24 campaign in favor of a rolling Naz Reid.
If Finch felt you were the best person to help Minnesota win, you would be on the floor.
It did feel as though the coach veered away from that M.O. at times last season, when Minnesota was married to the eight players atop its rotation.
The logic made sense. These were the eight best players. They needed to be given every opportunity to gel, even through struggles, in an attempt to be the best version of themselves together when it mattered most.
And, to some degree, the strategy was validated by a return trip to the Western Conference Finals. But the road was rocky and flush with frustration as Minnesota repeatedly banged its head on the wall over the first five months of the regular season.
Finch has had guys he’s trusted to no end in the past. He stuck with Kyle Anderson through thick and thin, but that was because he firmly believed the pros Anderson provided far out-weighed the cons.
Last year may have been the first season in which it occasionally felt as though Finch was beholden to a rotational hierarchy, for one reason or another.
That certainly wasn’t the case Wednesday in Portland.
Finch made the call to start Donte DiVincenzo over veteran leader Mike Conley. And then, when neither played well through three quarters, the coach turned to … Bones Hyland?
The guard who re-joined Minnesota on a non-guaranteed deal just a month earlier was suddenly bringing the ball up the floor in the final frame of a tight season opener.
Over Conley. Over DiVincenzo. Over Rob Dillingham, the No. 8 overall pick from the 2024 NBA Draft.
Finch told reporters postgame he felt Minnesota needed someone who could handle Portland’s high-pressure defense on one end while also providing some resistance to the Blazers’ straight-line offensive drives.
The reserve played eight minutes, which Minnesota won by five points. His insertion proved to be the correction choice, and not one Finch likely would’ve made a year ago.
Draft stock and contract status were thrown out the window.
There will be many future games in which DiVincenzo or Conley plays well and take the reins late. Dillingham is sure to get chances over the course of the season. But, against Portland’s harassing, physical lineup, Hyland was the guy.
Naz Reid played just 20 minutes on a night when he struggled, as did DiVincenzo. Conley only played 13. Meanwhile, Terrence Shannon Jr. played 25 minutes off the bench.
In Finch’s mind, that’s who gave Minnesota the best chance to succeed in that situation.
“I’m going to leave myself the license to go anywhere I want with the guys,” Finch told reporters. “That includes who we might start, who we might finish with, who we play along the way. Everybody has to stay ready. Everyone is going to contribute to winning here.”
That’s a philosophy that truly holds players accountable to the standard of performance and winning mentality upon which Finch built the franchise’s foundation.
And, when it’s the guiding force behind his decisions, it’s when the coach is at his best.
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