Julius Randle was a bit of a mess to open the second half of Game 2 against Golden State on Thursday in Minneapolis. The forward committed two turnovers, missed a 3-point attempt and failed to get back in transition in a three-plus minute stretch that helped the Warriors get back into the game.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch gave Randle a quick hook, sending the forward to the bench for the next two minutes of action, much to Randle’s dismay — which was evident in the veteran’s body language.
“I just had to get that out. I had to get that out. For me, (it was) like being frustrated,” Randle said. “Obviously, (Finch) was frustrated to start the quarter, myself personally, with two turnovers and whatever was going on with our team. Me being a competitor, I want to stay out there, and right the ship. But it didn’t necessarily go like that.
“I was a little hot, but for me personally, that’s just another way he challenges me.”
Finch said he just wanted Randle to “settle down and play.” The time on the bench was brief. Randle spent it thinking about how he wanted to channel his frustrations into something positive for the Wolves, and it exactly what occurred.
Randle came back in and took over the contest, tallying six assists over the final six-plus minutes of the quarter to help Minnesota gain a 20-point advantage by frame’s end in a a runaway victory to square up the series.
“Give him a minute to think about things, regroup,” Finch said. “And he came back in and was awesome.”
It was another proper button pushed by the man at the controls. Fans often belabor Finch’s usage of timeouts, or lack thereof, but there is little to question re: his player management.
Finch publicly called out Anthony Edwards’ approach after Minnesota’s Game 1 loss to open the series.
“You’re the leader of the team. You’ve got to come out and set the tone,” Finch said. “If your shot is not going, you still have to carry the energy. If I’ve got to talk to guys about having the right energy coming into an opening, second-round game, then we’re not on the same page.”
That quote caught the eyes of national onlookers, but it’s consistent with the tone Finch has set within the organization since his arrival in 2021. No one is immune to his criticism if the coach doesn’t feel the players are meeting the standard, from Edwards on down. Mike Conley noted Finch “challenges every single guy” in film sessions.
“Nobody’s exempt from that,” Conley said. “Guys respond.”
For evidence, look no further than Minnesota’s playoff performances this spring. The Wolves have delivered two stinkers, in Game 2 against the Lakers and in Game 1 of the conference semifinals last Tuesday. Each loss has been followed by significantly better basketball.
After getting rolled by the Warriors — without leader Stephen Curry for most of the game — Finch “cussed us out pretty well. He was unhappy, and he let us know he was unhappy, and we felt that,” Randle said after Thursday’s Game 2 victory,
“We were pretty motivated as a team,” he said Thursday. “The thing I like about Finch is personally, for myself, he can coach me hard. I might not like it in the moment or whatever it is, but I love that he can challenge me like that. Other day we’re in the film room, he challenged me multiple times on things that he saw from an effort standpoint.
“I wanted to make a point to come out and play with a high amount of energy, a high amount of effort, and respond to that challenge, not really necessarily take it personally.”
That stems from the relationships Finch makes sure to build with his players. Randle can be called out by Finch when he errs because he knows that, ultimately, his coach has his back. No one praised Randle more profusely, unprompted, for his performance in the first-round series against the Lakers than Finch.
“Another guy who’s had a lot of unfair criticism in his career, and he was outstanding on both ends of the floor,” Finch said after Minnesota’s series-clinching victory. “We don’t win this series without him.”
That didn’t go unnoticed by Randle.
“That’s my guy,” Randle said. “I told y’all from the very beginning when I got traded here. Obviously, new team, new teammates, but the No. 1 thing I was excited for was being able to come back and play for Finch. It’s been everything and more, just his trust and belief in me, the ability to adjust throughout the season.
“We don’t necessarily have the prototypical roster or whatever, but he finds a way to put everybody in positions of strength. His ability to do that and trust me throughout the year is huge. I’ve had a great time playing for him.”
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