The biggest obstacle to Ryan Saunders getting the permanent head coach job with the Wolves, at least looked at from the outside, was the team's 17-25 record down the stretch after he took over for fired coach Tom Thibodeau last season.
Saunders wanted the Wolves to play faster and shoot more three-pointers after he took over, but neither of those hopes took root.
Wolves President Gersson Rosas said ultimately that didn't play much of a role in the evaluation of Saunders, who ended up getting the job.
"To be fair, no training camp, no practice days in the middle of the season, it's not a fair evaluation," Rosas said. "What I had to do was not only talk to Ryan, but talk to the staff, talk to the players, and really understand what that process was like in the building, outside of the building and how he was able to handle those responsibilities. The feedback was good."
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.
