Tom Thibodeau: What others are saying about him coming to the Wolves

Some reaction from around the basketball world on what people are saying about the Timberwolves decision to make Tim Thibodeau their head coach and head of basketball operations:

Tim Bontemps, Washington Post

"The Minnesota Timberwolves have as depressing a history as any NBA franchise. Get this: The team has been in the league for 27 seasons and missed the postseason in 19 of them – including the last 12 in a row. Worse yet, the Timberwolves have only made it out of the first round of the playoffs once.That is about to change.

"By finalizing an agreement with Tom Thibodeau on a five-year contract to become both the team's coach and president of basketball operations, per multiple reports, the Timberwolves now have put the final piece in place to become the NBA's Next Great Team."

Read the rest of Bontemps' column here

Kevin Helton, ESPN.com:

"The Minnesota Timberwolves didn't need to hire Tom Thibodeau to have a bright outlook for the 2016-17 season and beyond. Behind No. 1 overall picks Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, the leaders of a core of young talent as promising as any NBA team can boast, the Timberwolves boosted hopes for the future by finishing this season strong. Now, with the addition of the top coach on the market, Minnesota looks poised to return to the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.

To read Helton's entire post, including his concerns, click here.

Nate Scott, USA Today:

"The Timberwolves are going to be amazing, and perhaps sooner than people think. But management can't rush this. They have to be patient, and have to let these players learn the game, learn how to play together, and learn how to win. Thibodeau is a great coach, but I'm not convinced he's the man to do that

Read his full post here.

Justin Terranova, New York Post:

Read the full story here.

Aaron Torres, FOXsports.com:

"There was big news out of the NBA Wednesday, where Tom Thibodeau reportedly agreed to a five-year deal to become president and head coach of the Timberwolves. The move -- assuming it goes through -- will unite one of the most fun, dynamic young teams in the NBA with one of its most proven coaches.

"Of course in New York, the news wasn't about where Thibodeau ended up, but instead, where he won't be coaching next year. That's because after rumors surfaced that Thibodeau would 'crawl to Madison Square Garden' to coach the Knicks, team president Phil Jackson never seemed to seriously consider him. Instead, all signs point towards Kurt Rambis remaining the team's head coach."

Read the rest of his post, including reaction from Knicks fans, here.

"Thibodeau is a guy whose optimal basketball score would be something like 48-32, and even then, he'd complain about the 32. He's going to ensure these guys are sharp on the defensive end, or he is going to limit their minutes. That was a point of contention between Thibodeau and the Bulls front office during his tenure in Chicago. But Thibodeau has solved that problem in Minnesota by becoming the front office himself."

Read Deveney's full opinion here.