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Wolves will have a new way of doing business

January 8, 2019 at 2:34AM
Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau (left) and star Andrew Wiggins discuss his contract extension announced Wednesday. ] MARK VANCLEAVE • mark.vancleave@startribune.com * The Timberwolves announced that star Andrew Wiggins signed a $148 million contract that will keep him obligated to the Timberwolves through 2023 on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017 in Minneapolis. ORG XMIT: MIN1710111733440141
Tom Thibodeau gave Andrew Wiggins a four-year, max $148 million contract extension. Can Ryan Saunders make him worth it? (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

To understand the sequence of events that led to the departure of Tom Thibodeau and to sort out what we might expect from interim head coach Ryan Saunders, we need to look at the organization's big picture. Here are five things about the change, including some tidbits from Monday's media availability with Saunders and key players:

1 Multiple people in the organization have said Thibodeau was notoriously bad at delegating tasks to assistant coaches and seldom took a collaborative approach to problem-solving. He had an idea of how he wanted things done, and he was very much in control of the decisions.

It was interesting, then, to hear Saunders say Monday when asked what changes he wants to make, "I'm looking forward to getting more with our staff. I want to be collaborative on things." I don't interpret that as a rebuke of the way Thibodeau ran things, but it does signal a change whereby more people — including players — will have a voice in decisions.

2 Basketball-wise, the biggest critique I have of Thibodeau's time here is that young players did not improve enough. You can make the case that Karl-Anthony Towns is a more well-rounded player now than he was as a rookie before Thibodeau arrived, but his rookie and fourth-year numbers are very similar.

Andrew Wiggins? He's regressed. Gorgui Dieng is pretty much the same player he's always been, but he's been buried since the Taj Gibson signing. Tyus Jones? Thibodeau undervalued his contributions.

The Wolves improved when they added veteran players last season instead of growing organically.

It will be interesting to see if Saunders, 32, can unlock more of the potential stored in Towns and particularly Wiggins — both of whom have great personal relationships with the young coach, who has been here since both players were rookies.

3 There is little doubt that the decision was made, at least in part, with optics and business in mind — and that this move has been brewing for a while, hence the seemingly strange timing when it finally happened after a win over the Lakers.

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Thibodeau was loudly booed during pregame introductions during the Wolves' home opener this season as the Jimmy Butler situation hovered over the organization. Even without that bizarre stretch, Thibodeau was not well-liked by fans. The Wolves won 47 games and made the playoffs last season, and it seldom felt like much fun.

When season-ticket sales regressed this offseason, and the Wolves returned to their customary position near the bottom of the league in attendance, the decision to get rid of Thibodeau became easier.

Saunders is, of course, the son of beloved former Wolves coach Flip Saunders, who died just before the start of the 2015-16 season.

4 Derrick Rose said he anticipates the Wolves will play at a faster pace under Saunders based on Monday's practice — though the Wolves actually rank No. 12 in pace this season. Perhaps a better quote came from Towns: "I think Ryan is going to implement more of the new-school NBA."

That, more than anything, should tell you what to expect (at least offensively) from the Wolves under Saunders. The Wolves are attempting 28.5 three-pointers per game — No. 23 in the NBA. That's a jump from last year when they were dead last at 22.5 per game, but look for them to let it fly even more now.

And it wouldn't hurt if Saunders had a different concept for defending three-pointers. Wolves opponents are shooting 37.3 percent from long distance this season, the highest in the league.

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5 At age 32, Saunders is the youngest coach in the NBA by far. He's barely half as old as Thibodeau, who will be 61 later this month. How that factors into things like communication remains to be seen, but it could be to the Wolves' benefit. "Honestly, I have never thought of my age as a detriment to me," Saunders said.


Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Ed Pinckney in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, in Denver. The Timberwolves won 112-99. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) ORG XMIT: MIN2017031713554629
Ryan Saunders wants more collaboration with Ed Pinckney and the rest of his staff. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Green Howl Towels were placed on seats at Target Center for game 4. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ • cgonzalez@startribune.com – April 23, 2018, Minneapolis, MN, Target Center, NBA Playoffs, Basketball, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Houston Rockets, Game 4 ORG XMIT: MIN1804231639071906
They want the buzz from last spring’s playoff game at Target Center to return. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ • cgonzalez@startribune.com – April 23, 2018, Minneapolis, MN, Target Center, NBA Playoffs, Basketball, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Houston Rockets, Game 4 ORG XMIT: MIN1804231639071906 (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Derrick Rose spoke to the media about Ryan Saunders was named as interim head coach after Tom Thibodeau was fired at Mayo Clinic Square Monday January 7, 2019 in Minneapolis,MN.] Jerry Holt • Jerry.holt@startribune.com
Derrick Rose: “I think Ryan is going to implement more of the new-school NBA.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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about the writer

about the writer

Michael Rand

Columnist / Reporter

Michael Rand is the Minnesota Star Tribune's Digital Sports Senior Writer and host/creator of the Daily Delivery podcast. In 25 years covering Minnesota sports at the Minnesota Star Tribune, he has seen just about everything (except, of course, a Vikings Super Bowl).

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