Minnesota Timberwolves are having a really, really bad time this season, at present with seven wins and 24 losses- the worst in the NBA.
Following their103-99 loss against the New York Knicks which marks their forurth straight and a disappointing 24th overall loss this season, the franchise has decided to part ways with their head coach Ryan Saunders.
The claim was first made by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who also stated that the Timberwolves will not be naming an interim coach to replace Saunders right away.
Soon after, the team themselves made the official announcement on their website.
“We would like to thank Ryan for his time and commitment to the Timberwolves organization and wish him the best in the future,” Gersson Rosas, President of Basketball Operations at Minnesota Timberwolves was quoted on the NBA website.
“These are difficult decisions to make, however this change is in the best interest of the organization’s short and long-term goals.” Rosas added.
The team further informed that details surrounding the next head coach will be made on Monday, 22nd February.
A former assistant coach at Washington Wizards, Saunders joined the Wolves in 2014 as an assistant coach, before assuming the position of the head coach in 2019 replacing Tom Thibodeau.
In both seasons under his helm, the Wolves lost the chance to make it to the playoffs and Saunders has gone out with an overall win-loss record of 43-94, with only seven wins this season.
Timberwolves reportedly hire Raptors assistant Chris Finch as the new head coach
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Wolves have reached out to Toronto Raptors assistant coach Chris Finch as the new head coach of the franchise on a full time basis and not as an interim.
Finch has been associated with the Raptors since last year and switching sides with the Wolves will have him reunite with Rosas, who was an Executive president of basketball operations at Houston Rockets, where Finch was an assistant from 2011 to 2016.
Finch has experience of coaching the Great Britain Men’s National Basketball Team at the FIBA EuroBasket 2009, FIBA EuroBasket 2011, and the 2012 Summer Olympics. However, after Great Britain were eliminated from the 2012 Olympic Games, Finch switched his focus on the NBA.
