The Minnesota Timberwolves coaching search is over as they have officially agreed to hire former Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau as head coach and also President of Basketball Operations.
Most would agree this is the best hire the Timberwolves could have made. The truth is, they are correct. Minnesota is one of the most exciting teams in the NBA featuring young studs in the lineup night in and night out.
They have an amazing slasher in Andrew Wiggins. He is also a defensive juggernaut who is only going to get better on both sides of the floor as time goes on. They have arguably the best dunker in the NBA in Zach LaVine. The young rookie out of UCLA even has a nice jumper that Thibs can work with over time. Screams a Derrick Rose situation, before the injuries, to me. They also have the front runner for Rookie of the Year in Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns had a fantastic first year in the league and will groom with a new head coach who knows how to work with defense.
The contract will reportedly be worth five years for $40 million. It seems like a lot of money at first glance, but that kind of money may be worth it if you want to make this team someone who can be a dominant force in such a now even more difficult Western Conference.
Coincidentally, ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy was the other finalist along with Thibodeau, but the Timberwolves went with Thibodeau because they saw a better future.
“Tom’s resume speaks for itself. He is a proven winner, leader and one of the most well-respected NBA head coaches over the last decade. His teams have annually been among the league leaders in defense, and we are excited about the approach and mentality he will bring to that side of the ball. The future of the Minnesota Timberwolves has never been brighter, and we are very pleased to have Tom as our basketball operations leader moving forward.
Smart Move Minnesota
The Bulls are now failing at the helm of their new head coach after one season without Thibodeau. That only increased the determination for the Timberwolves to get him. Thibs won over 65% of his games with the Bulls, and this is the best move that they could have done. They probably thought they would lose the chance at Scott Brooks, who would not have been a bad second option to Thibodeau. This team is not far away from a playoff birth. If there is one thing Thibodeau knows, it’s playoff basketball. This is now his chance to prove everyone wrong.
(h/t: ESPN)
