Timberwolves leaders indicate their plan: Tweak it, don't tear it up

Nobody associated with the Timberwolves, including President Tim Connelly, was 100% satisfied with the way the first year of the Karl-Anthony Towns/Rudy Gobert double big man experiment ended.

There was awkwardness with the fit early in the season, then Towns went down for 52 games because of a right calf injury. Then there was a small burst of good play in March followed by injuries to key players Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid that resulted in the Wolves losing in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

But those wanting Connelly to cut his losses and blow up the experiment likely will be left disappointed based on Connelly's comments at his postseason exit interview Thursday.

"I think we really, really like our starting five," Connelly said. "We think we can compete with any team in the Western Conference, and how we continue to complement that group and augment that group is going to be a challenge we have this offseason. But we think those five guys are pretty exciting and pretty fun to build around."

Wholesale changes likely aren't on the horizon for the Wolves, who already made a significant roster move midseason when they swapped out point guard D'Angelo Russell for Mike Conley in a move the team hopes will unlock Towns, Gobert and Anthony Edwards.

Connelly's desire for continuity also extends to coach Chris Finch and the coaching staff, which Connelly referred to as "elite."

"The goal when you start the season obviously is to be better than last season, and we didn't achieve that," Connelly said. "But I'm also extremely proud of our players and coaching staff, because I can't give Finch and his staff enough credit for what they did this year under less-than-optimal circumstances."

Of course, Connelly's words only apply so long as he is the one in charge of basketball operations for the Wolves, and a job he previously had interest in is open again: the Wizards.

Washington fired President Tommy Sheppard on April 19. Almost immediately, NBA circles began buzzing that Connelly likely would be a candidate. Connelly is from Baltimore, and he began his career in the Wizards organization before he became president of the Nuggets. The Wizards offered him the job in 2019 before he chose to remain in Denver.

"I'm pretty committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves right now," Connelly said. "I'm just worried about how we can get out of the first round. It's been a long, long time since we got out of the first round. I think Finch and I are pretty excited. Meeting with the guys, we're really excited about the foundation pieces we have here, and just keep building."

The offseason will be a busy one even if the Wolves don't plan to make significant changes to their starting lineup. Among the most pressing questions is what will happen with Reid, who is an unrestricted free agent. Reid was playing well before suffering a broken left wrist against Phoenix on March 29.

Both Connelly and Finch said Reid was an important part of the team's plans, but Reid may be looking for guaranteed greater opportunity elsewhere. Connelly also said the team would be "aggressive" in extension talks with Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, who are eligible to sign extensions this summer.

"The minute we're allowed to, those guys are going to have really, really nice offers with a lot of money in their inbox," Connelly said.

The Wolves may also look to add a point guard to the roster even with Jordan McLaughlin potentially back with a team option on the final year of his deal. The biggest piece of work for Finch in the offseason will be to figure out a way to improve the team's offense, which went from seventh-most efficient in 2021-22 to 23rd. He said he never felt "comfortable" with how the Wolves played offense this season, but he didn't foresee having to make a philosophical change.

"The philosophy is all about creating good shots and also trying to put people in the best position," Finch said. "It's going to take a lot more attention to detail and spacing, perhaps a little more structure. We're going to have to be able to shift between directing the ball to different guys. I think maybe some more play calls from me."

Even amid the desire to make the big-man pairing work full time, the playoffs showed that the ultimate future of this franchise is Edwards. As Gobert's 30-year-old legs get older, Edwards, only 21, will still be here. Connelly said that ultimately the Wolves need to be mindful of the moves they make and how they affect Edwards' development.

"Pretty much every decision we're going to make moving forward is going to be with Ant paramount," Connelly said. "We're tasked with developing, I think, the best 21-year-old in the world who's a great kid who wants it, who's so competitive, whose work ethic is off the charts. As he grows, we want him to see winning and we want him to be around winners."