The Minnesota Timberwolves are getting ready for coach Chris Finch to join them in Denver for the start of their Western Conference semifinal series, even after his knee surgery. They are also looking at seating arrangements that would allow him to safely sit on the bench during games.
According to assistant coach Micah Nori, Finch’s surgery to fix his ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee went well on Wednesday. Nori, who is temporarily leading the team in Finch’s absence, said that Finch had already started planning for the Nuggets’ series earlier in the week before his surgery.
The team will travel to Denver on Thursday night for Saturday’s Game 1. If Finch’s recovery progresses as expected, he would likely travel separately to give him more time to heal.
In the NBA, the bench area can get crowded with players and staff, making it challenging to find enough space for Finch to keep his leg extended and avoid potential accidents during the game.
The Timberwolves have been discussing moving the seat of head athletic trainer Gregg Farnam to make room for Finch.
If they can’t arrange the seating to accommodate Finch, he would likely participate in pregame and halftime meetings in the locker room and watch the game from a suite above the court.
“In his typical style, Finchy expressed, ‘I prefer not to sit there and send text messages to someone behind the bench,’ as mentioned by Nori.
With most of the same players as last year and a coaching staff that has been together for three full seasons, the Timberwolves believe they can handle Finch’s injury without any issues on the court.
“I’m not saying Finchy isn’t funny, but he can seem a bit more serious than Micah, and having that balance is good,” said point guard Mike Conley, who won the NBA’s Teammate of the Year award. “Guys really respect Micah and what he brings to our team.”
Despite finishing third in the NBA Coach of the Year award voting, which was won by Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault, Finch prefers not to be the center of attention. He trusts his players and the team as a whole to perform.
Finch was injured when Conley collided with him during the Game 4 win at Phoenix, which marked the Timberwolves’ first series sweep in franchise history.
“It was reassuring to see him in good spirits the next day and traveling back with us,” said center Rudy Gobert. “It’s unfortunate, but we’re here to support him and make him proud from afar.”
