Coach Chris Finch had to be carried off the court and undergo knee surgery after colliding with his player Mike Conley during Game 4 of the series against the Suns. He is currently recovering and is expected to return for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Nuggets.
The surgery was successful in repairing his ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee. While the Minnesota team cannot guarantee his return for the next round, assistant Micah Nori will step in if necessary.
Despite his absence on the bench, Finch has been involved in strategizing with the team before his surgery. He plans to communicate with the players during pregame and halftime meetings even if he’s unable to be present.
“In typical Finchy fashion, he’s like, ‘I don’t want to sit there and send text messages to somebody behind the bench,'” his assistant coach mentioned during a press conference.
The team chemistry is strong, with familiar rotation players and coaching staff that has been together for three years. They believe Finch’s absence won’t disrupt their performance significantly.
The players have great respect for Chris, especially after he was ranked third in the NBA Coach of the Year award race recently.
Rudy Gobert, the starting center, expressed high motivation within the team to make Finch proud despite his absence. “It’s unfortunate, obviously, but we’re here to support him and we’re going to try to make him proud from a distance,” he said.
Mike Conley Wins NBA Teammate Of The Year Award
Mike Conley, who collided with his coach during Game 4, received the NBA’s Teammate of the Year award. He expressed confidence in assistant coach Micah Nori’s ability to lead the team from the bench.
Finch congratulated Conley for being the second Minnesota player to win the Teammate of the Year award, after Jamal Crawford in 2018. “His teammates love him; they look up to him. And then it’s all backed by the fact that he can still go out and play at a super high level,” the Wolves coach praised Conley.
