We wondered if they were going to change direction. And finally, no. Wolves have decided to give Ryan Saunders a chance, their interim coach who took over the team in early January.
Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski at the report, the two gurus of The Athletic and ESPN turned the news on Monday afternoon, so in the morning at the wolves. Ryan wanted to be retained, Ryan was retained. Sent down to the ground at the head of his team, once Tom Thibodeau was thanked, Saunders did not take long before he stood out. The victory of January 9 in Oklahoma City had long stuck in the minds of fans. It must be said that Andrew Wiggins was on fire (40 points). It must be said that the whole group was breaking down to offer a first success to its young coach. And then it must be said above all that Ryan Saunders had to get by despite his status as a rookie coach, while his father Flip was probably watching him from above, proud of his chick’s progress. The celebration on the buzzer, the explosion in the locker room, A real page was turning in Minnesota with the departure of Thibodeau a few weeks after that of Jimmy Butler, and the youth of the area gathered around his new coach to write a new one. One night’s feat? Yes, of course. It’s not like the Wolves have suddenly become monsters of the Western Conference. Subject to many injuries, the Wolves ended their season on rather varied notes (16 wins, 25 losses), both interesting for the future and not very promising on other points. But it was the positive that got the better of Gersson Rosas when it came to picking, the franchise’s new dirlo for about a month deciding to give Ryan Saunders a chance.
The positive is this relationship between the coach and his players, Saunders being 2000% behind his men. The enthusiasm shown in the game by these Wolves under their new trainer had nothing to do with the Thibodeau dictatorship, which chilled the blood of fans more than anything else. The positive is also this desire to play well every night, and therefore to understand how the NBA works for winning franchises. Butler had pointed this out before his departure, pointing out that young leaders in Minnesota don’t often seem like they’re getting stoned as much as he does. If the defeats piled up in the second part of the season, the Wolves still showed a promising slab, a defense to develop and a duo to cement over time without putting immense pressure on them. Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, since we continue in the positive, were also at the rendezvous under the orders of Saunders. Individually, they probably had their best performances with their new coach. This will now have to be translated into victories, and learning will be painful in a Western Conference which is still as hostile as ever, but the foundations are at least laid. Only 33 years old, Saunders will cut his teeth, like his two best players. It will be tested, challenged, and we will have to live with it. But if Rosas and the new Wolves presidency considers that Ryan should be given this chance, it is because the long-term plan has a start. It will be necessary to progress year after year, little by little, to avoid a disastrous situation and already awaited by many franchises, the free agency of KAT in 2023.
Wolves fans wanted some stability? Here’s. A new president, check. Two young pearls under contract, check. A coach who wants to give with the duo, check. The future of Minnesota is in the hands of these men, the first real test for the next school year.
Source : ESPN
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