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The father of NBA champion Karl-Anthony Towns is keeping receipts.

Karl Towns Sr, known as “Big Karl,” opened up recently about his son’s ups and downs in the NBA, especially his clashes with Jimmy Butler during the pair’s time in Minnesota.

“It only hurt me as a father to hear people saying stuff that was negative that wasn’t true to bring him down,” Towns Sr. told The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.

“But in the end, it all paid up. Jimmy ain’t got no championship. Karl bypassed him.”

Towns and Butler didn’t jell on the Timberwolves for several reasons.

Butler didn’t like Towns’ goofiness in postgame comments, and when Towns was extended before Butler, he requested a trade and went scorched earth, berating team executives and coaches and criticizing younger players on team flights.

It all culminated with Butler calling Towns a loser upon his exit from the team.

Towns refused to get involved in Butler’s tirades, even though some around the team were quietly hoping he would do so.

“I just was never going to change who I was, even when the world was asking me to change who I am, so I could be the character in their story. I just was going to continue to be me,” Towns said.

Towns braved the storm in Minnesota and was there after Butler and Tom Thibodeau departed.

He helped the Timberwolves reach the 2024 Western Conference finals, which marked just the second time they ever moved past the first round of the playoffs.

Since his chaotic tenure in Minnesota concluded with his November 2018 trade to Miami, Butler made two NBA Finals appearances with the Heat before another uncomfortable exit led him to his current stop with the Warriors.

Meanwhile, as the 2026-27 season approaches, KAT and his Knicks look to defend their championship.

Editor’s Note: We are extremely excited to announce another new addition to the Canis family, Troy Asseln! You may recognize his name with his work in other Wolves spheres, but we are blessed to have him here as well. Give him a follow on BlueSky as well @bigmeatyclaws!

“There are certainly things that we can lean into, that we haven’t done, that haven’t necessarily fit our previous rosters.”

These are the opening remarks of Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch while speaking at the team’s media day press conference on Monday, September 28th. Responding to a question from The Athletic’s own Jon Krawczynski regarding expectations and outlook for the reconstructed team, Finch was excited to immediately dig into the X’s and O’s of how different the Timberwolves are going to look this year.

Faster. Small ball. Pick and roll actions. More defensive aggression.

“There’s nothing taken for granted with this team.” These are glowing endorsements for the talent, mentality, and expected level of play that Finch will aim to extract from the Timberwolves. 

As we have seen, the offseason content surrounding the new-look Wolves has been nonstop. Media coverage analyzing the prospective on and off-court fit between incumbent superstar Anthony Edwards and newcomer LaMelo Ball has been a peak discussion point for all fans, from the most casual Wolves supporters to those of us that are watching and analyzing every game.

Credit president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, for keeping these offseasons engaging. His work ensures that any time I am out in public wearing my Timberwolves cap, there is a non-zero chance that a stranger will approach me and ask how I’m feeling about our team’s chances this upcoming season. A recent unsolicited conversation with a Costco employee tells me that much, at least. 

Perhaps lost in the discourse about the upcoming season is what this complete roster overhaul means for Finch.

Despite being the winningest coach in Wolves history, he has often come under fire from fans for his apparent “lack of willingness to adjust” and “inability to develop the young guys.” The stellar careers and development of Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (including, to a lesser extent, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark) apparently not being enough to quiet the doubters, there is a real case to be made that this season will be the one that entrenches Finch among the league’s elite (we’ll get to the in-game adjustments later, I promise). 

While Connelly has had a tendency to zig when the league is zagging in terms of his roster building, this most recent iteration of the Wolves gives Finch the vision and flexibility needed to properly lean into his strengths as a coach.

This is not to say that the previous Timberwolves teams under Connelly have been “bad” by any stretch of the imagination or mathematical aggregate of talent, though it would be disingenuous to say there were no constructional and fit issues and that the team did not have to work meticulously to overcome them.

Regular season and playoff success for Finch’s Timberwolves, in spite of these disjointed rosters, has been overshadowed by the insidious “championship or bust” culture that permeates social media rhetoric and discourse. We as fans have certainly had our share of highlight moments (more Patrick Beverley tears and Rudy Gobert turnaround fadeaways, please), though this has seldom transferred into public-relations success for the franchise and the players/coaches who comprise the soul of the team.

To begin this digression, we must first conceptualize who Finch is, has been, and is supposed to be as a leader. Minnesota fans are well aware of Finch’s reputation as a players’ coach that prioritizes the “free-flowing offense” and sticking with the hot hand.

The premise is simple: provide abbreviated scaffolding and structure based upon the scouting report and preferred matchups, and from there he allows his players to make their own (informed) decisions and play themselves into the flow of the game. Yet, he is known as a firm presence who is not afraid to hold his players accountable. These are the marquee characteristics that prompted former Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas to hire him outright as a full-time replacement for the mid-year head coach departee Ryan Saunders in 2021. 

Prior to his arrival to the Timberwolves, Finch’s most recent experience was – in order – as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans, Denver Nuggets, and Houston Rockets. Throughout this time Finch has had no shortage of superstar talent surrounding him. From the acquisition and subsequent ascent of James Harden, the rapid arrival of Nikola Jokić, and the orchestration of the briefly dynamic duo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, he’s spent his fair share of time with stars.

These experiences encapsulate a wide array of roster constructions that each utilized different approaches to team success. Finch has coached a guard-heavy heliocentric offense with Harden, which explains the rapid development and ascent of Edwards. Finch also made the double-bigs approach work with Davis and Cousins, which invariably paved the way for the Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert pairing to work.

The post-pandemic results in Minnesota speak for themselves, Finch can make it work with just about anybody.

This sentiment of “making it work” has been a prescient theme throughout much of Finch’s tenure in Minnesota. He somehow took the 2021-2022 Timberwolves, a team featuring key rotational minutes from players like Beverley, D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt (who are all now either out of the league or on their way) to the playoffs.

That’s no small feat.

What that team lacked in on-court identity they made up for in aggression and intensity, and much of that mentality can be attributed to the ways in which Finch empowered his players. That attitude was not enough to overcome the initial acquisition struggles that accompanied Gobert’s arrival to Minnesota the next season, but the result of the fit next to Towns and Edwards eventually and obviously bore fruit in the form of two straight conference finals appearances.

However, making the Gobert experiment work did not come naturally. The ideas of Finch’s idealized “free flowing offense” and Gobert do not fundamentally mix, at least on the offensive end of the floor. Gobert, for all of his accolades, cannot create for himself without teammates and a game plan that are on the same page. Finch accomplished this, and the hard work put in during Gobert’s first couple seasons will allow this new-look roster with Ball next to Finch in the driver’s seat to further unlock whatever latent offensive potential is left in the Frenchman’s tank.

A similar idea can be applied to the recent tenure of Julius Randle, a former all-star caliber player that was used to being a #1 option on an otherwise beleaguered New York Knicks team that was forced to take a backseat when he came to Minnesota.

It’s been well-documented that Finch had to “manage egos” over the last few seasons, and Randle is one of the premier names that fit that description. Even beyond the personality clash, there were obvious on-court differences between the way Randle’s “bully ball” mentality showed up versus the superior floor spacing and ball movement that Towns had previously offered the squad.

It is a testament to Finch’s acumen, intuition, and ability that he was able to lead the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals in consecutive years with two teams that had dramatically different approaches to the game. 

Of course, the upcoming season brings another challenge with the new personnel, though there is little evidence to suggest that Finch will not find a way to make this roster shine.

Going back to Finch’s desired “free-flowing offense,” there are few players better suited to maximize that vision than Ball. Few of the rotating cast of point guards over the years have been as complete of a player. The on/off statistics from Ball’s season with the Hornets last year were no fluke – he will raise the floor for every player regardless of lineup. Finch will be in a bit of uncharted territory in regards to the Timberwolves never having a floor general as talented and gifted as Ball, though if Finch’s desired offensive philosophies are to ever be fully actualized, these next few seasons with Ball should give credence to Finch’s directions and intent.

The Western Conference is once again brutal, though if last season’s playoff performance had any silver lining, it is that Finch can make a competitive team out of any assortment of players. If Finch can bring the Hospital Wolves to the Western Conference Semifinals and take Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs to six games, who knows what he’ll be able to do with a fully stacked and complementary roster.

Even last year’s experiment with Edwards playing at the point should prove to be fruitful as it has provided him with additional experience seeing the floor in a different way as he reverts back to his natural position at the two. With looming injury concerns centered around the prospective health of Ball, Wolves fans should take solace in the fact that Finch has a proven track record of maximizing the talent on the roster no matter the circumstances. If (and when) the wins start rolling in, expect to see Finch’s name firmly entrenched in the Coach of the Year conversations.

I get it – Minnesota fans are used to malaise. Criticism flows from the tongues of the North as easily as a ball rolls down a hill. During the adverse stretches, coaches are often the first target of said criticism. Their contributions are rarely as eminently viewable as a made three or a loud block.

I myself will never claim to have not criticized some of his moves and lineup combinations, though at the end of the day there is a reason he’s a franchise-leading head coach of a professional basketball team and I am sitting at my computer desk. While concerns about this iteration of the Timberwolves have validity in regards to durability and the timeline of prospective chemistry development, all the tells are there to suggest that we may see some of the best of Finch moving forward. During his media day press conference, Tim Connelly said it best, and outlined appropriate expectations for Finch this season:

“He’s way smarter than I am…he’s the best coach in the league.” 

CLEVELAND — Media day is chaotic. Players are asked very random questions about their summers. Some of it is interesting. Some of it isn’t.

There often isn’t a throughline to what is said, and it’s impossible to synthesize everything into one cohesive story. So instead of trying to do so, I’m going to just give you one interesting thing each player said that wasn’t covered in any of our other articles.

Let’s start with the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Donovan Mitchell

“I saw Peyton Watson at the World Cup, and I told Koby [Altman] — we were just talking briefly, I had nothing to do with him coming here — I was like, man, he’s tall as shit. Like, I didn’t know he was that tall.”

Small forward has long been a problem area for the Cavs. They’ve struggled to find a player who connects their dynamic backcourt with the imposing frontcourt.

Part of the reason for that is the unique skill set needed to bridge that divide. The ideal fit needs to be comfortable operating off-ball offensively as a shooter and tertiary playmaker. Defensively, they need to cover multiple positions, which includes defending the opponent’s best perimeter player and shifting up to the four if needed.

The Cavs have had players who could do one of those things. De’Andre Hunter and Max Strus delivered the offensive component, but weren’t perfectly suited defensively for that role. Dean Wade was the opposite.

We’ll see if Watson can be the missing piece at the three. What I can confidently say now is that Mitchell is right. Watson is indeed tall.

Thomas Bryant

“We have to be a collective unit out there on the basketball court.”

Some years at media day, you get a lot of talk about how the team will play differently. Pushing the pace, shooting more threes, and moving more off-ball are all things we’ve heard in the past.

The Cavs didn’t focus on that this time. There wasn’t much talk about X’s and O’s. Instead, they talked about being more connected on and off the court.

That makes sense, given how hastily assembled the Cavs were last season. They found instant success due to their incredible skill and how well their talents matched up. Yet, it never felt like they reached their ceiling despite advancing to the conference finals.

If I were to read between the lines here, the Cavs reasoning for that was a lack of cohesion. They’ve spent this summer trying to correct that.

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Nae’Qwan Tomlin

“I’m definitely the best dancer. Don can’t dance. Don can’t dance. He got no rhythm for real, and then a lot of people don’t really dance.”

As someone who can’t dance and certainly doesn’t do so in public, I give Mitchell credit for trying.

Ernest Udeh Jr.

Reffering to what he wants to improve: “Decision-making. First and foremost, I understand my role and what I bring to any given team that I’m on. Within those details and little facets is decision-making. What to do with the ball when it comes to me in a specific spot.”

Decision-making and being able to process the game are some of the most important skills. It’s also the area rookies struggle with most coming into the league. It’s good that Udeh recognizes this and wants to improve there.

James Harden

“It’s my left hand. It was swollen at the time (last postseason), so it was kind of difficult to dribble or shoot, or be effective. But I mean, there’s no excuses. You just figure it out. Do whatever it takes.”

Harden admitted that the left thumb that he broke in February was still bothering him in the playoffs. That isn’t surprising since he was often seen icing his hand after playoff games. However, it’s somewhat noteworthy for him to admit that.

The injured thumb on his dominant hand could be why he posted the worst turnover percentage of his career last postseason.

Jaylon Tyson

Referring to his poor off-ball defense last season: “It’s just laziness. … It was a lot of mental lapses, and I think that’s something that we went into with conditioning and being in even more of an elite condition.”

Tyson isn’t afraid to publicly point out his flaws. That also comes with an intense desire to fix those flaws. Last season, we saw him go from being a hesitant three-point shooter to being one of the most efficient in the league. This year, he’s targeting the defensive side of the floor.

Tyrese Proctor

“[Patty Mills] taught me a lot. Obviously, all the stuff on the court, footwork, technical stuff, balance, base, but a lot off the court. Just with the NBA and the environments that you play in and stuff like that.”

The second-year guard revealed that he spent three weeks in Hawaii with Mills training over the summer. You can’t find too many better guards to pattern your game after. This was in addition to representing Australia in FIBA qualifiers.

Safe to say, it was a busy summer for Proctor.

Tristan Enaruna

“I think I kind of found a spot here. I’m feeling good. I’m feeling confident. That definitely helps knowing what you’re getting into.”

Enaruna has the size and skills you want in a wing. Whether or not he can put it all together for the Cavs remains to be seen.

Mario Hezonja

“I don’t need to prove anything. I just need to give. That is my mentality. I think everyone knows what it is. I am not even coming here with my mentality of who I am back in Europe. … The mentality is giving. Giving to this team, giving to this coaching [staff], my teammates. Just giving back.”

A lack of skill wasn’t the reason Hezonja’s first stint in the NBA wasn’t successful, and isn’t a concern six years later. The question is whether Hezonja can buy into his place on the team, fit into what they need, and excel in that narrower role.

Based on Hezonja’s comments, he knows what he needs to do with this team and is willing to do so. We’ll see if he can back that up.

Craig Porter Jr.

“I feel like scoring. Just being able to open things up for other guys because everyone knows Donovan and James and those guys are going to do what they do on a nightly basis. It’s up to the rest of us to take some of that pressure off their shoulders.”

Porter has the potential to be a much more efficient scorer. The three-point shot has come a long way, and he’s a good finisher at the rim. The next step in his development is figuring out what to do when he’s cut off from the basket.

It’s much easier to envision Porter as the backup point guard if he’s a more multi-faceted scorer.

Meleek Thomas

“But specifically defense because I got to be trusted out there on defense before I could do anything offensively.”

Rookie second-round picks typically don’t make meaningful impacts on teams with championship aspirations. Thomas could be the exception if the scoring he showed in Summer League carries over to games that count. However, if he isn’t at least passable defensively, then it’s difficult to justify giving him minutes given the point-of-attack deficiencies already on this roster.

I’m skeptical of how impactful Thomas will be in his rookie season. It is, however, encouraging that he seems to know what he needs to do to get onto the court.

Riley Minix

“Guys are inviting each other to go to New York, to Phoenix, like to all these mini-camp places. We went to the U.S. Open together, which is pretty crazy. Guys are showing up, and you can tell on this team and in this organization, that’s part of the culture.”

As mentioned with Bryant’s quote, one of the main throughlines of media day was how this team is trying to establish a closer connection on and off the court. It’s difficult to communicate with players you don’t have a relationship with. That was perhaps an issue at times in the playoffs given how little experience the rotation had together.

Cleveland’s star players went out of their way to change that this offseason. Those plans included inviting even two-way players like Minix to events and making sure he felt like a valuable part of the team. That’s meaningful.

Evan Mobley

Reffering to what he worked on most in the off-season: “Getting go-to moves so when I get the ball in certain spots, knowing what I’m probably going to get to. That was a big focus for me this summer.”

Mobley wouldn’t divulge what those moves could be. “You’re gonna have to find out and see.”

Mobley has always been a good finisher around the rim, but the in-between game has been less than ideal for someone who has displayed good touch. Last season, he shot 46% on attempts between the restricted area and free-throw line (52nd percentile) and 31% on long mid-range shots (48th percentile). Both are passable but far from elite. Having something that he could go to in the second level would be a great way for him to supplement his offense.

Sam Merrill

“Experience is so important. You can’t replicate playoff experience. The every second pressure that’s out there, and how important every single possession is.

“I had some ups and some downs in the playoffs, like everybody did. I overall felt good about the way that I grew and felt like I got better and better, but again, how can I continue to get better at all facets of the game? Try and make life easier for Donovan and James, and for Evan and Jarrett [Allen]. The easier we can make life for them, the easier they’ll make it for us and the better we’ll be.”

A single elite skill like shooting can get you onto the floor in a playoff game. Being able to contribute in multiple ways will keep you there.

Merrill’s shooting was helpful at many points in the postseason. But becoming more comfortable doing other things like handling the ball, picking up a wider variety of defensive assignments, and finding ways to score inside the arc will allow him to showcase his shooting more often in the postseason.

Jarrett Allen

“More time together means more success.”

Merrill talked about the importance of playoff reps, but there’s something to be said about regular season ones as well. This group with Harden simply needs time to figure out how they want to play, how to perfect what they did well last year, and counters for when teams take away the high pick-and-roll like the New York Knicks did last postseason.

Regular season results don’t matter much in the playoffs. Regular season habits do. That is what the Cavs need to get right this year.

“We have the ability to do great things, but we have to do the work earlier so that we can be able to play at our best longer.”

Note: Peyton Watson and Khalifa Diop did not participate in media availability.