Chris Finch Admits The Timberwolves' 2024-25 Season Was A Modest Success

Before the 2024-25 season started, the Timberwolves were already stumbling. They made the trade for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, which involved parting ways with franchise icon Karl-Anthony Towns.

This meant the Timberwolves had a short turnaround, as the new players needed to adjust quickly. That led to them struggling out of the game, which lasted for almost the entire season. The switch flipped around March, as the Timberwolves started to build positive momentum.

The End Of The Timberwolves' 2024-25 Season Is Promising  

Timberwolves fans were frustrated with the team's inconsistency during the first half of the season. It was clear the trade did not work out at first because Randle and DiVincenzo were not natural fits with the team.

They turned that around because they became more integrated into the system and played to their strengths. It was a superb second half of the season, as they went from being a Play-In Tournament team at the start of March to becoming one of the two teams in the Western Conference Finals. 

The way they ended the 2024-25 regular season was superb, and they followed that up with a strong Playoff run. They lost to the Thunder quite convincingly, but it was still an impressive run that saw them eliminate the Lakers and Warriors.

"Pretty rewarding, is probably my encapsulation of the season just because we went through a lot of trials and tribulations," Finch said as they came back to Minneapolis after Game 5. "I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t an incredibly fun season for me at times and I don’t think it was for our guys, but we always found a way to figure it out and kinda get better."

Expectations Are Higher For The 2025-26 Season

With the successful second half of the season and a good run in the postseason, the expectations are higher for the 2025-26 season. They made it two consecutive Conference Finals, so it is fair for the standards to go up.

The pressure is on for team president Tim Connelly, as he needs to ensure the team is in a better place with the roster. They must have a more stable team, especially with the money they have to spend for the contract extensions to players like Naz Reid, Julius Randle, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

There are no assurances everyone will be back with the team. The front office must execute their business well, so it will be easier for coach Finch, Anthony Edwards, and the rest of the organization to perform in the 2025-26 seasons as they look to usurp the Thunder.