Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting on Twitter that the Wolves are nearing a deal with Tom Thibodeau to make him the next head coach.
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Thibodeau served as assistant with the club from 1989-1992, his first National Basketball Association coaching gig. Minnesota was 29-53 this past season, letting interim coach Sam Mitchell go at the end of it. Mitchell had filled in after the tragic death of coach/president Flip Saunders last October. And with a brilliant coach like Thibodeau at the helm, the Timberwolves could begin living up to their prodigious gifts in the win-loss column as early as next season. “We are confident this partnership gives us the best chance possible of winning an National Basketball Association title”.
Tom Thibodeau will make a return to coaching next season after being hired by the Minnesota Timberwolves. National Basketball Association rumors then were that the Bulls GM, Gar Forman did not like Thibodeau’s style of overworking players and giving them loaded playing time. “His teams have annually been among the league leaders in defense and we are excited about the approach and mentality he will bring to that side of the ball”.
With a roster consisting of some of the best young talent in the league that has a bright future ahead of them, the Minnesota Timberwolves were able to land the top guy on the market to be their next head coach.
Van Gundy coached the Knicks and Rockets before becoming an analyst, but has been out of the coaching game since 2007.
He spent this season visiting different franchises, including spending some time in San Antonio, where Layden has worked under Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford. But he has been a full-blown general manager before, with the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks, along with a background as a scout and assistant coach prior to that. (Can you imagine?) Minnesota, by contrast, has not made an appearance in the National Basketball Association playoffs since 2004.
Both the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves at the crossroads, but only one organization is headed down a path of championship success, being led by a man destined to have the last laugh.
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Thibodeau, 58, took the Bulls to the playoffs in five consecutive seasons from 2011-15, including the Eastern Conference finals in 2011 and the semifinals in 2013 and 2015.
