Most teams with an opening were pursuing Tom Thibodeau, so it was smart for the Wolves to lock him up early.
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The Timberwolves finished the regular season with a record of 29-53.
A week after the season ended, the Wolves signed Thibodeau, the former Chicago Bulls coach, to fill both the top management and coaching roles in Minnesota, the team confirmed Wednesday evening.
According to ESPN, the Wolves set up the New Britain, Connecticut native with a five-year deal worth about $40 million.
Thibodeau, who is 58, last spent time as head coach when he was with the Chicago Bulls from 2010 until he was sacked in 2015. Scott Layden will also be brought in as Minnesota’s new general manager. The move shows the Wolves are looking to move up in the National Basketball Association world, and on the surface, Thibodeau looks like one of the best possible hires to take them there.
There’s a chance Newton could remain on, working under Thibodeau and Layden, if he so chooses. He is now an assistant coach on the United States National Team. Known as a defense-first coach, Thibodeau was also an assistant with the Spurs, Sixers, Knicks, Rockets and Celtics before being named head coach of the Bulls in 2010.
The Wolves ended the 2015-16 season with the fifth-worst record in the National Basketball Association at 29-53, giving them a 29.1 percent chance of landing in the top three and an 8.8 percent chance at claiming the top overall pick, per Tankathon.com. Van Gundy on the other hand has had significant success as well during his coaching years in NY and Houston. For you doing the math at home, that’s 35 years.
With already established experience in the National Basketball Association, those are nothing but positives for Minnesota. ESPN is reporting that he is scheduled to interview with the Sacramento Kings for their vacant head coaching position.
He was sacked after the 2014-15 season following consistent disagreements with the front office regarding his coaching style. Both candidates have reportedly come up with names to partner with them in the front office when they get the job in Minnesota.
Thibodeau, whether it was his time as an assistant coach or a head coach, brings a defensive approach to coaching – an area the Wolves has lacked in the past few seasons.
Nonetheless, when the Bulls fired Thibodeau last spring, there were three jobs open: Orlando (which hired Scott Skiles), New Orleans (which hired Alvin Gentry) and Denver (which hired Michael Malone).
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Layden has been a part of many front offices for teams that reached the playoffs and beyond. Jeff Van Gundy followed up that season with a trip to the NBA Eastern Conference finals, losing to the Reggie Miller-led Indiana Pacers.
The dual role of being head coach/GM is not new in this era of the National Basketball Association; among the virtual coach/GMs in the league are Doc Rivers (Los Angeles Clippers) and Gregg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs). Hopefully it will be a good collaboration, with Layden consulting with Thibs on what he needs and then doing the work find the appropriate players. This should help attract potential free agents to Minnesota, but it shouldn’t matter if they are superstars or not. Sources have said he knows what he did wrong in Chicago, however, and that will change in Minnesota.
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Bravo, Glen Taylor. Bravo on two great hires. It’s a stark contrast from what Wolves fans are used to seeing, to be sure.
