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NBA recap: Rockets’ simple style of hoops, Hawks improving and more

By Michael Dugger

(Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Thibs firing the end of an era

The Minnesota Timberwolves fired Tom Thibodeau in his third season as head coach and president of basketball operations on Jan. 6 after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers by 22 points. The timing of relieving him of his duties after a blowout win was strange, but the franchise decided no progress was being made and they needed to go in a different direction.

That direction for the rest of the season is with assistant Ryan Saunders, the son of the late Flip Saunders who now finds himself as the youngest coach in the NBA at 32 years old. The younger Saunders has gotten rave reviews as an assistant, but taking the reins as the head coach is a bit different. We will see what changes he makes from Thibs’ grinding style and non-innovative offense.

The only aspect that should matter is player development and putting everything on Karl-Anthony Towns‘ shoulders. KAT is one of the most talented big men in basketball and is only 23 years old. He got a taste of the NBA Playoffs last season and is genuinely the hope for the franchise. Saunders needs to develop a system strictly around KAT and let the veteran pieces around him fall into place.

Andrew Wiggins needs to improve his game, especially with his five-year, $148 million contract starting this season. Maybe Saunders can unlock Wiggins’ athleticism and turn him into a defensive force, or show him the analytics advantages of shooting 3s and attacking the basket instead of settling for mid-range jumpers. It’s clear Thibs failed to develop Wiggins, which is one of the main jobs of a head coach.

It also could signal the end of the head coach-general manager duality that Thibs and other coaches have failed at in recent years.

Thibs’ failure is a reflection of his own stubbornness to value the present over the future. The Derrick Rose comeback is awesome and has resulted in wins, but Tyus Jones can legit be the point guard of the future for this team and needs the minutes. Josh Okogie is a bright talent. Robert Covington and Dario Saric are solid players, but not getting a draft pick in a Jimmy Butler trade is pretty bad.

Ryan Saunders has a half season to prove he’s the man for the job, and the Timberwolves are only 3.5 games back of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. If he can keep them in the playoff race for the season while installing a system based around KAT, the Timberwolves would have their future coach and centerpiece with some intriguing pieces to work with moving forward.