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Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 biggest disappointments from the 2018-19 NBA season

By Daniel Lubofsky

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 20: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves talk during a timeout in the third quarter during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Target Center on January 20, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Phoenix Suns 116-114. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 20: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Minnesota Timberwolves talk during a timeout in the third quarter during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Target Center on January 20, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Phoenix Suns 116-114. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

2. The firing of Tom Thibodeau

At the time of his arrival in 2016, Tom Thibodeau had found plenty of success as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. He won Coach of the Year in 2010-11 and compiled a record of 255-139 with five consecutive playoff appearances, despite dealing with a number of injuries to key players.

A former NBA champion assistant, he was brought in to change the culture in the Twin Cities by getting his new players to buy in on the defensive end of the floor, specifically Towns and Wiggins. Instead, the Wolves ranked in the bottom third of the league in defensive rating throughout his tenure.

Minnesota was right to fire Tom Thibodeau. In fact, many had pined for the front office to ax him sooner. For as good as he was in Chicago, he’s a flawed coach for the game of basketball in 2019. Teams prefer to play the long game by conserving the energy of their best players. Thibs is infamously known for running his guys into the ground without much of an emphasis on 3-point shooting.

The team sat at just 18-21 when the news broke on Jan. 6, and his handling of Butler’s trade request put them at the center of the NBA world for all the wrong reasons.

His hiring was met with rave reviews around the league and was viewed as the logical next step to take the Wolves to the next level. It’s just a shame he couldn’t do what so many had hoped he’d be able to for a franchise without much playoff success since its inception in 1989.

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