The Timberwolves are flying high in the NBA right now. But everything was not okay in Minnesota a few months back, especially after the Karl Anthony Towns trade. But was not this already on the cards after you lost a player who has been your MVP for nearly a decade? Julius Randle, the power forward for the Wolves, even acknowledged that they need to do better as a team. “I’d say it’s a low point for us as a team,” Randle said in Nov 2024. “We gotta look ourself in the mirror and decide what type of team we wanna be on a consistent basis.”

The Wolves were 8-10 at the beginning of the season and it seemed like this season was over for Chris Flinch and men. But just three months later, the Wolves seem to have found their rhythm once again. And now when everything is going according to the plan, the Wolves HC has come forward to admit the harsh truth during the beginning of the season.

Chris Finch’s men are riding an impressive seven-game winning streak and are in red-hot form. They have firmly established themselves as the seventh seed in the Western Conference with a 39-29 record for the season. However, things weren’t the same during the initial phases of the season.

At one point, it looked like Minnesota might have to settle for a play-in spot. Even Minnesota’s HC agreed that there were a few concerns inside the locker room. “Yeah, I think you know at the beginning of the season, I think guys were all kind of worried about themselves. Their game, how everything that we did was going to impact them. Some of that’s normal at the beginning of a season.” Finch stated that it was after their recent win over the Magic. He pointed out that after the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, the new players needed some time to settle into this new environment and that’s something every team goes through at the start of the season.

While he further did admit a lot of things bothered his players, it wasn’t their selfishness that led to a shaky start. He rather suggested that players such as Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle were still figuring things out for themselves and the team as well. However, the mood in the Timberwolves locker room now is as good as it’ll ever be. The Timberwolves head coach complimented his players, especially the rotational players. He then suggested that with the playoffs just around the corner, they are all working putting the team ahead of themselves. This includes star player Anthony Edwards and the rest of the Minnesota roster. “Yeah, I mean got great energy on our bench right now. Whether guys are playing or not playing um that’s what you want you know.” Finch said.

Well, that’s one sign of a great locker room atmosphere. Moreover, this great locker atmosphere has been a big part of their recent resurgence. Finch also credited his youngsters who’ve been phenomenal. Players such as Jaylen Clark, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Rob Dillingham all bring in a lot of energy. That’s a really important aspect of a team, as the energy reciprocates throughout the whole roster and helps to bring out the best of each player. Speaking of reciprocating energy, Timberwolves point guard Donte DiVincenzo made his stance toward the team’s leader Anthony Edwards pretty clear, as he spoke about ANT’s energy’s effect on the entire locker room.

Donte DiVincenzo’s thoughts on Anthony Edwards’ leadership

If you’ve followed the Timberwolves this season, you can immediately tell the difference between the team that we saw at the star and the team we’re seeing right now. So, what has changed over these past few months? Well, firstly they’ve been playing great basketball. However, the other and more important reason is their great locker room atmosphere. Well, as much as we credit HC Chris Finch for keeping things good behind the curtains, we must also credit the leaders among the players. Yes! the leaders of the team have played a huge role in turning this season around.

According to Donte DiVincenzo, there are two types of leaders. The first is not leading by example and the second one is leading. In the Timberwolves, the latter prevails. “First and foremost our you know our leaders are Julius and ANT, I think they’re the ones that are setting the tone,” DiVincenzo stated after their recent win. He gave team leaders Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle their flowers. Sure enough, both these superstars deserve the credit. Edwards is always energized and ready to give everything he’s got and the same goes for Randle. This not only helps them perform better but makes other players see them and get motivated to give their all.

Well, we know that energy is infectious and must be used in the right way, Anthony Edwards is certainly doing that correctly. He’s setting a great standard for everyone else on the roster to follow, especially the youngsters. This is a major reason why the Timberwolves are doing so well on the court. DiVincenzo also stated, “We’re all on the same page.” Indicating that everyone is now comfortable with each other and that’s what makes a good roster into a great team. Everyone has their eyes on the Timberwolves now, as they look to make a deep playoff run.