TITLE: Randle Says Trust in Coach Finch Drove Timberwolves Reunion
SLUG: randle-says-trust-in-finch-drove-timberwolves-deal
CONTENT:
Forward Julius Randle said the chance to work again with head coach Chris Finch was central to his decision to re-sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer. Speaking with Mark Medina of EssentiallySports, Randle described a relationship built on mutual confidence and a shared obsession with winning.
“Finch ultimately trusts me as a player,” Randle told Medina in an interview published October 26. “I know every night his motivation is to win, and I want that just as badly. Through adversity he showed up for me, and that was important.”
The 30-year-old added that finding “balance” away from basketball made this offseason the happiest of his NBA career. After a month of family travel, Randle said he returned to training “refreshed and motivated,” knowing Minnesota expects to contend for a championship.
Early Defensive Slippage
Minnesota’s defense ranked first and sixth in the league during consecutive trips to the Western Conference finals, but the unit has struggled through the opening two games of 2025-26, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Guard Donte DiVincenzo said effort, not strategy, was the issue in Friday’s blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“A team we knocked out of the playoffs is going to come in with more hunger,” DiVincenzo said. “We just didn’t match their energy tonight.”
Dillingham Breaks Nose
Second-year guard Rob Dillingham, who has been outside Finch’s rotation, entered Friday’s contest in garbage time and suffered a broken nose when he was hit by an elbow, Krawczynski reported. The 20-year-old is listed as questionable for Sunday’s home game against the Indiana Pacers, per the league’s latest injury report.
Source: Hoops Rumors
