Chris Finch Reveals the ‘Bad Blood’ Behind Minnesota’s Fast Start

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch revealed that intense, borderline hostile offseason workouts in September helped drive the team's strong start to the season. Finch noted that competitive gym sessions featured "bad blood" that frequently boiled over as teammates pushed each other before training camp. Players like Ayo Dosunmu and Rudy Gobert credited the month-long competitive edge for preparing the restructured roster to face physical opponents.

The Timberwolves opened the season with consecutive 20-point road victories, including a 115–93 win against the Orlando Magic. Despite Anthony Edwards and new arrival LaMelo Ball combining to shoot just 9-for-36 against Orlando, Minnesota dominated with 61 rebounds and 33 assists. Second-year center Joan Beringer also credited the demanding intrasquad practices for his nine-point, nine-rebound performance.