NBA Rumors: 'Optimism' Chris Finch to Be Near Bench for Wolves-Nuggets G1 amid Injury

There is "increased optimism" that Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, who suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee after a sideline collision with point guard Mike Conley last Sunday, will be "seated near" his team's bench when they begin their Western Conference semifinal round at the Denver Nuggets on Saturday evening.

Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reported the news and added that assistant coach Micah Nori "will take the more active role with Finch's mobility limited."

Conley collided into Finch after he was fouled by Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker while trying to bring the ball up the court during Game 4 of the Timberwolves' first-round sweep of Phoenix, which resulted in a 122-116 win.

The 54-year-old Finch underwent surgery on Wednesday, but he led the Timberwolves' practice on Thursday while on crutches.

This series marks the first time since 2004 (and the second time in franchise history, which dates back to 1989-90) that the Timberwolves have made the second round of the playoffs. This would be a huge matchup regardless of the circumstances, but it's a massive one for Minnesota as the rising team looks to break through to the Western Conference finals.

Obviously, it would take a lot for Finch to not be there. Despite the brutal injury, he'll at least be nearby as the Timberwolves take on the defending champions.

However, Nori should be taking centerstage for now as Finch recuperates. The 50-year-old has been an NBA assistant since 2009, making stops with the Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons before joining Finch's staff in 2021.

"Micah is going to make a great head coach when some smart team hires him," president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said to reporters at Thursday.

"The whole staff is really connected. I think Finch empowers those guys. So it's a collective, it's not just about one person. We have next man up with players and it's the same with coaches."

The Timberwolves open their series in Denver on Saturday, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.