Chris Finch hits Timberwolves with tough reality check before NBA Playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are slowly being forced to keep their NBA Playoffs hopes alive. They have now lost three-straight games as the sixth seed and will likely be in the mix for the NBA Play-In Tournament. More than that, this squad also has to surpass all of that without much help from Anthony Edwards or Jaden McDaniels because he is currently out with an injury. This urged Coach Chris Finch to not mince words about their expectations about the postseason.

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Timberwolves coach gets real on NBA Playoffs aspirations

The Timberwolves have not been great at the clutch without Edwards. Their losses to the Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, and Charlotte Hornets clearly displayed that. So, it urged Coach Finch to douse their NBA Playoffs expectations with cold water. He outlined how this Timberwolves squad could not be farther from their best form, via Dave Campbell of The Associated Press.

“It feels like we’re a million miles away from the team that we can be and that we are. We’ve got to get that back with our connectedness and our spirit. We’ve got to have some guys just play better,” the Timberwolves head coach said.

For a team which aspires to make it deep in the NBA Playoffs, the Timberwolves are not closing the season well. They have only won five of their last 10 games and are in danger of getting usurped by the Phoenix Suns while falling to the seventh seed in the Western conference. Coach Finch knew that they had to improve if the goal was to make it big in the postseason.

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“I think a lot of them are pretty good looks, to be quite honest with you. Just got to stay confident in those looks, keep generating for each other. We’ve got to make all the little plays, the gritty plays, stay in it. Then we start gambling on defense and lose our discipline. That’s when stuff snowballs,” the Timberwolves head coach declared about their weaknesses.

There is still no certainty about whether or not they will have Edwards and McDaniels back in action for the NBA Playoffs. Hopefully, the Timberwolves are able to pull through for their injured teammates.

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