The arrival of Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota signified many things for the young Timberwolves — an established and respected head coach, an amplified defensive responsibility across the locker room, and an expectation to win games as he also took on the title of president of basketball operations.
Thibodeau's hiring back in June brought along many possibilities with it, such as the one to trade for Chicago Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler, a player that has grown as a bonafide scorer and playmaker in the league after cementing himself as a hound on the defensive end under the mastermind himself, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
That possibility later obscured as the Bulls made changes all around, shipping Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks, letting go of Joakim Noah and acquiring Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, and Robin Lopez to put alongside Butler in a newly forged team.
Thibodeau hasn't resented the “one that got away” as he seems content with his core of players that have shown flashes of brilliance through the first part of the regular season.
“I love our core three guys, and what I love most is their work ethic, their dedication to work,” Thibodeau said. “They understand the level we need to reach, particularly defensively, and their work shows that they will work to get it right. We understand that it’s going to take some time and we need to work at it each and every day.”
While Butler's scoring punch and uncanny defensive instincts would have been a great asset for a franchise on the rise, it looks like the 58-year-old head coach will have to find other ways to shape his young pieces into a winner as the architect of the Timberwolves.
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