Chris Finch: Teams Built Around Luka Doncic, James Harden, Trae Young Have A Glass Ceiling In Playoffs

The NBA has had its fair share of talented floor generals, with the likes of Luka Doncic, James Harden, Trae Young, and many more establishing themselves as the offensive focal points on their respective teams. However, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch noticed an intriguing pattern with these types of players.

A common trait shared by the aforementioned players is their unique ability to dictate a team’s offensive approach with their playing style. As ball-dominant playmakers, offenses are solely reliant on their superstars to create scoring opportunities. While Chris Finch admitted that there is some merit to this formula, it also has its limitations.

During a recent appearance on the “Dan Moore NBA Podcast,” Chris Finch opened up on the “heliocentric” guard and how there is a bit of a glass ceiling for teams led by such players in the playoffs. He commented:

“I mean, those guys are elite playmaking passers. Those teams have maybe had a glass ceiling on what they’ve been able to do in the playoffs, you know, like they’ve had some incredible runs. Now, with roster building, you’ve got to build your roster a little differently, I believe. Depth, young depth, interchangeable pieces.”

Earlier in the episode, Chris Finch shared an intriguing statement on heliocentric guards like Luka Doncic or James Harden, who routinely shoulder the entire offensive burden by taking over the scoring and playmaking responsibilities. Although he admitted they were extremely effective in this capacity, with respect to a player like Anthony Edwards, whom he considered a “hard-wired scorer,” such a role did not seem appropriate last season.

Although Chris Finch maintained that teams have enjoyed playoff success with such players, they haven’t won the title. In many ways, trying to make Anthony Edwards embrace a similar role last season limited the Wolves’ chances, too.

On that note, when asked whether Minnesota has experienced a glass ceiling over the last couple of seasons, the Wolves head coach responded:

“I think we maximized our opportunities. And if you want to say, as a glass ceiling, I feel like maybe as you continue to tweak teams and add pieces like you can, I guess one year is kind of different than the next. It’s really kind of hard to project.”

“One of the reasons why I’m pausing to answer this is we’ve had what, seven champions in seven years or eight? I lost count. So, I think everybody has a chance. So, like, there’s no glass ceiling in that environment now.”

In some ways, Chris Finch’s decision to pivot when the topic addressed his team seems quite odd. Still, when focusing on his initial point, the Wolves’ approach to building a younger and more holistic core rather than focusing on one superstar as the focal point may seem more worthwhile.

With specific reference to Anthony Edwards, last season was particularly impressive. With averages of 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, Edwards was among the best young players in the league. However, with the 25-year-old being asked to be the primary playmaker, the Wolves restricted him to a role that didn’t align with his natural game. For all intents and purposes, this won’t be the case next season.

After acquiring LaMelo Ball, the Wolves have freed up Anthony Edwards to focus on scoring, allowing Ball to conduct the offense. And with talented young players like Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Kuminga on the wings, Minnesota will look threatening.

Having moved away from the heliocentric guard approach, Chris Finch’s new-look Minnesota Timberwolves assert themselves as a unique and holistic unit. Thus, even though they were capped at the Western Conference Finals in earlier runs, there is no telling how far the current iteration of the squad can go.