Timberwolves fire Sam Mitchell

After a disappointing 2015-16 season, the Minnesota Timberwolves have decided to part ways with head coach Sam Mitchell.

Coming into this season, the Minnesota Timberwolves were faced with the tough task of competing in a stacked Western Conference. To make matters more difficult, head coach Sam Mitchell was responsible for the job of teaching young, talented players not only how to play as a team and work every day, but also how to be pros.

With this said, they were clearly not mature enough to compete with the NBA elites, but nonetheless, the upper management appeared unimpressed with the final record of 29-53. Whether or not this was the fault of head coach Sam Mitchell is up for debate, but the team looks ready to embark on the next chapter with new leadership.

According to Sports Illustrated, general manager Milt Newton will continue operating in his current position through the summer’s draft and free agency before being evaluated.

As for the potential replacements for Sam Mitchell, some of the potential names include former Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks and former Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. Whomever gets the job will be taking over a team that I believe is ready to take the next step. In a situation similar to the one with the Golden State Warriors where Mark Jackson lost the job to Steve Kerr, Sam Mitchell was faced with the taking the team through the growing pains that every coach must deal with when in charge of a young team. The next guy then gets to the reap the benefits as the players enter their prime.

With Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Zach LaVine all on the roster for the foreseeable future, it certainly isn’t a bad job to take over.

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