NBA rumors 2016: Tom Thibodeau, Jeff Van Gundy High on T-Wolves List
The Minnesota Timberwolves were one of the most exciting teams to watch this year, even though they continued to struggle winning games. The young core made up of Karl-Antony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Zach Lavine, and Ricky Rubio is a potential playoff contender in the not so distant future, provided they'll stay intact and is given the ideal coaching staff to develop them.
And after deciding to part ways with interim coach Sam Mitchell, the team is targeting two very prominent free agent coaches in Tom Thibodeau and Jeff Van Gundy. Apparently, the team already has separate schedules and appointments to meet both prospects to talk about two openings in the organization - the president for basketball operations and the head coaching job.
According to Yahoo Sports, the interviews are to be conducted by the main guys at the front office, including owner Glen Taylor and top executive firm called Korn Ferry, which is a renowned company when it comes to searching for the right people in sports organizations. As a matter of fact, Yahoo disclosed that it is the same firm that played a huge role in the Detroit Pistons' hiring of Stan Van Gundy as the team's top basketball executive and head coach.
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Thibodeau is no stranger to achieving success out of scratch. He guided a young Chicago Bulls team led by Derrick Rose to consecutive playoff successes in the past by instilling defensive resilience. Van Gundy on the other hand has had significant success as well during his coaching years in New York and Houston. Both candidates have reportedly come up with names to partner with them in the front office when they get the job in Minnesota.
The prospect of coaching this young Wolves team is exciting for many coaches, particularly with a promising young and very talented rookie in Karl-Anthony Towns. It also is very intriguing for both Thibodeau and Van Gundy to have the opportunity to work with a front office partner of their choosing.
