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The NBA's Larry O'Brien Trophy has eluded eight different franchises over the past eight seasons, making the 2026-27 campaign as unpredictable as ever. Among the hopefuls are the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are banking on a mix of star power and strategic coaching to finally break through.
At the heart of their push is Tim Lewis, the first British-born coach in NBA history. Born in Saint Asaph, Wales, Lewis has traversed the basketball world, coaching national teams in Thailand and Qatar, and club teams in Germany, Belgium, Canada, the United States, and Panama. Most recently, he led Japan's Eneos Sunflowers to the Empress Cup in January.
Lewis's connection to the Timberwolves runs deep, particularly his friendship with head coach Chris Finch. The two first crossed paths as players in the British Basketball League – Lewis with Crystal Palace and Finch with Sheffield Sharks – and have remained close for 25 years. Their bond was solidified when Lewis served as an assistant under Finch for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics, alongside then-assistant and current Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse.
After a previous stint with Minnesota, Lewis returned to Japan for a three-year head coaching role, but Finch persistently recruited him back. This summer, Lewis accepted a more influential position focused on offensive game planning and player development. "It's a full assistant's role with responsibility for offensive game planning," Lewis explained. "I look at what the other team are doing defensively and what can we do to maximise our ability to beat them offensively."
Key Analysis
The Timberwolves' offseason acquisitions of LaMelo Ball and Josh Green have injected new dynamism into the backcourt. Ball's elite three-point shooting (272 threes in 2025-26, second-most in the NBA) and playmaking ability should alleviate pressure on Anthony Edwards, creating a formidable offensive duo. Lewis sees the pairing as a nightmare for opposing defenses: "With LaMelo, you've got somebody that can now throw the lob and Rudy becomes a bit more of a rim threat... It takes the pressure off Anthony."
Lewis is equally high on Edwards, describing him as "easy to coach" and "an immense talent" who is "very responsive" and "wants to get better." While questions linger about whether Edwards embraces the mantle of NBA face, his coach has no doubts about his work ethic.
The season opens with a challenging slate against Miami, Orlando, and Toronto – teams with physical power forwards that could exploit Minnesota's lack of size at the four. However, Lewis remains confident in Finch's ability to adapt: "Chris will figure out how that looks. One of the things Minnesota's going to be lucky to do is be able to play different ways."
As for the ultimate goal, Lewis is clear: "We want to make the play-offs and get to the championship games. Everybody wants to win a championship, but you've got 29 other teams trying to do the same thing." He believes 50-plus wins would position the Timberwolves for a top seed and a deep run.
Should Minnesota capture that elusive title, Lewis knows its significance for the city. "Minnesota fans are unbelievable," he said. "It's more for the city, it would be an amazing accomplishment." For a franchise that has waited since its 1989 inception for a Finals appearance, the dream remains alive – and Tim Lewis is determined to help make it a reality.
Originally reported by yahoo.