Report: 'Nearly half' of Timberwolves players expressed concerns about Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell has taken plenty of heat this season, whether because of his fiery personality toward the media or his offensive strategies which prioritize midrange shots and deemphasize threes and layups/dunks more than your usual modern offense.
Mitchell is a self-described "old-school" coach. And those sorts of personalities can find a place in today's game, but the problems come when the players and higher-ups aren't on the same page. A report from the Associated Press implies that may be the case in Minnesota.
But nearly half the roster of 15 players privately expressed concerns to The Associated Press about Mitchell that centered on three basic tenets: His outdated offensive system, his tendency to platoon his rotations and a lack of personal accountability for the struggles. The players spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not want to publicly criticize their head coach.
Kevin Garnett, who has known Mitchell since the two were teammates in 1995, was asked about the heavy criticism Mitchell has faced from fans this season before a victory over Memphis last Saturday. He quickly replied: "Next question." Garnett often swipes aside questions he views as negative, but one of Mitchell's close allies passing on a chance to back him didn't help the coach's cause.
Minnesota has a young roster, so it's not like many of their guys even have an idea of what it's like to play for a winning team. Players like Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Shabazz Muhammad and Zach LaVine have only been in the league from not-even-one to a few years. But concerns about an outdated offensive system would appear to be legitimate.
The Wolves lead the league in midrange attempts per game. They complement that with a last-place standing in three-point attempts per game. Meanwhile, they're also sitting in the bottom 10 in attempts at the rim per game. Those aren't exactly the best ratios to boast, and the team by no coincidence owns one of the league's 10 least efficient offenses in part because of shot selection.
Mitchell is in about as awkward a spot as you can find. He wasn't supposed to be the head coach coming into this year. The tragic passing of Flip Saunders put him in an unenviable position, having to take over for a legendary coach in the absolute worst way imaginable. There's every reason to sympathize with Mitchell, but that being said, if Wolves players are concerned about the offense, they have reason for it.
