When Gersson Rosas took over as the Minnesota Timberwolves' President of Basketball Operations last May, he committed to being aggressive while also staying patient. Rosas talked a lot about building a "sustainable winning model," avoiding win-now moves that would hurt the franchise later on, and developing a culture of growth and improvement.
When Ryan Saunders was hired as the Wolves' full-time head coach weeks later, he preached about playing a modern NBA game around Karl-Anthony Towns. That meant more focus on shots at the rim, free throws, and threes; and even though the Wolves struggled from the three-point line to start the year, Saunders remained committed to all parts of his philosophy.