When asked to describe the dynamic between Timberwolves assistant coach Elston Turner, the team's de facto defensive coordinator, and center Rudy Gobert, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year, head coach Chris Finch paused for a moment to search for the right analogy.
"Like divorced parents trying to co-parent," Finch said while laughing. "A healthy co-parent. My only caveat to that is they're not divorced. They're on the same team."
Longtime assistant Turner and Gobert, with input from Finch, teamed up to turn the Wolves defense into the No. 1 unit in the league this season, and it is the main reason the Wolves are in the Western Conference finals, with Game 2 Friday against the Mavericks at Target Center.