PHILADELPHIA – At the end of most Timberwolves shootarounds and practices, odds are one of the loudest voices you will hear booming in the gym is Bryn Forbes.
Forbes isn't afraid to have fun, talk a little smack and let people know when he's made a play. He also wants to spread that confidence to his teammates, and is one to keep encouraging them with positive energy.
It's all part of his personality, and the attitude he wants to bring to the Wolves.
"I, for sure, try to encourage," said Forbes, who attended Michigan State. "That's where I see a big role for me. Being encouraging, bringing the energy. Giving that off instead of having a bad attitude or this, that or the other."
Forbes did not play in the Wolves' two games before Saturday's matchup against the 76ers, but even as his playing time fluctuates, he hasn't wanted that to change the energy he brings, and so far has enjoyed playing for the Wolves.
The Wolves signed Forbes because of his shooting prowess; he's a career 41% three-point shooter. But he doesn't have a regular role or a set time he will enter a game. His ability to come cold off the bench and stay ready to hit shots has been the focal point of his workouts.
"It's practice, man," Forbes said. "I come out here cold sometimes and get shots up just to kind of imitate what I'm going to see. That feeling of being cold and if I'm still able to knock down shots. I think it's more to do with momentum."
Forbes is 29 and in his seventh season, which means he has more NBA experience than most of the Wolves. He said the team has handled its early-season struggles well while still maintaining an upbeat locker room. Unprompted, he also credited coach Chris Finch with setting a positive tone.
"One thing about this group is we got great energy," Forbes said. "I think guys genuinely like each other, which is a great thing, you know? We're trying to figure it out right now. It's a lot of new faces, new people and they're trying to put it together and make something special."
"... Finch is doing a good job too trying to navigate that. It's not easy, man, trying to get guys to jell who never played together."
A slight detour
When the Wolves had an off day on Wednesday, Finch took a little trip.
Finch drove a little over an hour from Philadelphia to Lancaster, Pa., to visit his alma mater, Franklin and Marshall.
Finch played at F&M and helped lead the team to three conference championships and a Division III national runner-up performance in 1991.
He spent the day visiting campus and spoke to the men's and women's basketball teams.
"It was great. I hadn't been back for 15 years," said Finch, who grew up in Reading, Pa. "Obviously a special place for me. It was good to go back, talk to the team, just to be back on campus was fun. A lot of memories there."
Finch attended the school when the 76ers, who he said were "the team of my youth, but no longer" used to hold training camps there.
"I went to a small college so you didn't have much of a window into NBA basketball, certainly up close and personal," Finch said. "It was great to see the level of detail that went into a training camp. Back then practices were two-a-day, they played a lot, guys weren't sitting out. But I knew from a young age I was going to be a coach, I just didn't know where that was going to end up.'
Finch had dozens of family and friends in attendance at Saturday's game. He joked that he didn't buy them all tickets, but added, "I'll buy the beers."
76ers hurting
The Wolves caught the 76ers at the right time. Not only were they without James Harden (right foot tendon strain), they also lost guard Tyrese Maxey to a left foot fracture he suffered Friday. Maxey is expected to miss the next three to four weeks. Minnesota's next opponent, Miami, will be without Jimmy Butler (knee).
