Julius Randle was asked early in Thursday’s introductory press conference if he needed to change his game to fit into Minnesota’s roster and coach Chris Finch’s schemes.

“Well I played for Finch before, I played for him in New Orleans,” Randle quickly responded. “So all you gotta do is go look at the tape, and you’ll see.”

Indeed, Randle spent the 2018-19 campaign in New Orleans when Finch was an assistant coach with the Pelicans. That year was one of the all-star’s most efficient seasons. His scoring average bumped up to 21.4 points, five points better than any prior season to that point. He recorded the highest player efficiency rating of his career, and it was his second-best season in terms of offensive win shares and true shooting percentage.

That’s somewhat surprising considering he was just 24 years old at the time and has since turned in three all-star seasons in New York.

That was a tumultuous season in many ways for the Pelicans, as Anthony Davis requested a trade in the middle of the campaign. Still, New Orleans finished 12th in offensive rating.

Randle signed with the Knicks in the following offseason, cashing in on his success in New Orleans. But he noted Thursday he wished Finch could have gone with him to New York.

“Because he’s just such a great coach. I’ve always thought he was a genius,” Randle said. “He’s a great communicator, knows how to get the best out of his players,”

Randle said he always felt “super prepared” for games that season. He knew what was going to happen, where he would get his shots and what Finch needed from him. Randle said that season with Finch “opened up my game,” and he became the versatile offensive player he is today. Randle said it marked “the easiest my game had ever felt.”

“I think he’s just that good of a coach,” Randle said. “So I’m excited to get out there with him. I know he’s going to bring the best not only out of me, but out of everybody.”

The feeling between coach and player is mutual. Finch said Randle was a “joy to coach” in their prior experience together.

“Really, really enjoyed working with him. Great pro. Loves being in the gym, comes in with a smile on his face every day,” Finch said. “He’s hungry for feedback. Really pleasant. Always kept an eye on him, just really happy for his success in New York. … I was really excited (for) the opportunity to be reunited with him, just because of that connection.”

That connection could ease the transition that needs to take place with the Timberwolves. Minnesota has its first preseason game against the Lakers on Friday in Los Angeles, though the Wolves are unsure if the newcomers will play in that one. But film from Randle’s season in New Orleans suggests he has a grasp of the randomness Finch seeks in his offense, with cuts and pick-and-rolls naturally evolving throughout a play.

“A lot of the things that we did in New Orleans still hold true in our offense here,” Finch said. “I think he’s looking forward to that.”

It produced some of Randle’s most efficient basketball. If that result can be replicated in Minnesota, the Wolves will be a better team post-trade than they were before it. The addition of Donte DiVincenzo was an obvious boon for the team’s wing depth and spacing. Finch noted the guard is “plug and play.” He will make the game easier for everyone else within the offense.

And Randle, Finch noted, generally posts eerily similar production-based numbers as Karl-Anthony Towns, the four-time all-star sent to the Knicks for Randle, DiVincenzo and Keita Bates-Diop. The concern outsiders have regarding his fit in Minnesota is he’s not as good of an outside shooter as Towns and tends to overhold the ball.

“I think KAT and Ant (Anthony Edwards) liked having the ball in their hands a lot, too,” Finch said. “I don’t see a ton of difference there.”

Finch said he doesn’t see any issues with Randle’s general fit alongside Edwards or even Rudy Gobert. Yes, he noted, there will be a growing curve as everyone learns to play together.

But any issues that may arise are more likely to be ironed out quickly because of the respect Randle possesses for Finch.

“I have the ultimate and utmost trust in Finch.,” Randle said. “I feel like he knows what he’s doing and he’ll be able to work out whatever, so I’m excited.”

The 29-year-old has a player option for next season and noted that because of what he feels Minnesota has in place, this is where he wants to be.

“You spend a certain amount of time in a place, New York, going there five years ago, having a goal in mind to accomplish a lot of great things and a lot of blood, sweat and tears put into that organization and uniform. Initially, it’s always going to be a shock,” he said. “For me, afterwards I woke up the next morning and I was just really, really excited. It was a breath of fresh air. I’m excited to bring everything I learned there over the past five years and help these guys out. My only thing here is I just want to help. I want to help Ant, I want to help Rudy, Naz (Reid),  all these guys, I want to help win a championship. So that’s the only thing that matters.

“At this point in my career, I’ve accomplished a lot of great things on an individual level, but I want to win a championship, and this is a perfect opportunity to do that. That’s what matters. Winning matters the most.”