The Minnesota Timberwolves are a team that made the playoffs this year for the first time since 2018. The star duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards had some solid performances in the postseason, though they ultimately ended up losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.
This summer, the Minnesota Timberwolves made a clear win-now move and traded for Rudy Gobert. There is no doubt that this move signaled that the front office believes that the team is ready to contend at the highest level, as they gave up a lot of draft compensation for the center.
Next year, the team will likely end up running Karl-Anthony Towns at the PF position, while Rudy Gobert will be the C. Lineups featuring two big men are fairly uncommon in the league today, though there have been teams that have found relative success running them, such as the Cleveland Cavaliers with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Rudy Gobert has recently spoken out about his future partnership with Karl-Anthony Towns on the Timberwolves, claiming that the “excitement is through the roof”. He noted that both players have “a lot of ambition” and want to “see each other win”.
"The excitement is through the roof"
Rudy Gobert is fired up to play with Karl-Anthony Towns
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The excitement is through the roof, obviously in terms of the things that we’re going to be able to do for this team and the fun we’re going to have on the floor… We both have a lot of ambition, we have a lot of ups and downs in our career, now it’s a great time to lift each other up and make each other better… I’ve been texting a lot with KAT… getting that connection as human beings first, just have empathy for each other, and just want to see each other win… I think that’s what’s going to be the moral for everything we do.
There is no doubt that Rudy Gobert will be an impactful player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is one of the best defenders in the league, particularly excelling at rim protection. His skill set fits with Karl-Anthony Towns’ perfectly, and it’ll be exciting to see those two players on the court together.
The Minnesota Timberwolves Could Be A Dark Horse Contender
The Minnesota Timberwolves are clearly a talented team after making the move for Rudy Gobert. They have an elite starting lineup and a solid bench. On paper, they have all the tools to win a championship.
However, the team will definitely have to do their due diligence and develop chemistry throughout the regular season. Relying solely on talent doesn’t necessarily work well all the time. Hopefully, Rudy Gobert can provide the veteran leadership necessary for the team, and be the difference-maker they need to make noise in the Western Conference.
