For years, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been little more than an afterthought, lost in the bigger picture of the Western Conference. For some reason, it never seemed like the Wolves could catch up with some of the other conference elites, even despite having some star-studded talent.
But in the aftermath of this past summer’s Rudy Gobert trade, the Wolves are feeling pretty good about where they stand.
The Minnesota Timberwolves Are All-In On Title Run After Rudy Gobert Deal
If you ask anyone within the organization right now, they will tell you that they are ready to hang with the best of the best.
(via ESPN):
The league’s executives were stunned by the price Minnesota paid. But the players were taken aback that several of the most popular players within the team, especially veteran leader Patrick Beverley, were being sent out. They’d just had a strong 46-36 season, winning a play-in game to make the playoffs for the second time in 18 years.
“We were already in kind of the mindset to run it back with the pieces that we had,” said guard Jordan McLaughlin, now in his fourth season with the Timberwolves. “And then for that trade to happen, it was different for us.”
What the players, the team’s fans and the Wolves’ rivals didn’t understand at the time was just how all-in on Gobert the Minnesota leadership is. And they don’t seem to care what anyone thinks about the infatuation or the details of the trade itself.
Spend some time watching the Wolves this fall — including Wednesday’s preseason game at the Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET, ESPN) — and you will soon see they are convinced their massive offseason swing wasn’t just a home run, but a grand slam. They believe Gobert isn’t just a championship-level acquisition but that he provides an injection of rocket fuel to the rest of their team, particularly their other star players.
The Timberwolves are convinced their massive offseason swing wasn’t just a home run, but a grand slam.
Gobert, 27, has never played a season outside Utah, and it remains to be seen if his level of play can stay the same in a brand-new environment.
But if he’s even half the player he was with the Jazz, Gobert will no doubt carry a huge spark for the Wolves this season, who may be poised to shock the world…
