Everyone knows about the concerns that followed the Rudy Gobert trade. Sure, the haul of five players and five picks that the Minnesota Timberwolves gave up for the 3-time Defensive Player of the Year was at the forefront of most fans’ minds when they learned about it. However, once the season started, the skepticism surrounding Gobert and his fit next to Karl-Anthony Towns became prominent, even though they have polar opposite play styles.
Personally, I liked what I saw between Towns and Gobert last season. Before KAT got injured on November 28th, they were playing off each other much better than I initially expected. Despite the two’s better-than-expected fit, the Timberwolves still found themselves with a 10-11 record in late November. And disappointment was setting in for a team that entered into a championship-or-bust mindset that summer. However, some fans held onto hope even after KAT went down. The two-big experiment was predictably going to take time.
Of course, it was tough for Wolves fans to keep their spirits high after losing their dynamic power forward while the team started to slip below .500. When Towns ultimately returned after missing 52 games, the flow was much better – largely due to Mike Conley’s offensive impact. However, KAT was only active for 13 more games through the rest of the 2022-23 regular season and playoffs. We were only able to see Minnesota’s preferred starting five of Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Towns, and Gobert in seven total games.
As a result, the Wolves have had a relatively boring off-season. Management still wants to see what their core is capable of. One key component will be seeing what KAT can do next to Gobert after a full, and hopefully healthy, off-season — which is shining through in Towns’ first couple of games with the Dominican Republic this summer as he appears bought into the Northern Heights combo.
In early July of last year, Tim Connelly and his staff pulled the trigger on the Gobert trade. The move surprised most team members, including KAT, who was made aware of the move via social media.
“It was definitely something I wasn’t ready for. I remember being in London and getting that call,” Towns said on Paul George’s podcast. “I didn’t actually have no idea that was happening. I was told by social media like everybody else, so that was something.”
The trade happened during a part of the off-season when players are fully ramping up for the upcoming season; it seemed likely that Towns, along with the rest of his teammates, had to alter their preparation at a less-than-ideal time. Couple that with KAT’s health issues during training camp, and it’s surprising that he was able to play as well as he did before getting injured.
This summer is much different. Towns appears to have slimmed down and is moving much better and more fluidly on the perimeter. He’s always been a good shooter. However, aside from when he played next to Taj Gibson, Gorgui Dieng, and Willie Cauley-Stein, Towns has been his team’s starting center throughout the bulk of his career.
That all changed after the Wolves traded for the Stifle Tower. Last summer was a tough one for KAT and the entire team. That largely came from the hectic off-season they endured. Towns, Gobert, and the rest of the squad have enjoyed some level of tranquility heading into the 2023-24 season. In turn, this should allow for a better fit and flow for the entire team.
