The Minnesota Timberwolves executed one of the biggest trades in the 2022-23 NBA offseason. There is nothing wrong with adding supplementary pieces to a squad that reached the first round of the playoffs. Still, the front office completed a questionable move by pairing French All-Star Rudy Gobert with franchise cornerstone Karl Anthony-Towns.
Having two big men as the highest-paid individuals in a team is unorthodox in this team, and it did not pay off. Back-to-back first-round exits in 2022 and 2023 are not terrible, but Minnesota's future payroll is a massive cause for concern for the organization. They have $144 million of committed money for their 2024 payroll, which will limit their movement in the offseason.
Gobert has three more seasons on his current deal with a player option in the final year, while Towns has four guaranteed seasons with a player option in the fifth year. With all these problems surrounding the franchise, a couple of people are most to blame for the difficult situation.
Rudy Gobert
The newest addition to the lineup inevitably is one of the individuals that will be heavily blamed for the disaster. Rudy Gobert was traded for five future first-round picks, meaning the Timberwolves no longer have a legitimate future if they start to rebuild. For an organization to let go of five unknown assets, the expectation is they will receive a star in return.
The problem with Gobert is his inability to manufacture his offense, as most of his points are recorded through offensive rebounds or lobs only. Furthermore, the defensive schemes are confusing because Gobert and Towns are used to playing center for most of their NBA career. From the constant position of being top 3 in Defensive Win Shares for a plethora of years, he dropped to 14th this season.
Jaden McDaniels
Why put a guy on this who did not even suit up for any game of this series? It is because Minnesota relies a ton on its defense. Jaden McDaniels is their best perimeter defender who could have contained either Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr. in this series. Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch was forced to use players like Taurean Prince and Jaylen Nowell for an extended period.
A player's absence due to a lingering injury or important personal matter would be acceptable, but it is solely McDaniels' fault why he is currently hurt. On Game 82 of the regular season, it is inexcusable to punch a wall that fractured his hand and forced him to miss the remainder of the playoffs. For McDaniels, it is part of maturity, but only some have the chance to play vital minutes in the NBA Playoffs.
Karl Anthony-Towns
Similar to last year's elimination against the Memphis Grizzlies, Karl Anthony-Towns was also glaringly missing in numerous games of the series. Any star or superstar can have their off nights, but having a zero or negative impact on both ends of the floor is unacceptable. In the first two games against the Nuggets, Towns contributed a measly 21 points on 8/27 shooting in 63 minutes.
For someone with that talent and salary, there is no reason for Towns to continue playing in the NBA Playoffs at this horrific pace. Adding insult to injury, Towns fouled out in the final two contests of Minnesota, which were bone-headed mistakes that may have cost them the game. Luckily, the Timberwolves won Game 4 but ended their 2023 campaign in Game 5, wherein Towns and Gobert were on the bench in the final seconds.
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