The Minnesota Timberwolves completed one of the biggest trades of the NBA offseason by acquiring French big man Rudy Gobert. The objective is to pair Karl Anthony-Towns with a dominant big man, so the team would be more comfortable playing outside and forming a towering frontcourt combination. Anthony Edwards is entering his third season in the NBA as one of the favorites to become a first-time All-Star.

Edwards could be a bit overlooked entering the season with all the hype on the Gobert and Towns frontcourt, but it is not far-fetched for him to be the most important piece of Minnesota this year. D'Angelo Russell is still on the Timberwolves as the quarterback of this offense. The supporting cast of the squad is a bit depleted entering the season, but these are a couple of bold predictions for the organization.

They will be a top-8 defense in the league

Over the iteration of this Timberwolves team, playing consistent defense has always been one of the main issues. Karl Anthony-Towns and Anthony Edwards are two phenomenal scorers, but they could not prevent their opponents to score less than 100 points a game which causes them to succumb to some critical games. Thus, this is the facet wherein Rudy Gobert's impact will be felt the most.

Gobert will instantly provide an interior presence that will force slashers to think twice about attacking the cup. With both Towns and Gobert, the perimeter defense will be compromised, but the franchise added an integral piece in Kyle Anderson, along with terrific defenders Jaden McDaniels and Taurean Prince. Edwards proclaimed that he is the best defender in the NBA during the playoffs last year, so this is the perfect chance for him to back up that claim.

D'Angelo Russell gets traded before the deadline

This may have some individuals off guard with the lack of point guard depth in Minnesota, but D'Angelo Russell is on an expiring deal and will unlikely receive the substantial extension from the Timberwolves that he wishes. It has already been a couple of years of him playing alongside Towns and Edwards, and Russell's numbers have not been close to his best season in Brooklyn a few seasons back.

There have been glaring struggles on both ends of the floor for D'Angelo Russell, so it might be a smarter decision for him to take his talents elsewhere. There was even an instance last season when coach Chris Finch decided to bench Russell in the playoffs, likely due to his lackluster defense on either Ja Morant or Desmond Bane. Gauging the alternatives if Russell does indeed depart by February, it could open up more opportunities for Anthony Edwards to be the primary ball handler of this unit.

Timberwolves will fail to make the top-6 in the West

When one organization invests in a star like Rudy Gobert, the expectation is to improve immensely from the previous season. The bench has been depleted, and it is still questionable how the current pieces will fit to ascend to one of the top teams in the NBA.

Gobert and Karl Anthony-Towns are going to have a difficult time defending quicker rosters, like the Los Angeles Clippers or Golden State Warriors. Furthermore, it is not just with the big men, but their defensive prowess from the guards and wing position still need to improve a ton this season. The Timberwolves are not an atrocious team, but it is magnifying the excellence of the Western Conference this year.