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After years of mediocrity, the Minnesota Timberwolves are going all-in for the NBA championship this season. Fresh off of their playoff appearance in 2022, the team made a blockbuster trade, acquiring former DPOY Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz. It was a move that clearly signaled one thing: the ‘Wolves are going for it this season.
After that trade, expectations are sky-high for the team this season. The Timberwolves, of course, are gunning for the elusive NBA championship. On paper, they should have the talent to compete with the big dogs of the league. However, there's a couple of big reasons holding back the ‘Wolves from winning the Finals this year. Let's take a look at them.
Youth and General Timberwolves Inexperience
To get to the NBA Finals, a team must find a proper balance between youth and veteran leadership. Many of the championship-winning teams in the last few years have a combination of young stars doing their job AND veterans that help the team stay grounded. Think of the 2014 Spurs, who had Kawhi Leonard playing alongside the aging Big 3 of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili. Or the 2016 Cavs, which had LeBron James flanked by Kyrie Irving.
These teams were all battle-tested for the playoffs and the Finals. The ‘Wolves… are not that. The Timberwolves have barely made the playoffs in the last few years, and it shows in the experience of their core. Karl-Anthony Towns has only been to one prior to last season. D'Angelo Russell had that one run in Brooklyn before the 2022 playoffs. Anthony Edwards experienced his first taste of the postseason last year.
Even Rudy Gobert, their most experienced player when it comes to the playoffs, has never reached the conference finals. It's not impossible for a young team to rise up out of the blue and take the league by storm. The 2015 Warriors did just that. However, the Timberwolves' core does not have the same experience as those Warriors did before their Finals run.
The term “championship pedigree” might be overrated for some fans, but it really does make an impact once it matters. The Timberwolves, unfortunately, have not earned that pedigree… yet.
The Timberwolves' bold experiment may backfire heavily
Since the start of the 2010s, NBA teams have started to play smaller lineups more frequently. The Warriors' excellent use of the “small-ball” lineups have sped up this “modernization” of lineups. Teams are starting to shy away from the traditional center archetype, instead opting to play more flexible big men who can defend reliably on the perimeter.
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The Timberwolves, instead of following the trend, have decided to go the opposite direction. Instead of ditching the traditional big man, the ‘Wolves are embracing the big man revolution, trading for Gobert to pair with their sweet-shooting center. This is a bold move, one that will either be the next greatest thing in the NBA or the cause for their downfall.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert form an interesting duo for the Timberwolves in the 2022 season. Towns is an offensive juggernaut, combining a sweet stroke and post presence to dominate on that side. Gobert, meanwhile, is one of the league's premier defenders. Many teams don't even dare to enter the paint when the Frenchman is patrolling that side.
The problem, though, is that both Timberwolves players have overlapping weaknesses that may be exploited by other teams when the playoffs happen. Perimeter defense, in particular, is something that could be a major problem for them in April and May. If both Towns and Gobert start, one of them will likely take on the team's opposing power forward. With more and more forwards playing in the perimeter, it's inevitable that one of these centers will be forced way outside his comfort zone.
A silver lining
The good news for the Timberwolves is that they are not necessarily in championship-or-bust mode quite yet. Towns has just recently signed an extension that keeps him in Minnesota until 2028. Gobert is in Year 2 of a five-year contract he signed with the Jazz. Anthony Edwards is still on his rookie deal, and will likely be signed to a contract extension next year. If they fail this year, all hope isn't lost for them.
However, there should be pressure for the Timberwolves to show that this experiment of theirs can actually work. If they sneak their way to the Conference Finals, for example, that alone should give fans and the front office a good reason to believe this thing can work. Otherwise, this experiment could be blown up just as quickly as it started.
The Timberwolves' championship aspirations in the 2022 season and beyond rest heavily on this partnership working to perfection. If they succeed in making them work, they build a blueprint that other teams could start to copy. If they fail, though, it will be one of the most spectacular roster-building fails in recent history.
