Subscribe
Follow Us
The Minnesota Timberwolves' big offseason move of 2022 saw them bring in Rudy Gobert to play alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, but that pairing didn't quite reach the heights they'd hoped last season. In a large part that was due to the fact that the two didn't play alongside one another all that often, and with another off-season under their belt they'll be looking to improve their chemistry in 2023-24. Whether that is how it plays out is one of the main questions the Timberwolves need to answer this season, but there are a couple of even bigger ones for them to address, too. These are three burning questions the Timberwolves need to answer ahead of the upcoming season.
3. Can KAT and Rudy make it work?
Having two centers hasn't exactly been a staple of successful NBA teams, particularly in the modern era, but hey – good on the Timberwolves for trying. Towns and Gobert have the potential to be complementary, with Towns' incredible offensive talent contrasting against Gobert's otherwordly defensive presence. But last year, we didn't get to see them on the floor together all that much, with Towns playing only 29 games – 27 of which were with Gobert.
They pretty much split those games at 14-13, right on par with the kind of record they managed without both of them playing, so it didn't exactly move the needle for them. But that was season one of an unusual duo, and an uninterrupted one at that. After a full pre-season together, can these two big men develop the kind of formidable of which the Timberwolves hope they're capable?
2. How good can Edwards be this season?
In Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves at long last have the kind of potential superstar who may be capable of leading them somewhere they've never been before. He's improved in each of his three seasons in the league, and in 2023 was rewarded with his first of likely many All-Star appearances. He then went and made the All-FIBA World Cup Team, so confidence appears to be high for the 22-year-old.
Article Continues Below
As talented as KAT is and as important as that front court pairing will be this season, Edwards is clearly the man to take this team to the next level. Last season he averaged 24.6 points on 45.9% shooting while hitting 36.9% from downtown, while also grabbing 5.8 rebounds and dishing out 4.4 assists. Every single one of those figures was a career-high. If he can up them once again this season, it will go a long way to making the answer to the next question a resounding yes.
1. Can this team FINALLY win a playoff series?
It's fair to say the first round of the playoffs hasn't been a happy hunting ground for the Timberwolves throughout the course of their existence. In their 34 years in the league, they've made the postseason 11 times. Ten of those times, they've lost in the first round, including the last two seasons. That is some sort of trend, and it's one that the Timberwolves will be very keen to reverse in the upcoming season.
A major part of the problem has been their penchant for finishing right at the bottom of the playoff spots, thus earning themselves a first round matchup against the very best teams in the league. The last two seasons were prime examples of that, with a 7th place finish in 2021-22 matching them up against the Grizzlies and an 8th place finish last year pitting them against eventual champions the Nuggets. If KAT and Gobert can find some harmony together and Edwards can take his game to the next level, this team might be capable of a slightly higher finish – whether they can finally translate that into a playoff series win, however, is another question.
