Wolves preview: Take 2 for the Gobert-KAT partnership
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Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. Photo: David Berding/Getty Images
The Timberwolves begin a make-or-break season Wednesday night.
Catch up fast: The long-suffering franchise is coming off back-to-back playoff appearances and flashed some promise in a first-round loss to the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets back in April.
Yes, but: Last year's team left fans rightfully concerned about the future.
- After trading away five future first-round draft picks to pair Rudy Gobert with Karl-Anthony Towns, the "twin towers" barely played together due to injuries. And when they did, it didn't look pretty.
Why it matters: Anthony Edwards is only 22 years old and has already reached superstar status. Anxiety is building among Wolves fans who are scarred from watching Kevin Garnett's prime years wasted and want Ant to get the supporting cast he needs to become a champion.
State of play: The Wolves made only small changes to last year's roster that went 42-40 and won a play-in game to secure the 8th seed in the playoffs. The idea is that a healthy Towns (he missed 53 games last season) and more time for the players to gel will allow this team to make a deep playoff run.
- Coming: Role players Shake Milton, a guard, and Troy Brown Jr., a wing.
- Going: Forward Taurean Prince.
Between the lines: Beyond the questions about the compatibility of Gobert and Towns, the other glaring problem is whether Edwards can play his best with Gobert on the court, making it harder for Ant to drive to the basket.
Flashback: As the Nuggets were dispatching the Wolves in Game 5 in the spring, Edwards refused to throw the ball to an open Gobert, who had mishandled several passes in the series.
- Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said after last season that "every decision we're going to make moving forward is going to be with Ant paramount."
What we're watching: If that's true, and the Wolves get off to a bad start, will Connelly admit he made a mistake in trading for Gobert, swallow his pride, and trade him away before the Feb. 9 deadline? Or will he trade Towns, who could fetch a better return?
The bottom line: All anxieties aside, it's going to be fun to watch Ant this season.