With the Timberwolves adding Rudy Gobert it makes them one of the most interesting teams in the league. They have what seems to be a very high ceiling, but can also easily flop. Are they title contenders or are they title pretenders?
Written by: Chaim Cohen
4 July 2022
After being a first-round exit the Wolves have decided to go all-in and trade for 3x DPOY, Rudy Gobert.
The trade is as follows:
Timberwolves receive:
• Rudy Gobert
Jazz receive:
• Malik Beasley
• Patrick Beverley
• Leandro Bolmaro
• Walker Kessler
• Jarred Vanderbilt
• 2023 first-round pick
• 2025 first-round pick
• 2026 pick swap
• 2027 first-round pick
• 2029 first-round pick (protected)
Why it Won't Work Out
While the Wolves are one of the best young teams in the league, this trade is not what they needed to get over the hump. The trade itself was pretty strange considering that the Wolves gave up 5 first-round picks for Rudy Gobert. While Gobert is extremely accomplished and still a good player I would argue his stock has only been going down in the last three years but then this happens. While he is great in the paint he is a major liability when it comes to guarding the perimeter. In last year's playoffs against the Clippers, we saw this in game 6 when the Clippers decided to go small ball which made Gobert get attacked every play. This led to Terance Mann who was a rookie at the time dropping 42 points to close out the series. Now with the Wolves having Gobert as well as KAT, this can be a major issue for them. If a team like the Clippers or the Warriors go small ball on them they will get cooked. We saw against Memphis KAT couldn't take advantage of his size when the Grizzlies went small so that's the biggest thing I would be worried about for the Wolves. With the haul they gave up it seems that they could get a much better player than Gobert and for sure a better fit. Also, it's not like Gobert is 25, he is going into his 30s and he will not become any better on the perimeter with age. Now their bench is also a liability and they are going to need to rely too much on their starters. Unless Edwards drastically improves and their bench players really step up they will not be able to be a championship-caliber team.
How it Could Work Out
Although I do not think this trade will work out, there for sure is a scenario where it works. While no matter what I think they gave up too much for Gobert he could be the piece that completes them. The first and most important thing that needs to happen is for the development of Anthony Edwards to happen. It is also very likely to happen it's just a matter of how much he develops year by year. When you see the company Edwards is in as far as scorers of his age it's only players like LeBron, Luka, Carmelo, and Michael Jordan. If he is anything near the ceilings of those guys he can be the best player on a championship team. The second thing you will need is for the perimeter defense of the Wolves to improve. Before getting Gobert they already had a solid interior defense but really struggled with their perimeter defense, especially in the Memphis series. Hopefully adding Gobert takes off pressure from the wings and they can help. on the outside more because they trust Gobert in the inside. While I still think they will struggle to guard small-ball lineups they have to hope their size just not let teams play small ball. If they do enough damage offensively in the paint then teams won't have a choice but to put other big men in the game. I may not be a fan of two max contract big men on the same team but Karl Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert do at least compliment each other very well. Gobert is the more one-dimensional defensive-minded big while KAT is big who can really shoot the ball and has some guard skills. So while I think their ceiling is the WCF there is a scenario where they shock the world.
Comments