Where will the Minnesota Timberwolves go?
In 2023, local media in the United States make ‘bold predictions’. Make reasonable predictions about what will happen in the future. It’s kind of ‘fun’ for basketball fans, but it’s probable enough.
Among them, the regular menu is the trade of Carl Anthony Towns, the ace of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Before the season, Minnesota was in the spotlight. Although he was not a candidate for the championship, he was noticed as a dark horse that would create a sensation on the Western Front.
I did a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz. They brought Rudy Gobert, the best defensive big man in the league, and transferred five players including Jared Vanderbilt and four first-round draft picks.
Utah was a rebuild, Minnesota was a trade according to the ‘win now’ policy.
Minnesota had the best big man in the league, Towns. That’s why I was more interested. Analysis continued on what kind of power Towns-Gobert’s twin towers would exert on the transition-based NBA trend.
First of all, at this point, halfway through this season, Minnesota’s bold test is a failure. Minnesota is 20-21 and 9th in the West.
Towns is out with a long-term injury. However, there was no synergy between Towns and Gobert. Rather, Minnesota’s offensive effectiveness fell as D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards’s outskirts overlapped. So is the defense. Gobert came in, but DRTG (points conceded per 100 possessions) was 113.3 points. We are in 11th place in the league. 메이저놀이터
On the 9th (Korean time), Sports Illustrated, an American sports media outlet, said in an article titled ‘Where is Minnesota going? It’s not that Gobert’s skills have declined. However, the latest trend in basketball defense is that one strong defender does not lead the team defense. I need a good big man defender, but I also need a guard and a wingman defender to help me.”
In other words, it cannot be said that Gobert’s defensive power has declined, and he pointed out that the problem with Minnesota’s team defense has not improved.
“There is no problem with the Minnesota locker room yet. However, it could be Gobert, or it could be Towns, Edwards, or Russell. There are players with good skills, but if the results come out below expectations, you can suspect a locker room issue.”
Local estimates say that it will take more than two to three weeks for Towns to return. SI magazine said, ‘Towns is traded, and Minnesota can keep in mind the reorganization of the small lineup centered on Edwards and Russell.’