Wolves intend to revert to a running back after a rocky start last season, Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns have teamed up.

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ ambitious experiment of matching two big guys together backfired when Karl-Anthony Towns missed 52 games due to a strained calf muscle during Rudy Gobert’s season-opening game. When Towns came back for the playoffs, the evaluation was finally rekindled. The Timberwolves, who lost in the opening round to eventual NBA champion Denver, are now counting on Gobert being more at ease in his second year and Towns staying healthy as they attempt again with the same starting lineup and nearly the whole rotation.
The weight of the exorbitant price Minnesota paid in the trade with Utah — the equivalent of five first-round picks, including draftee Walker Kessler in 2022 — hanging over his every move made Gobert’s absorption into the team far from easy.

Gobert’s 2-point shooting % and rebounding average were both at their lowest levels in four years. He had not averaged less than 2 blocks per game since he was a rookie in 2013–2014.

The Timberwolves struggled to adapt to his pick-and-roll offence and rim-protection strength as the chemistry on the court was frequently awkward on both sides. Then, in the stressful last regular-season game, he lost his composure and struck teammate Kyle Anderson, earning him a halftime dismissal and a suspension for the team’s opening play-in game.

The Gobert-Towns duo will once again be at the top of Finch and the staff’s priority list when training camp opens on Friday. Their focus should definitely be on strengthening their relationship with standout guard Anthony Edwards.