Minnesota Timberwolves: What’s the ceiling of the Russell and Towns duo?

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Because of Russell and KAT’s defensive deficiencies, Gersson Rosas will need to surround them with plus-defenders to prevent them from being a disaster on that end of the floor.

We saw their issues on the defensive end come to roost in their loss against Toronto as they gave up 137 points while allowing the Raptors to shoot 57% from the field. Fortunately, the Wolves aren’t going to give up 52% from three every night, but that game did show where Minnesota’s defense is vulnerable.

Having strong wing defenders like Josh Okogie and Jarrett Culver, who ranks 34th in defensive real plus-minus among 130 shooting guards as a rookie, will definitely help; and they should continue to get better as both of them are under 22 years old.

The Wolves also probably need to add a defensive-minded big man to come in and provide some energy while KAT is off the floor.

While we all love watching Naz Reid bomb threes and grab boards, he will always be a liability on defense, and the Wolves can’t really afford that as they build their team around two stars who struggle on that end of the floor. Reid can still have a role on this team, but he might have to play alongside a better defensive big for him to be the most effective player he can be.

Minnesota could also use a defensive-minded backup point guard to come off the bench for Russell. A Cory Joseph-type point guard would be a perfect compliment to Russell’s offense-first mentality.

On the offensive end, the Wolves will focus on surrounding their stars with as much shooting as possible while the ball is primarily in the hands of D’Lo or KAT.

We’ve seen that formula work well on offense during the first two games, and that should continue to be the plan moving forward.

Of course Rosas would love to add another superstar like Devin Booker to play with his best buddies Russell and Towns, but getting a deal done with Phoenix will be pretty difficult considering Booker is in the first season of a five-year deal and the Suns are not looking to rebuild again anytime soon.

While they wait for the next star to become available, the front office can continue to sign and draft the right kind of role players that can compliment Russell and Towns’ skillsets and fit in the new pace-and-space system we have in Minnesota.

While I don’t think the pairing of Russell and Towns can produce a championship on their own, Rosas has shown the ability and willingness to hunt down stars and I think he can add another one while D’Lo and KAT are on these current contracts. If he can find the right star to add to this team, Minnesota can be legitimate title contenders in the post-LeBron era.

For now, Minnesota Timberwolves fans can be content watching an incredibly entertaining team who plays a fun brand of basketball and has a ton of young pieces who will continue to grow within the system Rosas and Saunders have cultivated.