Timberwolves shooting big KAT pairs nicely with rim-protecting Gobert

A new wrinkle on an old concept

So how can the Minnesota Timberwolves avoid such a disappointment? Well, believe it or not, I think that they already have. Let’s start by looking at just how well Karl-Anthony Towns shoots from the perimeter.

From the Tweet by Stat Muse, it’s pretty clear that Towns is quite adept at tallying three-pointers until the cows come home.

So now the only question is, what is Rudy Gobert good for?

He offers something completely different. He specializes in alley-oops, screens, pick-n-rolls, dunks, and layups. If you have Gobert shooting from the perimeter, you’re doing it wrong.

But Gobert is a master at defending the bucket. He is a superb shot blocker, adept at rebounding on both ends of the court, and is an unsurmountable bastion of blocking shots. That means that the Timberwolves will have a natural incentive for spacing and offensive shot selection that do not overlap.  But that is just when they are both on the floor together.

The real magic happens when rotations begin. Before, sitting Towns meant that the Timberwolves would struggle on putting up points as well as holding down the opponents from scoring at will. Now? The Timberwolves will have Gobert defending the rim, Towns scoring, or both. That will prevent the see-saw scoring battle where the Timberwolves lose the lead when KAT rests up on the bench. It will also prevent the team from rushing him back out onto the court to turn the tide of the game’s momentum back to the Timberwolves’ favor.

Sure, there are more doubters than believers in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ plans to win an NBA Championship right now. But innovators always face more pushback than most. Upsetting the status quo comes at a cost, and that’s why the Timberwolves appear to be on the right track.