Timberwolves trade for Gobert puts pressure on these 6 players

The Minnesota Timberwolves may have made an NBA blockbuster trade to land an All-Star defensive center Rudy Gobert, but that is really not the only part of this Timberwolves’ roster shake-up that is significant. In fact, it may not be the main significance to the Timberwolves’ reworked roster.

Let me explain.

The key pieces from the Minnesota Timberwolves roster are less about who was involved in the trade and far more involved in who was not involved in the trade. This trade was not so much about the players who found themselves on the move. Rather, the key piece for the Timberwolves is more about who is left on the Timberwolves roster.

You may think that the cupboard may be a bit bare, but to be truthful the Timberwolves are sitting on a solid two-deep roster that has enough oomph to advance deeply if everything clicks into place quickly for the team.

So let’s examine who the Timberwolves front office and coaching staff have entrusted with their first push to win and advance in the upcoming NBA Playoffs

Player VII – Rudy Gobert

Let’s start with acknowledging the simple fact that whether intended or not, the pressure is on former Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert. How can it not be? The fair market value has been decided, and it’s four first-round picks and a first-round pick swap. The other players who were involved in the trade were included to balance the salary differential.

While that should mean that the five players who were shipped away in the trade are not exactly valueless, it does point to the fact that they were not the target of the Utah Jazz.  So how well will this exchange work out? Well, this will take time to completely sort out.

The fact is that the Minnesota Timberwolves are infusing a bit of cutting-edge technology in this current roster configuration. Since the NBA has not seen something like this before, the challenge is not just seeing the results, but in the need for NBA Insiders, analysts, pundits, and sportswriters to develop the proper measuring sticks, reference points, and experience to give it a fair and objective assessment.

Here is Rudy Gobert’s take

And so, the Timberwolves will have the overworked role of Karl-Anthony Towns split into two very manageable roles. While Gobert takes on the dirty work of setting screen, rim protection, and the occasional lob pass, KAT will be freed up a bit more to be offensive-centric. But if Towns migrates to the power forward role, that will mean a bump in playing time for backup center Naz Reid.

And yes, that means that the pressure is mounting on him for the 2022-23 season.