The Minnesota Timberwolves last season possessed a bit of a blue-collar mindset, a roll-up-your-sleeves and let’s go type of team. While that did fit the roster a year ago, the Timberwolves have a different group of players this year, and a different approach to the game of professional basketball.
This year, the Timberwolves clearly are taking a new approach to the game. For starters, Karl-Anthony Towns is no longer the center, as that role has been filled by teammate Rudy Gobert. But just like the legendary Twin Towers of the Houston Rockets, center Ralph Sampson made way for teammate Akeem Olajuwon by moving to power forward, KAT has made way for Gobert as he has moved to the power forward role.
KAT showcasing his selfless razzle-dazzle
The result? Karl-Anthony Towns has options for how to score now. So many options now. He repeatedly had driven to the basket, or pulled up at the perimeter, and lobbed the pass to a waiting Gobert at the basket. Gobert is well on his way to a double-double, with 13 points and eight rebounds in just the first half.
Of the starting five, Towns came in last in terms of scoring with just five points. But that is simply because he has been selfless, making just one of two shots from the perimeter. Instead, he has seven assists, a razzle-dazzle feature that this team simply has not had before in his career.
In fact, the Timberwolves were passing the ball all over the court, dishing out 17 assists in just one half of regulation basketball.
The Timberwolves bench has shown up too, outscoring the Thunder bench by a score of 23-20. The Timberwolves bench has been led by a tremendous debut of backup forward Taurean Prince, whose 11 first-half points let everyone off the bench.