Two years ago, coming off their first Western Conference finals appearance since 2004, the Timberwolves looked poised to run back that same roster, but that wasn't the case. They traded franchise icon big man Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick, which turned into Joan Beringer.
A major reason for this trade was roster flexibility, but another one was the idea that Randle would be a better fit on this team than Towns. Lots of that reasoning is because we saw Randle lead teams to the playoffs in New York as the clear number one option, something Towns didn't do in Minnesota.
This would be beneficial for the Wolves because, on the off-chance Anthony Edwards is forced to miss time (as he currently is), the Wolves will still have a more-than-viable number-one option to lean on in big moments.
With Edwards sidelined for the rest of this series and likely a little more, Randle not only needs to, but is expected to lead this team to victory in Edwards' absence, because that's why the Wolves traded for him.
Can Randle stay engaged defensively while being smart and efficient offensively?
It will be very important for Randle to put his stamp on the game early in Game 6. When his offense starts off hot, he always looks more noticeably locked in on both sides of the ball. He'll likely have Spencer Jones matched up with him if Aaron Gordon is out again. All due respect to Jones, he had a terrific Game 5, but that is a matchup that Randle should completely dominate.
When Randle is at his best, he is making quick decisions and physically outmatching his opponents in the paint. This causes the defense to collapse on him, which unlocks his playmaking. He's excellent at finding shooters when the defense collapses. What Randle can't do is shrink mentally if he starts the game off inefficiently.
The Wolves can survive if he has an off-shooting night, but his other qualities need to show up if that's the case. He can't become disengaged defensively. He can't force the issue with tough shots if they aren't falling, and his body language can't torpedo the team's energy.
A Game 6 win would validate Tim Connelly's vision
As I said earlier, when Connelly traded for Randle, he envisioned an elite second option next to Edwards, but also an alternative first option.
If the Wolves can win this series, being extremely shorthanded on the back of Julius Randle, it's even more proof that Connelly knew exactly what he was trading for.
However, if they come up short and blow the 3-1 lead, there will inevitably be major questions about Randle's future in Minnesota. Not being able to win one out of the three remaining games with Randle as a primary option would be very telling.
However, if Randle can be the first or second-best player on the court in Game 6, I'm very confident the Wolves will be moving on, in large part to Randle's dominance.
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