Pushing the pace has been en vogue in the NBA for some time now. It helps allow for easy buckets, such as lay-ups or open 3-pointers, because the defense does not have time to get set up.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of those teams that are looking to speed things up. They also feature two key frontcourt players in Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert, who don’t exactly excel in that style. It leaves Tim Connelly with some interesting questions to ask in the offseason, particularly if Minnesota’s postseason run doesn’t go as they hope.
Moving at a faster pace doesn't suit Gobert or Randle
Trade deadline acquisition Ayo Dosunmu is someone who looks to up the pace. He does an excellent job of putting pressure on the opposing defense without turning the ball over all that frequently. Part of the reason that Bones Hyland has been so successful is that he looks for good shots early in the shot clock.
With 10 games remaining in the regular season, the Timberwolves are ninth in the league in pace at 101.52 possessions per 48 minutes. That’s a stark difference from even just a year ago, as in 2024-25, they ranked 25th with 97.79 possessions per 48 minutes.
Now, think about the Wolves roster. Does that style seem like it fits Gobert? Rudy isn’t going to get touches unless Minnesota sets up its offense. Gobert's biggest strengths on offense are setting screens and offensive rebounding, things that are much more difficult to do when the offense is in a hurry.
A lot of Randle’s offense comes from isolation. Sure, he can be productive in that setting, but it can lead to turnovers at times and a lack of ball movement. Julius isn’t someone who is an accurate pull-up shooter, and he is simply better suited for an offense that isn’t sped up.
Watching the Wolves this season, you can see they have a young center in Joan Beringer who doesn’t mind picking up the pace. It’s a small sample size (219 NBA minutes), but it’s a role you can see him playing that would lead to easy dunks. Perhaps the Timberwolves believe he is ready for a much larger role next season.
Look, if the Timberwolves make a deep run in the playoffs, perhaps they are more likely to keep much of the team intact. If they want to further move into the faster pace on offense after an early postseason exit, Connelly could look to deal Randle or Gobert.