By exploding its capital project this summer to acquire the services of Rudy Gobert, Minnesota has taken a big cost in trying to reach a new milestone in the Western Conference. At the heart of this new version of Wolves is obviously the All-Star caliber interior duo consisting of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy. If some have doubts about their association, this is not the case with KAT.
One can legitimately wonder if a franchise that deploys two tricks in the racket can win in the current NBA, characterized in particular by fast play, 3 points and in which most teams have become accustomed to evolving with a single inner profession. One wonders if Towns and Gobert are made to play together, or if the Wolves have lost too much to Jazz to create such a duo. All these doubts immediately accompanied Rudy’s move to Minnesota last July. And they will continue to fly over the city of Minneapolis until the Wolves provide concrete answers on the floor during the next season. But the answers, Karl-Anthony Towns already bring some to the microphone of CBS Sport during a recent interview with Colin Ward-Henninger. Reminding the latter that he has already played several times alongside a pivot in the past, KAT strongly believes in his new association with Gobe. An association that, in his eyes, has the potential to break everything.
“I think Rudy is one of the best defensive players we’ve seen in the NBA. He has the track record to prove it. And I think I’m one of the greatest offensive talents the NBA has ever seen. Together, this gives us a lot of talent to use. “
We will not return to the debate on the best interior shooter in history (the spoiler is Dirk), but to the question of the complementarity between KAT and Rudy. On paper, in fact, it is thrown away. Gobert is three Defender of the Year titles, six NBA All-Defensive First Team nominations, and one of the league’s biggest deterrents. Towns, it’s nearly 25 points every night since his rookie season, nearly 40% 3-point successes during his NBA career, and a rare offensive talent for a 2m11 player. The qualities of the two interiors are therefore complementary, especially considering that Gobert can help KAT turn a corner on defense and the latter can help Rudy extend his offensive play. Now, we will have to translate it on the field along with D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards.
“The space I can create for them [à Edwards et Russell, ndlr.] with my screens and my ability to roll to the hoop, as well as my passing skills that will no doubt be even more at work this year, I think that will allow them to be even better. Add in the spacing provided by KAT and I think they’ll have easier baskets than before. “
– Rudy Gobert, upon his arrival in Wolves
In attack, Towns’ ability to broaden the field through his sniper skills and more generally to play in the perimeter should in fact facilitate coexistence with Rudy, used above all as a finisher near the basket. In that sense, we’re not on a pure 90s or 2000s indoor version association where the racket for two was squatting. On the other side of the pitch, however, there can be danger when KAT faces evolving players in the perimeter and being able to fend off the match on their own. And we also know the tendency of Gobert’s opponents to play very little in the playoffs against Jazz to limit his defensive impact. But even here, no worries about Charles-Antoine, who obviously likes to take himself for Draymond Green.
“I really like playing on the perimeter and defending on the perimeter. This gives me the opportunity to use some of my strengths in defense, such as passing and defending from position 1 to position 5. I will enjoy accompanying Rudy when it is necessary to defend consistent formations, and if he plays small ball I feel at ease. I am comfortable in defending wingers and full backs. “
Wolves have decided to play big, they have decided to play by their own rules and assume. Will he pay for it? Won’t size bets backfire when it hits a ball in the face? The season of the wolves will depend on the answer to these questions.
Text source: CBS Sports
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