The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off one of their best two seasons in franchise history. Naturally, Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert are big reasons why.
While the All-Star trio had a strong season last year, there’s no indication that their play will drop off any time soon, even with Rudy Gobert recently turning 32. Sure, KAT is also a year older, but getting more mature could do the 28-year-old some good too.
The same goes for a 22-year-old Ant, who will spend the summer picking up habits from the perceived best players in the NBA while being the No. 1 option for Team USA during the Paris Olympics. Edwards won’t get worse any time soon. If anything, he’s expected to take another leap in his development, coming closer to being an MVP frontrunner .
Minnesota Timberwolves’ Big 3 not among the NBA’s best?
Despite the Timberwolves being one of the best teams in the NBA for most of the season, some (Bleacher Report) expect others to pass them by next year. When asked to rank the best Big 3 in basketball, the Timberwolves didn’t rank first, second, or even third. Instead, Bleacher Report ranked the Timberwolves’ Big 3 fifth in the NBA. Here was their reasoning.
Related: Local Insider Proposes Wild Karl-Anthony Towns Trade
“It is tempting to put the Minnesota Timberwolves’ trio higher. Edwards already has a case to be the NBA’s best two-way player. Going on 23, he should only get better. For those wondering: No, Gobert turning 32 doesn’t (much) factor into “limiting” them to fifth place. His defensive impact should be equally transcendent next year.
A relative lack of secondary creation is the culprit. (Again: This is stupid. Placing fifth isn’t an insult.) Gobert has added an extra coating or two to the surface of his offense, but he’s still not a complex decision-maker or a viable hub. Which is OK. It’s not supposed to be his role.
That burden falls to Towns, who remains a dynamic enough scorer from virtually every level to effectively shoulder it. But his inconsistency—the wild passes, the questionable shots and takeoff points inside the arc—can range from a maddening hindrance to occasionally detrimental.
Others might not be able to square away how valuable this troika is, with Towns as the de facto 4. That doesn’t really bug yours truly. He would be more of an offensive mismatch as the lone big, but Gobert sets the defensive ceiling for Minnesota’s Big Three.
Even if it’s imperfect, even if it’s too frontcourt-heavy, this trio is closer to championship-caliber than not.”
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale
We understand the Boston Celtics sitting on the throne after winning the NBA Finals, but what have these other teams done? Here’s how the rest of the top five ranks, according to Favale.
- Boston Celtics (Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday + Derrick White)
- Philadelphia 76ers (Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey)
- Milwaukee Bucks (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert)
The 76ers just bought their third piece, signing Paul George in free agency. But that lineup doesn’t have any chemistry yet. As the Bucks found out after adding Damian Lillard right before the season started, it takes time to gel. Yet, Bleacher Report believes they’ll catapult past Minnesota this summer.
Related: 10 Greatest Minnesota Timberwolves Players Of All-Time
The Thunder are a team on the rise. Yet, Jalen Williams hasn’t shown to be an All-Star caliber player thus far (and he may never get there), but all three of the Timberwolves have. Ultimately, while Favale says placing fifth isn’t an insult, in reality, the Timberwolves got screwed here.
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