The Minnesota Timberwolves’ plan of accommodating two All-Star Centers

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In a move that surprised many in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves recently decided to play All-Star centers Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns together. This has raised questions about how the two can be effectively accommodated in the frontcourt together.

According to Tim Connelly, president of the team’s basketball operations, the current team was designed after considering several hypothetical squads and how they would match up against the rest of the teams. Rudy Gobert, who has won the Defensive Player of the Year award thrice, was thus incorporated into the team, after a careful survey of the available elite players who could better an already competitive team.

However, this has raised questions about how the Timberwolves aim to fit Gobert into a squad that already has Karl-Anthony Towns(KAT). According to Towns though, the move is meaningful as the two players complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Pairing a defensive center with an offensive one will require both players to realign how they traditionally move on the court, due to the decreased space because of the presence of the two. While inspiration has been drawn from other teams who have made similar combinations work, such as Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan for the Clippers, the situation faced by the Wolves is unique due to KAT’s shooting prowess which equals that of several players put together.

However, the team is trying to move away from over reliance on the shooter, who has also demonstrated eagerness to make space for Gobert. In upcoming games, Gobert, who has played in a similar style throughout his career so far, is hoping to utilize the on-court opportunities that open to him better.

Meanwhile, KAT, who is known to have adapted his game to match the changing needs of the team, has been consistently assisting Gobert and is looking forward to a winning partnership.