Exploding its capital draft this summer to acquire the services of Rudy Gobert, Minnesota hit a big cost to try 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 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 lines up two tricks in the racket can win in the current NBA, characterized in particular by fast play, 3-pointers and in which most teams have become accustomed to evolving with a single craft interior. One can wonder if Towns and Gobert are made to play together, or if the Wolves have dropped too much at Jazz to create such a duo. All these doubts, they immediately accompanied the transfer of Rudy to Minnesota last July. And they will continue to fly over the city of Minneapolis until the Wolves have provided concrete answers on the floor during the coming season. But answers, Karl-Anthony Towns already bring some to the microphone of CBS Sports 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 which, 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 seen. Together, this gives us a lot of talent to use. »
We are not going to come back to the debate of the best interior shooter in history (spoiler is Dirk), but rather to the question of the complementarity between KAT and Rudy. On paper, indeed, it throws. 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 almost 25 points every night since his rookie season, almost 40% success at 3-pointers throughout his NBA career, and a rare offensive talent for a 2m11 player. The qualities of the two interiors are therefore complementary, especially when you consider that Gobert can help KAT turn a corner in defense and the latter can help Rudy extend his attacking game. Now, we will have to translate that on the field alongside 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 basket, as well as my passing skills which will undoubtedly be even more at work this year, I think that will allow them to be even better. You add the spacing that KAT brings, and I think they will have easier baskets than before. »
– Rudy Gobert, on his arrival at Wolves
Offensively, Towns’ ability to spread the field through his sniper qualities and more generally to play in the perimeter should indeed facilitate cohabitation with Rudy, above all used as a finisher near the basket. In this sense, we are not on a pure association of interiors version of the 1990s or 2000s where it was squatting the racket for two. On the other side of the field on the other hand, there can be danger when KAT will find itself facing players evolving in the perimeter and being able to dismiss the game themselves. And we also know the tendency of Gobert’s opponents to play very small in the Playoffs against Jazz to limit his defensive impact. But there again, no worries for Charles-Antoine, who obviously likes to take himself for Draymond Green.
“I really enjoy playing on the perimeter, and defending on the perimeter. This gives me the opportunity to use some of my strengths in defense, like switching and defending from position 1 to position 5. I will enjoy accompanying Rudy when it is necessary to defend sizeable lineups, and if it plays small ball I feel comfortable defending on wingers and fullbacks. »
Wolves have decided to play big, they have decided to play by their own rules and they assume. Will it pay off for that? Won’t betting on size backfire when it hits small ball in the face? Wolves’ season will depend on the answer to these questions.
Source texte : CBS Sports
