After seven years of doing a lot more losing than winning, Karl-Anthony Towns is expecting big things from the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2022-23.
“Just want to be great. It’s always talking about us being good and are we good enough and s***,” said Towns Wednesday morning. “It’s time to be great. It’s not time to be good anymore. It’s time to be great. We made these moves, we made these trades, so gotta be great. Good is not good enough anymore.”
More from Karl-Anthony Towns on the season starting tonight.
He's vocally and visibly passionate about the high expectations the Wolves have this season.@KSTPSports pic.twitter.com/IVHGgL4Ow1
— Alec Ausmus (@A_TwiceKSTP) October 19, 2022
Good is making the playoffs. Great would be advancing deep into the playoffs as one of the premier teams in the league. To do that they’ll have to be as good or better than Western Conference frontrunners Golden State, the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks.
On paper, there is no bigger starting lineup than Minnesota’s grouping of D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Towns and Rudy Gobert. They are the only team in the NBA rolling with two 7-footers in the starting lineup, and one of only two teams in the West with three players at 6’9” or taller in the starting five.
On paper, it’s a great roster. Maybe even intimidating. Even the depth pieces – Jaylen Nowell, Kyle Anderson, Naz Reid, Taurean Prince, Jordan McLaughlin and Bryn Forbes – represent a significant upgrade from the role players on the team a year ago.
Great on paper is nice. But 33 years of underwhelming basketball drags with it a fatalistic fanbase fearing another massive letdown. And it’s not just history beating fans on the head. It’s a bevy of unanswered questions about this untested roster.
Can D’Angelo Russell produce in key moments? He didn’t last year in the playoff series loss to Memphis, where he was benched in the fourth quarter of Game 6.
Can Towns stay healthy? Two of his past three seasons were plagued by injuries.
Will Towns be capable of guarding smaller, faster stretch fours? Will it cut down on his foul troubles?
Will Rudy Gobert be a detriment in the final 5-6 minutes of the fourth quarter because of his lack of offense and struggles at the free-throw line?
Is Anthony Edwards going to make a third-year leap like Ja Morant and Luka Doncic?
Can Jaden McDaniels stay out of foul trouble and be a sharpshooter in the corners?
Minnesota was the highest scoring team in the NBA at 115.9 points per game last season. They did that despite getting smashed on the defensive glass. With Gobert and Towns crashing the boards, there’s a great chance they eliminate that defensive rebounding issue and turn it into more offensive possessions and more points.
They’ll certainly be better on defense with Gobert protecting the rim. Just how good is the question, but their potential is recognized astutely in this lofty prediction from The Ringer, suggesting Minnesota will be a top-five defense.
“Now Rudy Gobert, the walking embodiment of a human brick wall, is in Minneapolis. He simplifies everything by single-handedly creating environments where the only open shots regularly allowed are off the dribble and from the midrange. It’s the ultimate luxury. Throw in Jaden McDaniels, who (once he stops committing fouls) has all the physical tools to make several All-Defensive teams, an engaged Anthony Edwards (who blocked a KD turnaround on Friday night), a less culpable KAT, and a supporting cast of solid vets like Kyle Anderson and Taurean Prince, and scoring on Minnesota will not be easy.”
A top-five defense with one of the best offenses in the NBA screams greatness. At a minimum it would have the Wolves among the best in the West, at which point it would be all about proving it in the playoffs.
There’s also been a lot of talk about not expecting too much to start the season because they haven’t had much time to gel together in training camp and the preseason. That’s true, but great teams don’t play down to the competition, which means Minnesota should be able to learn how to play together while crushing the onslaught of bad teams they face to start the season.
In their first seven games, they face the Thunder twice, Jazz one, Spurs three times and the Lakers once. If that’s not 7-0 or 6-1 it’ll be a disappointment. The Thunder, Jazz and Spurs are likely going to be three of the worst teams in the NBA, and the Lakers look like they’re miles from figure it out.
Like Towns said, there’s always talk about the Wolves being good. Now it’s time to show it every single night. Game 1 of the journey starts Wednesday at 7:10 p.m.
Related: 5 bold predictions for the 2022-23 Minnesota Timberwolves
Related: Timberwolves have the biggest starting five in the West
