The Minnesota Timberwolves might be heading for the No. 1 Seed

After acquiring Rudy Gobert through a blockbuster trade and as young players continue to develop, the Minnesota Timberwolves might be heading for the best season since Kevin Garnett's historic season almost two decades ago.

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Someone said that the Rudy Gobert trade might have actually brought inflation to the NBA with the amount that the Timberwolves gave up to the Jazz to acquire the 3-time Defensive Player of the Year and All-Star center. That is pretty hilarious and some may think the Timberwolves have gotten fleeced but I believe that both sides might have actually won this trade.

Although the Timberwolves have essentially given up the future away for the stifling Frenchman, I listened to Draymond Green's podcast and he explained it best. This means they are believing in Anthony Edwards as their franchise cornerstone or superstar and they are investing in him to win now. This is a 'win now' move. They have also recently signed Karl-Anthony Towns to a 4-year, $224 million supermax extension so it is clear he is part of their plans to contend as well. While their fit may be questionable according to Green, I believe Towns has no problem transitioning to the four next season though slightly oversized. Towns has never been the 'back-to-the-basket' post-up guy that Gobert is, and we have even seen Jarred Vanderbilt fill up some time at the five to contend defensively and allow Towns to work where he is most comfortable, usually shooting a jumpshot or taking it to the hole by his own will. That is clearly fine for Minnesota, and should be, considering Towns is one of, if not the greatest shooting big man of all time. Even if it is by his own claims, the numbers don't lie.

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With regards to Anthony Edwards, he might be on a similar trajectory to reigning Most Improved Player Ja Morant next season. As a high-level scorer, his efficiency might not look great on paper, but it has steadily increased since his rookie season and so has his overall production. He showed flashes of stardom all throughout the regular season and during the playoffs when it mattered the most. He clearly has all the talent in the world and he can clearly produce but can he produce on an almost nightly basis is the true question. The Rudy Gobert trade tells us that Minnesota is banking on Edwards taking that next leap into an All-Star or even a superstar. The carpet is rolled out and the stage has been set for him to do so.

Minnesota might have traded away some important depth such as Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley, but I would argue they still have some of the more decent bench units in the league, though not as great as before. Led by newly acquired Kyle Anderson, who is a solid piece on any roster, solid playmakers in Jordan McLaughlin and Jaylen Nowell, and decent front-court contributors in Naz Reid and Taurean Price, it does not scream amazing and might struggle against some second units like that of the Golden State Warriors or the Memphis Grizzlies, but it is not the worst either, especially since I do agree that Towns will spend a considerable amount of time starting at the four, I also believe him or Gobert might take turns with the second unit. This might end up being Towns' role considering the offensive spark he brings to the floor.

The starting lineup is no question. D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, and Karl-Anthony Towns are an offensive trio threat to be reckoned with while Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels provide length and defense. Though the former three might not be known for their defense, they have shown sound defense throughout the regular season. Why this team might be a 1-seed next season? Their starting five is too great for them not to be. Rudy Gobert is a winning player. After Gobert's first three seasons in the league, he has made the playoffs every year for the past six seasons and he was a huge factor in that. While Donovan Mitchell is the offensive superstar that garners all the highlight reels, Gobert has steadily anchored a Utah defense that needed him, and 'needed' is truly an understatement. Needless to say, Utah would have never experienced that much regular season success without Gobert. And I say regular season success because it has not yet worked out great for Gobert in the playoffs. However, with this new core, who knows? It might be different this time. All I am sure of is that this team will do spectacularly especially for the regular season, at least.