Timberwolves’ new twin towers could change the NBA’s blueprint yet again
By Elaine Blum
Taking an in-depth look at Gobert, Towns, and their fit together.
Gobert is a traditional center, who is comfortable in the paint on both offense and defense. Towns is more of a stretch big who likes the freedom of roaming the perimeter. When Towns and Gobert share the court, Towns will be moving to the power forward position as Gobert takes over the center. As one of the best shooting big men in the league, Towns should be more than comfortable with that move. Last season, Towns shot 41.0 percent from 3-point range on 4.9 attempts per game. Next season, he should be able to increase that volume since he’ll be spending less time in the paint.
Having Gobert dominate the rim gives Towns many new options offensively other than just shooting threes. He will be able to move a lot more, come off screens, cut towards the basket, or throw some lobs to Gobert after a pick and roll.
Last season, Gobert averaged 15.6 points per game. That is a decent number, but most of his scoring is a result of putbacks or lob passes. Gobert does not create all that well for himself and is not a shooter either. In Minnesota, that should not be a problem though because he will constantly be surrounded by shooters and will be free to do what he does best. Gobert offers Minnesota advantages they did not have on the same level before, like his ability to set strong screens for their guards and ball handlers or to gather up any missed shots.
Gobert’s impact will be felt more strongly on the defensive end. While Towns is an excellent three-level scorer, he is not a great defender. Minnesota’s biggest deficits in the past few seasons were rim protections and defensive rebounds. Last season, they allowed opponents to shoot 66.9% close to the basket, which was one of the worst averages in the league. They had similar deficiencies when it came to defensive rebounding. Gobert, one of the best rim protectors and rebounders in the game, should solve those issues.
Thus, Gobert’s main responsibility for the Timberwolves will be to anchor the defense and improve it as much as possible.