The Timberwolves have no shortage of story lines as they enter a season with expectations as high as the two tallest members of their frontcourt, Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Wolves open training camp with media day Monday and their first practice Tuesday before kicking off the NBA season Oct. 19 at home against Oklahoma City. Here are four pressing questions looking ahead to camp and beyond:
Just how will Gobert and Towns coexist on the floor?
This is the question that has been on everyone's mind since the Wolves swung the major trade for Gobert, the 7-1 center who was a three-time All-Star with Utah, in July. The thing about Gobert and Towns is that, even though they have played the same position, their strengths seem to complement each other.
On offense, Towns can play all over the floor, but pick and roll isn't his strong suit. Gobert, meanwhile, is one of the best pick-and-roll players in the league. Towns' game can adapt all over the floor while Gobert can be an efficient player in the post. On defense, Towns was comfortable last season playing along the perimeter in the Wolves' high-wall scramble scheme. He has never been an elite rim protector. Gobert, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, is the best rim protector of this generation.
Gobert's presence inside should boost the team's defensive rebounding, one of its biggest weaknesses a season ago. Towns will be one who downshifts to play the "4," but it seems like the two could find a way to play alongside each other.
How will D'Angelo Russell perform in a contract year?
Russell is in the final year of his deal, and there's optimism in the organization that Gobert's presence on offense will help the point guard elevate his game, because he will have a pick-and-roll partner who is one of the best in the league. Russell can use his advanced passing abilities to better effect in these situations. The advanced statistic "screen assists" basically exists to capture Gobert's impact in that aspect of the game.
