The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off another long playoff run led by Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert.
The Timberwolves went through a major change at the start of last season when they dealt Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle in what was deemed a shocking move.
The trade paid off, however, as Minnesota made it back to the Western Conference Finals after getting by the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
The Timberwolves fell short of their ultimate goal of reaching the NBA Finals, but Randle showed that he can be an important long-term piece on the team.
Photo by Ben Brewer/Getty ImagesRudy Gobert says he shares same quality as Julius Randle
It took some time for the Timberwolves to settle in. They did have a bit of a rocky season, but they really found their footing in the playoffs.
Randle had a couple of big time performances in the playoffs and added another offensive element next to Edwards.
He also spent a lot of time with Gobert, as that frontcourt helped the Timberwolves make another run.
Gobert talked about being around Randle on The Young Man and The Three podcast.
“Julius is a very unique guy, he’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around, and I think, when you don’t know him, I think he can have this kind of quiet, anti-social energy, which I kind of can have too myself, he said.
“But once you get to know him, you understand that he’s a really funny guy, and he’s a great father. I’ve a lot of respect for him for that, and he’s just a great man, and he’s a competitor.
“He wants to win, he wants to be great, and he’s doing anything he can to keep getting better at this stage of his career.”
Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to get over the hump
The Timberwolves are coming off back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances, losing in five games both times.
While it is an impressive accomplishment, it shows that the Timberwolves still have a long way to go to win a championship.
The Timberwolves didn’t make any drastic changes this offseason, but they did lose a key piece in Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
If they stumble out of the gate and don’t improve this season, the Timberwolves could be headed for a big trade.