The Minnesota Timberwolves may have drifted a little from the defensive identity that once defined them, but there’s still a sturdy backbone here. Even after sacrificing some frontcourt size to bring in LaMelo Ball, this group doesn’t look like one that’s about to fall apart on that end of the floor.
The reason is simple: Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels still set the tone.
Gobert remains the kind of rim protector who changes the geometry of an offense. He’s described here as a walking top-10 defense, and there’s nothing in his track record to suggest that changes now. He’s done it before with smaller Utah Jazz teams, and with Minnesota still carrying plus size, real athleticism and a premier point-of-attack defender, the Wolves should stay tough to score on.
McDaniels is the other half of that equation, and he gives Minnesota the kind of perimeter resistance that can make a defense feel suffocating. He can bother guards and forwards, and the source points to his 98th percentile ranking for perimeter isolation defense per Basketball Index.
He’s also a disruptive playmaker and a secondary rim protector. In the piece, he’s described as a top-10 defender.
Together, Gobert and McDaniels have helped make Minnesota a top-10 defense since Gobert arrived, and that’s the real safety net here. Even if the Wolves can’t quite match their 2023-24 defensive peak, the floor is still high because of those two.
What happens around them will determine whether this group is merely good or something more dangerous.
LaMelo Ball’s presence could help Anthony Edwards tap into more of his two-way upside, though the question is whether Edwards stays locked in away from the ball. Ayo Dosunmu brings some edge as a perimeter defender, but there are still questions about whether he can handle the toughest assignments.
Jonathan Kuminga is viewed as a capable defender against forwards, though his off-ball engagement needs work. Joan Beringer could help steady the non-Gobert minutes, which have long been a problem area, but there may be growing pains with the second-year big man.
The Wolves also don’t appear to be carrying many outright negative defenders beyond Ball and Bones Hyland, who might be out of the rotation. That said, the impact level of Edwards, Dosunmu, Kuminga and Beringer remains the swing point. If those pieces hit, Minnesota’s defense could climb from strong to elite.
But even without everything breaking perfectly, the core message is clear: as long as Gobert and McDaniels are healthy, the Timberwolves are going to be a damn good defensive team.
In Other News...
Anthony Edwards Just Became The Target Of A Brutal New Roast
Anthony Edwards has a way of making himself part of the basketball conversation even when he is nowhere near the floor, and this time it came from an Adidas commercial that drew a playful jab at Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. Brown, now with the Philadelphia 76ers, wasnt about to let that one slide, even if the back-and-forth landed in the lighter, internet-fueled corner of NBA banter rather than anything approaching real tension.
Brown answered during a live Twitch stream with teammate VJ Edgecombe, turning Edwards hairline joke back on the Timberwolves star in a way that fit the moment. It added another layer to Edwards already busy public profile, which has included off-court headlines around multiple child support cases and his recent marriage, but for Minnesota fans the immediate takeaway is simpler: their franchise centerpiece keeps finding his way into the middle of the leagues most colorful online exchanges. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Is Giving The Wolves Their Best Early Sign Yet
Anthony Edwards has spent Minnesotas preseason giving the Timberwolves exactly the kind of early signal they wanted after an offseason of recovery and roster turnover. He has been scoring efficiently in exhibition play and, just as important for a team trying to find its footing, he has looked like a player comfortable enough to keep attacking while working alongside new teammates LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga.
Chris Finch has liked what he has seen from Edwards condition, and the broader picture matters just as much as the points. If Edwards is healthy and blending naturally into the group, it gives Minnesota a far better chance to smooth out the integration period before the games start to count, even if the real test of how ready this team is will come once the regular season opens. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Get An Early Test In A Matchup Fans Should Watch Closely
The preseason opener in Miami gives the Timberwolves an immediate measuring stick, and not just because it comes at the same venue that will host their regular-season opener. With Minnesotas roster reshaped over the offseason, this matchup arrives as an early chance to see how the Wolves look against a team that can challenge them physically in the frontcourt and force them to sort through the kind of size they will see again once games start to count.
Miamis group will give Minnesota a useful stress test in that area, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo setting the tone and more size behind them to keep the pressure on. For the Wolves, the question is less about the final score and more about how their new-look rotation handles that type of matchup, which makes this one worth watching closely even in exhibition season. [Read more 🡒]