Karl-Anthony returned to Minnesota on Thursday night and reminded them exactly why the Timberwolves miss him. It wasn’t just the 32 points he scored while shooting 5-of-5 on 3-pointers and 20 rebounds; it was how perfectly he fit next to Jalen Brunson in the Knicks’ offense — the way he used to fit next to Anthony Edwards.
Minnesota’s offense without Towns stumbled through that game, as it has done in most games this season. The fit of Edwards and Julius Randle — the guy Towns was traded for — is not natural or smooth. After the game Edwards didn’t hold back saying just how frustrated he is right now, via Dane Moore.
Edwards is an Olympian, an All-NBA level player and one of the game’s rising stars who thrives in isolation. Randle likes to isolate and work near the basket. Combine those, and everything gets clogged up. Minnesota has run the sixth most isolation sets in the NBA this season but is scoring just 0.77 points per possession on those, which is fourth worst in the league.
Despite how Thursday against the Knicks looked, the Timberwolves are not a bad team, primarily thanks to an elite defense that can keep them in (most) games. However, they are not returning to the Western Conference Finals again with this offense, leading to hard questions. A trade is possible, but an easier solution may be in house: Start Naz Reid next to Rudy Gobert and bring Randle off the bench (and let him be the star with all the touches on the second unit). Reid tries hard on defense and can space the floor as a shooter (34.6% from 3 this season, numbers that have improved after a slow start).
Whatever changes are coming, the Timberwolves need to figure something out in the coming weeks if they intend to be a playoff threat again in a deep West.
