One of the biggest stories of the NBA season so far has been the breakout success of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The T-Wolves are finding the success this year that many fans expected last year.
They are making up for lost time and have an 11-3 record, which puts them as the top seed in the Western Conference.
What is leading to such a dominant record?
There are a few reasons but one of the biggest is the pairing of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.
According to NBACentral, Gobert and Towns hold the first and second spots as leaders in defensive rating in the league.
Gobert has a rating of 101.8 while Towns has 103.6.
Leaders in Defensive Ratings:
1. Rudy Gobert – 101.8
2. Karl-Anthony Towns – 103.6
3. Chet Holmgren – 104.5
4. Anthony Davis – 104.6
5. Jae’Sean Tate – 104.6
6. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 105.0
7. Jalen Suggs – 105.2
8. Kyle Anderson – 105.8
9. Mitchell Robinson – 105.9
10.…— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 24, 2023
Gobert and Towns have been sensational together lately.
Gobert is averaging 12.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game and is being spoken of as a possible Defensive Player of the Year winner.
Towns is posting 21.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and looks like the sort of team leader the team has needed for years.
These two are just one of the many reasons why the Timberwolves are flourishing.
The good news keeps coming for Minnesota as several other players on the roster made this list of defensive leaders.
Kyle Anderson, Naz Reid, and Anthony Edwards are also doing incredible defensive things.
The Timberwolves are shutting opponents down all over the court and with multiple stars.
Last season, Minnesota was seen as a disappointment by many, especially when they failed to push out of the opening round of the playoffs.
But they have come together in a huge way in 2023-24 and are now perhaps the most dominant defensive team in their conference.
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Anthony Edwards Claims He Could Play In Another Major League