Rockets suddenly hold huge advantage over Wolves that Minnesota surrendered

The Rockets were able to make a big star addition last summer without giving up a lot, but not every team is so lucky. The Timberwolves made a big splash this offseason by adding LaMelo Ball, but also traded away Naz Reid in that move and Julius Randle in another one. That leaves Minnesota with a lot less size going into next season and potentially unable to match the Rockets’ physicality.

The Wolves will look a lot different next season 

For the last few years, the Wolves have built themselves up as a big, physical team around Anthony Edwards. Edwards himself brings a lot of physicality to the guard spot, so the Wolves leaned into that advantage with a formidable frontcourt. Alongside Ant-Man, they’ve rolled out rising star Jaden McDaniels at small forward, defensive specialist Rudy Gobert at center and a slew of offensive talent at power forward.

That power forward spot is the most changed from previous seasons. Last season, Minnesota got a lot of scoring out of that position between Randle (21 points per game) and Reid (14 points per game off the bench). Having both on the roster also gave the Wolves multiple options for double-big lineups, a unique advantage that the Rockets also enjoy.

Minnesota took a big risk for a reason 

Still, the Wolves will have more talent on paper following this offseason. Ball comes in as an All-Star caliber point guard that adds more creation in the Wolves’ backcourt. With his offensive abilities, Edwards shouldn’t have to carry as big of a scoring or playmaking burden.

The Rockets have taken a different approach, trusting the size on their roster and maintaining flexibility to chase more attainable trade targets. They’re unlikely to get anyone of Ball’s stature but also would prefer not to give up the package needed for him. 

On the other hand, the Wolves are trusting that Gobert will be able to hold down the paint while they get smaller elsewhere. They might have other guys scale up to larger positions, since they have more talent in the backcourt than frontcourt at this point. 

But the bet could end up being a risky one if the Wolves struggle with rebounding. Last season, they were 11th in the league in rebounding percentage. By comparison, the Rockets were comfortably first. Next season, the Wolves are getting even smaller while the Rockets should actually have more size if Steven Adams stays healthy.

Even if Minnesota got better overall, they also exposed themselves to a potentially terrible matchup in the Rockets. Houston has the defensive personnel to limit the Wolves offense with LaMelo and Ant, but also the size to exploit the new weaknesses. If the two teams match up in a playoff series, the Wolves could be in for a rude awakening. 

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