This week's eight things I liked and disliked include Anthony Edwards showing signs that the Minnesota Timberwolves' bet is paying off, how the Chicago Bulls' three All-Stars have no identity on offense and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander having the sport's most precious thing. Jump to Lowe's Things:Minny needs to win now | SGA's superstar traitChicago's broken offense | Banchero's bad turnoversDuncan off the bounce | Luka increasing the pace |Keldon's new role | Phoenix's masterpiece court The Wolves trading Walker Kessler and four first-round picks to the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gobert in 2022 was one of the most audacious wagers in NBA history.
It was a massive bet on Gobert, and on the enduring power of size, but it was almost as big a bet on Anthony Edwards developing into a championship centerpiece before his 23rd birthday.
The Gobert megadeal hung a financial sword of Damocles over the Timberwolves — it imposed a compressed timeline in which they had to win big.
The Wolves understood that barring luxury tax outlays unprecedented for a small-market team, it could be unfeasible to keep their core together long.