The Timberwolves' chemistry with Edwards, Randle and Gobert is 'a work in progress' - ESPN

DAYS AFTER THE Minnesota Timberwolves made a core-altering blockbuster trade, Anthony Edwards sensed that his new co-star was concerned about stepping on toes.

It was just a training camp scrimmage, but Julius Randle looked more like a hesitant rookie than a veteran with a decade of experience and a few All-Star appearances on his résumé.

There were instantly questions about fit when the Timberwolves, coming off a Western Conference finals appearance, replaced sweet-shooting 7-foot franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns in the starting lineup with a ball-dominant power forward. Edwards attempted to ease any pressure Randle felt as he adjusted to his new team, along with guard Donte DiVincenzo and the Detroit Pistons' protected first-round pick in the deal that sent Towns to the New York Knicks.

«Make us fit around you,» Edwards told Randle during the scrimmage, encouraging his new teammate to play with the same level of aggressiveness he displayed while averaging 23.0 points per game during his five-year Knicks tenure. «Don't try to fit around us.»

It was a pleasant thought, but the process hasn't been nearly so simple. For the second time in three seasons, the Timberwolves have struggled to form chemistry on the fly in the wake of a major trade.

«It's an adjustment, but we want to be winning games while we're figuring it out,» Randle told ESPN. «We show phases of being able to do that.»

Meanwhile, Towns has made a smooth adjustment in New York. He's in the midst of a career year, averaging an efficient 25.4 points and 13.9 rebounds for the 27-15 Knicks as Randle and the Timberwolves make their annual visit to Randle's old home of Madison Square Garden on Friday night. Towns, however, is questionable against his former