Charles Barkley lambasts Minnesota Timberwolves for making the blockbuster trade to acquire Rudy Gobert: “That was so stupid”
Charles Barkley continues to criticize the Minnesota Timberwolves for their blockbuster trade to acquire Rudy Gobert. The Timberwolves added the three-time Defensive Player of the Year to their roster this past offseason, offering a king's ransom to the Utah Jazz and in turn mortgaging their future.
The Timberwolves gave up four first-round picks and crucial pieces like Jarred Vanderbilt, Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley, among others. Here's what Barkley said on-air during TNT's MLK Day broadcast of "Inside the NBA":
"The Timberwolves made the worst trade in NBA history... That was so stupid that trade."
"The Timberwolves made the worst trade in NBA history... That was so stupid that trade."
— Charles Barkley
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The Timberwolves made the playoffs last season. However, they needed to make a significant trade to get to the next level. Minnesota surprised everyone by going after Gobert. They already had an All-Star center playing the five in Karl-Anthony Towns.
Minnesota believed Rudy Gobert would bolster their defense and help unlock Towns' potential on offense. The Timberwolves are 22-23, the same record they possessed at this stage last season.
The difference is that they don't possess the assets they had a year ago, which could alter their plans in the future. The Timberwolves look far from being championship contenders. Minnesota's offensive efficiency has dropped compared to last year, while they are exactly where they were defensively last season.
When Charles Barkley said he hated Rudy Gobert's trade to Minnesota Timberwolves
Charles Barkley hasn't been a fan of the Minnesota Timberwolves going with a twin-tower approach this season. Earlier this season, Barkley said he "hated" Rudy Gobert's trade to the team.
"I hated that trade... It would have been fine in our day. Their flaws are gonna show on the pick and roll but also they can't guard today's game. They're not dominating on either end."
He added:
"What good is it to have two big dudes out there that can't guard the 3-point shooters?"
Barkley wasn't far from pitching a near-perfect assessment of the Timberwolves' potential on-court woes with Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns playing in tandem. KAT has been an average defender, while Gobert isn't versatile and struggles on the perimeter.
"I hated that trade. It would have been fine in [my day]... They can't guard today's game. They’re not dominating on either end."
Charles Barkley on the Timberwolves trading for Rudy Gobert
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The league relies more on 3-point shooting now than ever before, which has seen the Timberwolves struggle to guard the 3-point when their two All-Star bigs are on the floor. To make things worse, Towns and Gobert haven't played together enough to develop any chemistry this season. Towns suffered a calf injury on November 28th and has missed 24 games since then.
The Minnesota Timberwolves will need another transition period with him and Rudy Gobert on the floor, which further hampers their shot at achieving a top-six seed and a deep playoff run.