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Frederick: Does this formula work? Timberwolves don’t have look of title contender

The Minnesota Timberwolves' size-first identity faltered on Friday as the San Antonio Spurs defeated them in Game 6 of the second round, ending Minnesota's playoff run with a roster built on interior length and athleticism.
Minnesota adopted a 'big, strong and athletic' identity after acquiring center Rudy Gobert in 2022, initially pairing him with Karl-Anthony Towns to dominate the paint through combined 7-foot height.
The Spurs, featuring 7-foot-5 'alien' Victor Wembanyama, negated Minnesota's advantages by matching their interior presence. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said, "I felt like we kinda ran out of bullets as this series went on."
Minnesota's roster, lacking a traditional point guard, struggles against Western Conference teams with similar interior length like the Oklahoma City Thunder, having failed to advance past the second round in three straight seasons.
Minnesota may need to sacrifice some strength to add ball handling and real-time decision-making capabilities, as Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly evaluates whether his original roster construction can compete for a championship.

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