Championship or Bust?

Karl-Anthony Towns (David Sherman/NBAE via GETTY)

"Championship or Bust." The famous words of teams who have busted. It makes me think of recent teams who fell short with this mentality. Like when the Sixers acquired Jimmy Butler and felt they had to win that year, we all know what occurred. Or how about the Brooklyn Nets, despite having Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, not even making the finals. In my opinion, these teams were better than the current Timberwolves. So what is the big deal with Karl-Anthony Towns stating it's "Championship or Bust"?

First off, Minnesota is just not all that great. Sure they traded for arguably the best defender in the league in Rudy Gobert, but what do they still have left? The haul for Gobert was massive and quite literally ruined the trade market. Let's take a look at what is gone:

Four first-round picks

C Walker Kessler

F Leandro Bolmaro

F Jarred Vanderbilt

G Patrick Beverley

G Malik Beasley

Player-wise, they gave up more than people think they did. Beasley played the most games for the T-Wolves (79) last season, shooting 38 percent from three on eight attempts per game. Vanderbilt was second on the team in rebounding and a very scrappy defender who can be pesky. Along with Beverley, who we all know his game by now. He will hit the occasional three but is solid at defense for his size. Beasley and Beverley were also fourth and sixth on the team in scoring, respectively. So now, what did Minnesota get back?

They gained a player in Gobert, who put up 15.6 points per game and led the league in rebounding at 14.7 a game. He is a three-time All-Star, six-time All-Defensive First Team selection, and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. The player they received is no scrub. My concern is the team that's left.

Towns is going to do his thing and shoot the three at a high clip and rebound, Anthony Edwards will continue to be a human highlight reel, and D'Angelo Russell will continually be the guy you think has it but doesn't. Do not get me wrong here. They will be in the playoffs. But it is time for KAT to take a chill pill and be realistic. The pieces on this team are built for a first-round playoff exit.

Their season win total betting line went from 41.5 to 46, and the championship odds to make the final jumped to a whopping 0.35 percent via Sportsline. When a team has two bigs like this, it is hard to make it work. Luckily, KAT can shoot the three. However, having your power forward stand at the three-point line is not a winning formula. There is going to be a learning curve.

Winning a playoff series should be a realistic goal for a team with only two appearances in the playoffs since 2004. Get that under your belt, and then come talk to me. Saying that you have to win it all with this team, or it is bust, is like going to an Outback Steakhouse and expecting top-of-the-line Wagyu steak. Outback is good, but it's nothing special because it is a chain restaurant.

Putting these expectations on a team like the Timberwolves is the ultimate setup for failure. When you look at it, would you pick them to beat the Warriors? Mavericks? Suns? Nuggets? Clippers? I will be on the lookout for the Timberwolves to see how their season goes. The fit could be off for all we know, and now they are stuck with him. Ultimately, I believe the T-Wolves lost this trade because while what they got was phenomenal, they gave up pieces that helped them in areas Gobert cannot.

"Championship or Bust" for the Timberwolves? This team has to focus on winning a playoff series before all of that. Could they put it all together or make another splash in the trade market? Yes, they can. However, it may cost them Anthony Edwards, and then what? Teams who say championship and bust always bust, and the 2022-23 Minnesota Timberwolves will be the latest victim of entering a season with this quote out there.