Gobert Is Alone at Center, and Minnesota Hasn't Fixed That Yet

Naz Reid is gone — traded to Charlotte as part of the LaMelo Ball deal — and what's left behind the starting center spot is essentially nothing proven. Rudy Gobert anchors the position, but the backup situation is thin enough to qualify as a genuine concern heading into training camp. Reid averaged 13.4 points and 6.2 rebounds last season in a reserve role that carried real weight; whoever fills those minutes next year is starting from a significant deficit.

The center depth problem doesn't exist in isolation. DiVincenzo remains out with an unspecified injury, and as I've noted in the last few pieces, there's still no timeline. That's a wing problem layered on top of a frontcourt problem, and the two compound each other: McDaniels and Bones Hyland are being asked to carry more of the perimeter load at exactly the moment the interior has less margin for error. If Gobert picks up foul trouble or misses time, it's not clear who absorbs those minutes at a functional level.

Connelly's logic for the Reid trade is sound on its face — Ball's playmaking addresses the close-game execution failures that defined last season more directly than interior depth does. But logic and roster construction are different things, and right now the roster has a visible gap. My read is that this needs attention before October, not after the first time Gobert sits with three fouls in the second quarter.