T-Wolves sideshow proves Grizzlies are gold standard for team chemistry

An internal rift between Timberwolves players Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards just spilled into the public eye and demonstrated why the Memphis Grizzlies are the gold standard for team chemistry.

The Timberwolves were a popular pick to usurp the Memphis Grizzlies this season with the blockbuster acquisition of Rudy Gobert and the free agent signing of Kyle Anderson. But perhaps the weight of those preseason and early season expectations are starting to weigh too heavily on the young and inexperienced Western Conference foes.

Grizzlies former first-round opponent showing major cracks in team chemistry

The Timberwolves series was one of the most stressful in Grizzlies’ history, with Memphis trailing most of the matchup. However, going into the future, Memphis fans may not have to worry about a rematch.

After losing to the San Antonio Spurs at home, Karl-Anthony Towns had some interesting post-game thoughts. He was asked about Anthony Edwards struggling in back-to-backs, and he responded, with a bizarre jab at his teammate’s eating habits.

“Maybe I can do a better job of teaching him how to take care of his body and diet… I know y’all think it’s funny when he’s up here talking about Popeyes— that doesn’t make me happy to hear,” Towns said in front of members of the local media.

Yes, he just called out his teammate’s eating habits. Publicly. In front of the media.

Anthony Edwards responded by scoring a team-high 34 points to go along with nine assists and three rebounds. Even though this brought the best out of Edwards in the short term; this could create a divide between the two stars, especially if this hadn’t been addressed privately before.

To make things even more embarrassing, the Popeyes verified Twitter account subtweeted Towns in spectacular fashion, bringing even more attention to the bizarre exchange.

Meanwhile, in Memphis, you have just the opposite happening. The team’s chemistry has never been better and is stuffed full of joy and euphoria.

We’ve seen a few public examples of just how close these guys are already. One exchange in particular stands out between Ja Morant and Jake LaRavia.

Ja Morant walked from the end of the bench to half-court to encourage a rookie in his fourth game. Jake LaRavia missed a dunk on a fast break against the Nets on Monday. Shortly after, a Brooklyn Net got fouled and went to the free-throw line, where Morant then met Laravia at half-court to tell him to shake it off and keep playing.

You also have the uplifting celebration from LaRavia’s breakout performance against Sacramento on Oct. 27, which was special.

That is the culture being set here by a 23-year-old who just got a $236 million contract, should not be glazed over. This story will never be reported, and it’s hard to imagine any Grizzly player calling out a teammate publicly. It’s just not who we are.

For more on this story, see Jack’s TikTok diving into this subject by clicking here.