Who has the better starting five: Timberwolves or Knicks?

The new-look starting fives will meet for the first time on Dec. 19 in Minneapolis.

Jan 1, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) looks to drive past New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The blockbuster trade between the Timberwolves and Knicks still hasn't been finalized by the league, but assuming that it's done and Karl-Anthony Towns will be in New York and Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo are in Minnesota, which team has the better starting five?

DiVincenzo is likely a backup in Minnesota, which speaks to why the Timberwolves should feel comfortably in front of every other team in the league when it comes to depth. Add in Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Naz Reid and the Timberwolves have three starting-caliber players coming off the bench. That's unmatched in the NBA today.

As for the starters, let's look at the tale of the tape....

Position	Timberwolves	Knicks
PG	Mike Conley	Jalen Brunson
SG	Anthony Edwards	Mikal Bridges
SF	Jaden McDaniels	OG Anunoby
PF	Julius Randle	Josh Hart
C	Rudy Gobert	Karl-Anthony Towns

Point guard: Conley vs. Brunson

Conley is about as solid as a point guard gets in the NBA, but Brunson averaged 28.7 points and was fifth in MVP voting and named to the All-NBA Second Team last season. Edge: Knicks

Shooting guard: Edwards vs. Bridges

No contest. Bridges is a very good two-way player but Edwards has risen to elite status and should be considered an MVP frontrunner in 2024-25. Edge: Timberwolves

Small forward: McDaniels vs. Anunoby

This is a great head-to-head because both are high-end defenders. McDaniels may be the best on-ball defender in the game and Anunoby has seven seasons of evidence that he's elite on the defensive end. The thing here is that Anunoby is a better offensive player at this point in his career. That could change if McDaniels takes another step this season, but for now, Anunoby is the more legitimate offensive threat. Edge: Knicks

Power forward: Randle vs. Hart

Randle was the starting power forward in New York so he's the obvious choice in this head-to-head showdown. Randle's fit in Minnesota will be interesting to see in development, but he's been a lock for 20-25 points, 9-10 rebounds and 5-6 assists per game in each of the last four seasons. Edge: Timberwolves

Center: Gobert vs. Towns

Towns is moving back to the five with New York after playing the four the last two seasons to make way for Gobert at center. Towns adopted the power forward nicely and performed at an All-Star level, and his defense against Nikola Jokic in the second round of the playoffs was a major reason Minnesota advanced past the Nuggets. Gobert is a force on defense and but he brings very little to the table on the other end of the floor. Towns at his natural position could yield career-high results in New York. Edge: Knicks

The final tally shows three for the Knicks and two for the Timberwolves. So, sure, the Knicks appear to have the better starting five. That said, the weightiness of each head-to-head matchup matters and the Knicks barely have the edge, in my opinion, with Anunoby over McDaniels, so this is about as close as it gets. Throw in the fact that Minnesota's bench is far and away better than New York's and it's clear that Minneosta has the better roster.