We finally have some Rudy Gobert film after the big trade. The only downside? It’s from his play at EuroBasket 2022 and not in a Minnesota Timberwolves jersey. It has also brought a lot of attention his way. Gobert is still a hot topic in the NBA world after Tim Connelly gave up multiple players and picks for him.
At Eurobasket, Rudy has been playing alongside current NBA players Evan Fournier (New York Knicks), Theo Maledon (Oklahoma City Thunder), and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (Atlanta Hawks). He also played guys who had an NBA stint in Elie Okobo (Phoenix Suns), Vincent Poirier (Philadelphia 76ers), and Guerschon Yabusele (Boston Celtics). Gobert represented France, the fourth-ranked team in FIBA.
Gobert has received plenty of criticism on Twitter after a rough post-up attempt against former Celtics and Houston Rockets guard Dennis Schroder. It highlights the conversation about his ability to post up with his large frame effectively.
His mishap against Schroeder should be of no concern for the Wolves. Rudy has never been a high-usage post-up player. In theory, he should be able to get easier buckets, such as a mismatch on a guard. But it should not be the focus of Minnesota’s offense to get him the ball no matter what in these situations.
Here is how Gobert has faired in point per possession (PPP) in post-ups over his career:
It is clear that there is minimal usage and shot attempts within this opportunity. I don’t expect that to change with the Wolves, so it’s nothing to fret about.
Rudy has averaged 11.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in his 4 Eurobasket games thus far. He’s shooting 53.3% from the field and making 72.2% of his free throws, leading France to a 3-1 record thus far in Group B play. Stats that are on pace with his typical national team performances in the past in competitions such as other EuroBasket competitions and the Olympics.
Gobert has been excelling in his typical strengths, including being a roller and his impact down low defensively.
He cannot completely take over offensively as players like Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo do on their national teams. Luka and Giannis can score in isolation and have the ability to take players off the dribble. Gobert is an entirely different archetype. Still, we have seen more ballhandling from him and a three-point shot. As a result, he’s putting up a respectable 11.3 ppg, 3rd on the France team.
Chris Finch won’t frequently post-up Rudy in Minnesota. Like Quin Snyder used him with the Utah Jazz, we should see a lot of him in the dunker spot and using his screening ability on and off the ball, then rolling to the basket.
We will get a sneak peek of what Gobert will offer once he’s back in Minneapolis. But there shouldn’t be much more to take away from EuroBasket 2022 other than Rudy getting back into playing shape. His success in Minnesota will come down to how the Wolves can effectively gel as a team. Can they figure it all out in the preseason? Will they take advantage of their initial favorable schedule? If they can’t, then there is reason for concern.
