The key to a perfect buddy cop movie is to find two protagonists whose personalities and demeanors are dichotomous.
For example, Eddie Murphy plays Axel Foley in the 1984 movie Beverly Hills Cop. Foley plays a Detroit cop with a shady past who can talk his way out of any situation. Judge Reinhold plays his partner, Billy Rosewood, a strict book cop living out his dream in Beverly Hills. The two partner together to form a memorable duo to bring down a criminal art smuggling mastermind.
It’s one of the best movie tropes: two completely different people forced to work together to bring down a common foe. Movies that succeed at this crush in the box office and become ingrained in pop culture.
However, buddy cops aren’t limited to the big screen. Shaq and Kobe, for example. Shaquille O’Neal was the loud, goofy center with a turbulent childhood. Kobe Bryant was a stoic guard and a player’s son who excelled in prep schools and was destined for greatness. Together, they won three championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Much of basketball history follows that trend: Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Steph Curry and Draymond Green. For Minnesota Timberwolves fans, it could be Rob Dillingham and Rudy Gobert, who look like they will be the next great stars of a body cop comedy.
Dillingham’s playstyle couldn’t be more different than Gobert’s. Dillingham thrives off excitement and speed, using lightning-fast dribble moves to prompt a thunderous cheer from the crowd. He uses his short frame to bob and weave through large defenders before squeaking layups off the glass.
His flair, tattoos, and hair exude a certain moxie and charisma that rivals Axel Foley. However, his play complements Gobert’s game.
“If I have any big, but Rudy’s a great big, I feel like any big you can put them in position to be good, even if he’s not that good,” Dillingham said on Sunday. “If he’s tall, you can put him in position (to score).”
Meanwhile, Gobert is more reserved and introspective. He has distinguished himself by playing defense at a remarkable level. Gobert has protected the rim and been a consistent enforcer his entire career. His offensive playstyle consists of setting screens and dunks. Gobert’s only flair is in Hail Mary shots that turn into viral moments of shock.
Gobert is the old grizzled cop. He’s been around the block and found his stoop to stand on, occasionally yelling for kids to get off his lawn. Even in speaking on Dillingham, Gobert comes off as the reluctant partner who’s there to help.
“I wouldn’t compare him to Mike (Conley),” Gobert said back in November after a practice. “Rob is a little crazier. … I’m seeing now how I can really help him and maximize who he is and make him better on the floor.”
That’s the genius of the buddy cop model, the yin and yang of polar opposites. Even Chris Finch can appreciate it.
“We like to try and keep Rob with Rudy as much as we possibly can,” Finch said after Minnesota beat the Denver Nuggets on January 25. “It helps defensively, but also, he’s one of the guys that can really find Rudy in the pick-and-roll or late at the rim. … It was a really good shift by Rob.”
The Wolves have the cast for a theoretical box-office smash. They have a hot-shot young offensive player, a stoic defensive veteran, and a coach who urges them to play more time together.
The stats indicate it’s still a work in progress. In 108 total minutes, they have a 96.1 offensive rating and a 104.5 defensive rating (a -8.4 net rating). Opponents also outscored the Wolves when Dillingham and Gobert were on the court together. In their 108 minutes together, Dillingham has only passed to Rudy 14 times, during which Gobert has gone 2 of 6 shooting.
So what gives? Why hasn’t this buddy cop movie become a blockbuster?
The answer is the movie’s typical format. There needs to be hardship before there is success.
Dillingham and Gobert played 56 minutes together in October, November, and December. We’re at the part of the movie montage where the charismatic cop puts Mayo in the other cop’s custard-filled doughnut.
Minnesota’s Axel Foley and Billy Rosewood are figuring each other out. Dillingham is a rookie who’s learning to slow down and gain confidence. Gobert is starting to trust the young players’ judgment.
Mike Conley, Minnesota’s Gobert whisperer, foresaw a learning curve in training camp.
“For [Dillingham], he said, “it’s about pace, timing, understanding Rudy.”
Trust will build as the movie progresses. In January, Dillingham and Gobert outscored their opponents by four points in 52 minutes together, whereas Minnesota’s opponents outscored them by 17 points in the three months prior. They have a +0.9 net rating, and out of the 13 players Gobert had played minutes with in January, their net rating ranks 4th for Gobert.
Finch had been steadily increasing Dillingham’s minutes and appeared committed to pairing him with Gobert. Their numbers are getting better together every month. The opportunity for continued growth is evident. As the calendar turns to February, the stage is set for Dillingham and Gobert to solidify into the buddy cop duo the Wolves need if they wish to succeed in the playoffs.