With just under nine minutes left on Thursday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves only held a 12-point lead over the 25-51 Brooklyn Nets. Minnesota had been in control for most of the game but could not put the Nets away.
Rudy Gobert sent a ghost screen for Mike Conley. As soon as Gobert slipped out, Conley passed the ball to his 7’1” teammate, who was just inside the 3-point line. That would have been a death sentence for the Timberwolves earlier in the season. However, Gobert took one dribble, cleared off against Nicolas Claxton, and Euro-stepped around Brooklyn’s big man, converting a tough layup.
Minnesota’s lead was up to 15 when Brooklyn called a timeout. Anthony Edwards and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were flexing. Naz Reid pushed Gobert out of excitement at halfcourt. Rob Dillingham was standing on the bench, pointing at Claxton, a Wolves tradition that the bench mob usually only breaks out after poster dunks.
Dillingham’s point felt more than appropriate, though. Earlier in the season, Gobert probably doesn’t complete the layup or even attempt to make a move to score. It also embodied the impressive stretch of scoring Gobert was in the middle of and how much his teammates trust him.
Thursday against the Nets – who rank 22nd in defensive rating – Gobert finished with 21 points and 18 rebounds on 9 of 10 from the floor. He feasted against a poor defensive team with an undersized frontcourt. The Wolves did their job, winning 105-90. Above that, it was Gobert’s latest installment in one of the best stretches he’s had since joining the Timberwolves in 2022.
He’s elevating his team to a new level and should continue to do so in the postseason.
“He looks like the Defensive Player of the Year that he was last year,” Finch said postgame on Thursday. “[Gobert is] consistently challenging everything, finishing really well, playing strong offensively around the rim, and playing very smart when the ball is delivered to him in the pocket – making a lot of really good plays out of that. Just playing within himself but at a high level.”
Gobert challenged himself to improve earlier this season when his numbers were down.
Through the first 44 games, the Timberwolves had a 23-21 record. Gobert was averaging 10.2 points (3.8 fewer than last season), 10.2 rebounds (2.7 fewer than last season), and 1.5 blocks (0.6 fewer than last season) on 64.2% from the floor (1.9% lower than last season).
In that span, Minnesota had a 110.4 defensive rating, ranking seventh in the NBA, down from their No. 1 ranked defense last season but still respectable. However, the Wolves ranked 19th in total rebounds per game, 19th in offensive rebounds, and 16th in defensive rebounds. Part of Minnesota’s rebounding woes to start the season stemmed from Karl-Anthony Towns’ absence. He averaged 8.2 rebounds last season. Still, Gobert shouldered most of the blame early on, and he knew that.
“I’ve got to be better,” Gobert said regarding his rebounding on Jan. 24. “Just don’t overthink it; just go get it. Sometimes, I tend to overthink, which takes me out of the flow. In a way, I get distracted a little bit listening to whatever I hear.”
Gobert has said countless times since 2022 that he needs to set the tone for his team. He has always been quick to take the blame after a bad loss and holds himself to a high standard. Certain players can set the tone in a game while being a background presence. Nickeil Alexander-Walker fits that mold. It’s easy to lose sight of him when he’s on the court, but you feel his absence when he’s on the bench.
Primarily with Gobert, the Wolves feel his impact the most when he fills up the box score, which he has done over the last two weeks.
Over the last seven games, Gobert is averaging 18.6 points and 16.3 rebounds (NBA high) on 73% from the floor (2nd highest among players league-wide who have played a least 225 minutes). The Timberwolves are 6-1 in that span and have outscored their opponents by 83 points with Gobert on the floor. He’s also averaging 10.6 shot attempts per game, which is nearly two attempts more than his career high for a season (8.8 attempts in 2018-19).
Gobert’s game is connected. Usually, when his teammates make a concerted effort to keep him involved in the offense, that translates to Gobert’s impact being greater on the glass and defensively.
When comparing the first 44 games of the season to the last six, Gobert’s teammates are not passing to him at a much higher rate. When passing to Gobert through the first 44 games, the Wolves had a 20.6% pass-to-game ratio. Over the last seven, the ratio is 22.3%. However, Gobert is shooting 67.3% when his teammates pass to him in the previous seven, whereas he shot 54.5% in the first 44 games.
Reid credits Gobert for his recent scoring success.
“Mostly, he’s just been catching the ball and finishing,” Reid said postgame on Thursday. “He has been able to find himself in the pocket and make plays, whether it’s kick it out, finish, uphill DHO, whatever the case may be. Being able to do that has been a benefit for him. Him put in those situations and impacting those situations is huge.”
While Gobert is more effectively leveraging his 7’1” frame and dunking the ball more, his teammates have done a better job finding Gobert in situations where he can thrive. That’s especially true for Julius Randle, whose passes to Gobert have popped over the last six games.
Earlier in the season, the Wolves desperately missed Kyle Anderson, who always got the most out of Gobert offensively. The Wolves have collectively figured out how to keep Gobert involved in the offense and challenge him to be his best version.
“Offensively, they’ve been great just looking for me,” Gobert said on March 30. “Whether it’s in the pocket or lobs – just trying to make the right play, the right pass, and trusting me. That’s huge. Defensively, them just pushing me everyday – challenging me to be the best defender in the world, and that is who I think I am. I got to bring that every single minute when I’m on the floor.”
Gobert has been playing like someone who believes he is the best defender on the planet, which fans can see by his overall energy level on the court. His confidence is sky-high. His teammates trust him, even to work out of the short roll, which he could not do earlier this season. Gobert and his teammates have set the stage for Gobert to continue to be a significant contributor in the playoffs, and the Wolves need him to be if they are going to make a deep run.
However, even if he gets a bad matchup or the other team has a good plan against him, Minnesota’s passing and Gobert’s energy level should make him a reliable threat against any opponent in the postseason.
