Rudy Gobert is staring at a golden chance to shake off an uneven start and deliver a much-needed lift for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The numbers from Monday tell the story. Gobert hauled in 20 rebounds, but the rest of his night was rough.
He missed all nine of his shot attempts, and his issues handling the ball stood out just as much. For a player leading the NBA in field goal percentage in 2025-26, that kind of outing stood out for all the wrong reasons.
Minnesota needs more from everyone now, and that need got even sharper with Anthony Edwards set to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and potentially miss two months. Edwards’ 33.3 points per game are now out of the lineup, leaving the Timberwolves to spread that production around. Gobert is part of that answer.
That’s especially true with LaMelo Ball now on the roster, a move that led plenty of people to expect easier scoring chances for Gobert. Instead, he has averaged just eight points over four games.
The schedule gives him a chance to change that quickly. Minnesota plays Golden State on Wednesday, then gets the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. Both games look like opportunities for the four-time Defensive Player of the Year to do damage around the rim and get back on track.
Golden State, in particular, looks like a favorable matchup. The Warriors are built around a small lineup, and early in the season Yaxel Lendeborg has been their most productive rookie.
Even so, the 6-foot-9 forward is questionable for Wednesday because of a left foot injury. With Kristaps Porzingis out indefinitely, Charles Bassey is the tallest listed player for Golden State at 6-foot-10.
That size profile should give Gobert room to work as a lob target and a cleanup finisher on missed shots - assuming he secures the ball.
The Warriors also bring a little extra edge. Gobert and Draymond Green have a well-documented history, and Green has repeatedly gone after Gobert, both in interviews and on his podcast. Even if Gobert doesn’t spend much time matched up with him directly, the matchup itself has no shortage of fuel.
There’s recent proof that Gobert can use Golden State to his advantage. Last season, he averaged 15.3 points on 79.3 percent shooting in four games against the Warriors, his second-highest scoring average against any opponent in 2025-26.
Friday’s meeting with the Clippers offers another opening. Isaiah Jackson is one of the league’s smallest starting centers, though Brook Lopez logs plenty of minutes off the bench.
So far, Gobert has reached double digits in scoring only once in Minnesota’s first four games. After the way the Timberwolves’ postseason ended last year - with Gobert scoring four points in Game 5 and then going scoreless in Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs - there’s obvious value in a stronger stretch now.
On paper, the path is there. Gobert has two good chances to make a real impact, and for Minnesota, that would go a long way toward calming the nerves.
In Other News...
Anthony Edwards Child Support Fight Just Took A More Serious Turn
Anthony Edwards off-court legal situation has been simmering for months, and the latest court action has only sharpened the stakes. The Timberwolves star remains in an ongoing child support dispute with Alexandria Desroches over their son, with the case now carrying the kind of financial and legal obligations that can ripple well beyond the courtroom.
Desroches has denied Edwards claim that support payments might be misused for gambling, even as she has acknowledged limited gambling activity of her own. Edwards, for his part, has raised concerns about how the money could be handled and sought a more controlled arrangement, keeping the matter unresolved while the legal process continues to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Tim Connelly Just Changed The Anthony Edwards Surgery Debate
Tim Connellys explanation offered a little more clarity around Anthony Edwards knee situation, and it also reshaped the timeline. The Timberwolves president of basketball operations said the arthroscopic procedure could not have happened during the offseason because recent imaging revealed changes that made surgery necessary. In other words, this was not a case of the organization sitting on a decision for months. It became apparent only after Edwards felt discomfort following a game against the Cavaliers.
The details matter because Edwards is dealing with his right knee, the one that had inflammation during the previous regular season, not the left knee that was injured in the playoffs. For a team that leans so heavily on Edwards, any update involving a knee procedure naturally draws attention, especially when it comes with a medical explanation that points to something evolving rather than routine maintenance. Connellys comments did not remove the concern, but they did make clear why the surgery happened when it did. [Read more 🡒]
LaMelo Ball Now Faces The Pressure Minnesota Can't Escape
Anthony Edwards knee injury leaves Minnesota without the engine that usually drives its offense, and the timing makes the adjustment even more delicate. With Edwards sidelined, LaMelo Ball is expected to shoulder the primary scoring and playmaking burden, a role that asks him to do more than simply create highlights or wait for the game to come to him.
Ball has long had the offensive talent to tilt a defense, but Minnesota now needs him to turn that talent into nightly structure. The question is whether he can settle into being the first option with enough force and consistency, or whether the Timberwolves will spend the next stretch asking him to carry a load he has not fully taken on yet. [Read more 🡒]