Rudy Gobert’s Timberwolves run has always come with two very different truths attached to it.
On one hand, the deal that sent him to Minnesota was divisive from the start, and the big man has still become the kind of defensive anchor that changes the Wolves’ nightly baseline. He’s been that steady force in the middle, the kind of presence that lifts the floor for an entire roster. In Timberwolves history, only Kevin Garnett belongs in the same conversation as Gobert when it comes to defense.
But the other side of the ledger has never disappeared.
Gobert remains limited offensively. His rebounding is strong, but not immune to inconsistency.
He can have trouble securing passes on the move when he’s diving to the rim. And when teammates don’t trust him enough to keep finding him on those rolls, his impact on that end can shrink fast.
That version of Gobert has shown up enough in the regular season to notice, and it has been even more glaring in the playoffs, when Minnesota has often gone smaller and taken its most important defensive piece off the floor.
This season gives him a different setup.
Minnesota’s new-look roster should force Gobert to stay central on defense, but it also places him next to a player who should help get him more comfortable touches on offense. With two years left on his current contract, including his player option, Gobert has a real chance to put together one of the best seasons of his career. How close he gets to that could help decide how much longer he stays in a Wolves uniform.
Offensively, Gobert really only lives in two places: around the blocks as a lob threat, or in the screen-and-roll game after dribble handoffs. That’s where he matters.
The first job is simple - make defenders choose between the ball and the rim. The second is about giving him enough short-roll opportunities to finish or make a quick decision.
He doesn’t need to be a constant playmaker there, but he does need to be a threat.
Anthony Edwards, as the primary point guard, didn’t consistently deliver that. His lob passing wasn’t strong, and the trust with Gobert never seemed steady. Mike Conley ended up serving as the “Rudy whisperer” on that side of the ball, which is part of why he was brought in and why he still got minutes last season despite a clear drop in play.
The numbers back that up. During the regular season, Edwards passed Gobert the ball 309 times, the fewest among starters and less than half as many times as Julius Randle.
That was only 30 more passes than Gobert got from Naz Reid, who was usually coming off the bench to replace him. Gobert even received more passes from Donte DiVincenzo than from Edwards.
That setup never really worked, and now Edwards has the chance to play away from the ball, where everyone in the lineup appears more comfortable.
LaMelo Ball changes that dynamic. He ran more than 500 pick-and-roll possessions last season and ranked sixth in the league in points created. Unlike Edwards, who often looked to run pick-and-rolls and get to his own shot, Ball is expected to initiate earlier and find Gobert rolling to the rim as one of the league’s better playmakers.
There’s also a major rebounding hole to fill.
Gobert was the clear leader on the team in contested rebounds per game, and the next two players behind him, Julius Randle and Naz Reid, are no longer on the roster. That leaves a big gap.
Jaden McDaniels, Ayo Dosunmu, and Anthony Edwards all averaged the same number of contested rebounds per game: one. Joan Beringer looks like a solid bench option, but the burden can’t rest entirely on the center spot.
As the roster stands now, Gobert may need to average 15 rebounds for Minnesota to be a legitimate Western Conference contender. If he doesn’t, the Wolves will need much more from their backcourt and wings on the glass than they’ve had before.
At 34, Gobert is still in a position he’s occupied with every team he’s played for: helping teams win. He hasn’t missed the playoffs in a decade.
This time, though, the job is bigger. It’s not about lifting the floor anymore. It’s about pushing the ceiling higher.
In Other News...
Tim Connelly Just Addressed The Timberwolves Question Fans Care About
Tim Connellys future has been one of the quieter but more important questions around the Timberwolves as the front office heads into another pivotal stretch. The president of basketball operations spoke recently about the teams roster-building path, revisiting the high-profile moves that reshaped Minnesota, including the trades for Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and LaMelo Ball, while also acknowledging that some of those deals have come with their share of difficulty.
What stood out most was Connellys tone about what comes next. With his contract set to expire after this year, he made it clear he remains invested in finishing the job and keeping the roster moving forward after the clubs recent playoff runs. For a team that has spent years trying to turn promise into something more lasting, the bigger question now is whether the same person who helped steer those bold swings will be the one guiding the next phase. [Read more 🡒]
J. Cole Just Added More Hype To Minnesotas New Star Pairing
The buzz around Minnesotas latest roster shakeup reached beyond the NBA floor and into a concert crowd, where J. Cole gave the Timberwolves new partnership between Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball an extra shot of credibility. During a Minnesota stop on The Fall Off tour, Cole publicly praised the pairing and said he believed the two guards would make for a strong team, adding a little celebrity fuel to a move that already had plenty of intrigue attached to it.
For the Wolves, the appeal is obvious. Ball brings another skilled facilitator into a group that already features Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels, giving Minnesota a different kind of playmaking option after its Western Conference Semifinals run. Coles reaction matters mostly as a measure of the excitement around the fit, and it adds to the sense that the Timberwolves are trying to turn a promising core into something even more dangerous. [Read more 🡒]
Joan Beringer Is Giving The Timberwolves A New Reason For Hope
Joan Beringer has already given Minnesota something it has been hunting for: a young frontcourt player whose defensive profile looks unusually real for this stage of his career. Tim Connelly, one of the lead voices in the Timberwolves front office, singled out Beringers blend of physical tools and defensive upside, the kind of endorsement that carries extra weight for a team built around toughness and length. After a rookie season that offered encouraging signs on that end, Beringer enters this year with a clearer path to minutes.
For the Timberwolves, the intrigue is not just whether Beringer can protect the rim and move like a modern big, but whether those traits can translate into broader value as his role grows. Increased playing time should give the team a better read on how far his athleticism can take him, especially if the defensive impact continues to show up early and often. If he keeps progressing, Minnesota could have found another piece who helps shape the identity it wants to keep building around. [Read more 🡒]