Rudy Gobert didn’t push back when the dunk question came up. If anything, he leaned into it.
That’s notable because Minnesota is already trying to weather a rough patch. The Timberwolves have dropped two straight, and they’ll now have to navigate life without Anthony Edwards, who is out for at least two months with a knee injury.
With their All-Star forward sidelined, the expectation is that Gobert will have to provide more on offense. Instead, he was held to one point, four rebounds and one steal in Minnesota’s 119-114 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
After coach Chris Finch publicly criticized Gobert’s finishing during a combined 0-for-13 stretch, the veteran center acknowledged there’s something to the idea of going up stronger in the paint.
“Sometimes I tell myself, ‘Why didn't I dunk that, too?' I guess it depends,” Gobert said.
“I guess, most importantly, is to react, to be decisive. To be strong and to be decisive.
If I'm going to dunk it, go dunk it. If they foul me and call it, it is how it is.
But I gotta be more decisive and more balanced, more poised.”
Gobert is averaging 6.6 points and 12.2 rebounds in six games this season, numbers that underline just how much Minnesota needs cleaner production from him while Edwards is out.
Finch’s criticism was blunt. When asked about the four-time Defensive Player of the Year’s shooting issues, he said, “I don't see a lot of extension,” said Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, when asked about the four-time defensive player of the year’s shooting struggles.
“I see a lot of short arms, a lot of flips, a lot of like kind of finesse shots around there. I think he just needs, you know, more extension, more you know, more pat, more - just try to dunk more stuff, honestly.
And, you know, trying to, he's trying to play off contact in the wrong way, you know, so, that's, to me, that's it.”
Minnesota will try to get back on track Saturday against the Spurs.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Just Put Cody Williams In A Tough Spotlight
The Timberwolves are locking in on two rookies they feel have already earned a longer look, exercising their team options for Terrence Shannon Jr. and Joan Beringer for the 2027/28 season. Both have contributed as expected in the current season, giving Minnesota some clarity as it tries to manage its roster and cap space without losing track of young talent that has fit into the rotation.
Cody Williams is the odd man out in that process, and it leaves his next step hanging over the rest of the year. His struggles have made the front office cautious about the price tag attached to another season, especially with the team watching its cap situation closely, and if he finishes out his current contract, hell be headed toward a much less certain summer. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves' Hot Start Comes With One Problem They Can't Ignore
The Timberwolves early-season surge has come with a noticeable shift in pace, and LaMelo Ball has helped speed up an offense that looks far more dynamic than it did a year ago. Before the next challenge arrived, Anthony Edwards was carrying plenty of that load, averaging 33.3 points per game and giving Minnesota the kind of top-end shot creation it can build around.
Rudy Gobert still gives the Wolves a defensive foundation they can trust, but the offensive side has become harder to ignore. He has struggled to finish efficiently and has not found much rhythm around the rim, leaving Minnesota with a frontcourt issue that feels more pressing now that Edwards is out after knee surgery and the scoring burden has shifted even more sharply onto the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Is Giving Timberwolves Fans A New Reason To Watch
Jonathan Kuminga has started giving Timberwolves fans a little extra reason to keep an eye on the bench and the box score, especially with Anthony Edwards sidelined and more minutes opening up around the lineup. In Minnesotas 119-114 loss to the Warriors, Kuminga put together one of his most productive outings yet, reaching a season-high while continuing to carve out a larger role as a scorer and disruptor for this group.
There was also some edge to the matchup beyond the numbers, with Kumingas night carrying a little more charge against his former team. He has been flashing the kind of all-around impact Minnesota hoped for when the playing time increased, averaging 13.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals this season, and the bigger question now is how much of this surge can stick once the Wolves get back to full strength. [Read more 🡒]