The Timberwolves Need A Better Season From Rudy Gobert

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – MAY 26: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves battles for the rebound against Isaiah Hartenstein #55 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center on May 26, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

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The Minnesota Timberwolves are in need of a serious bounce-back year from Rudy Gobert.

At 33, the former All-Star is coming off a statistical down year, where his production saw dips in scoring, rebounding, shot-blocking, and influence.

Of course, the Wolves made it to the Western Conference for the second year in a row, which made the individual decline of Gobert not that big of a topic.

Yet, with the 7’1 big man on the books for $35 million this season, followed by an additional $74.5 million in the next two years, it’s fairly critical that the Wolves can extract more than just solid production out of him.

Realistic improvements

It’d be unrealistic to expect of Gobert to become a big-time scorer. That’s never been his game, as he’s actually never broken the barrier of nine shot attempts per night.

(With Anthony Edwards around, you also have to wonder why the Wolves would ever be interested in funneling shots towards Gobert, as opposed to their young star.)

But while Gobert shouldn’t be a major offensive cog in Minnesota’s machinery, it does seem noteworthy that an agile, long center such as him can’t seem to simply catch-and-dunk more frequently.

It’s been an Achilles heel for him, for years, to produce more points off the most simple of actions, and unless someone unlocks the mechanisms of getting him wide-open shots right near the rim, any bounce-back will probably have to start defensively.

As has been the case through most of his career, Gobert is an elite rim-protector, and does his best work in drop coverage.

While the big man will often prioritize defensive position over the chase of blocks, we’re reaching a point where he’s swatting just 1.4 shots per game, thus forgetting to send opposing offenses a message.

This isn’t to say Gobert should chase blocks as if he were 22 again, but it would behoove him to occasionally extend his athleticism, aching knees and all, to remind teams that he’s still a force.

One offensive change could be huge

With Minnesota not having a surplus of playmakers, you have to wonder if Gobert, at his age, can learn new tricks. Or, well, one trick in particular.

After a defensive stop, and with both Edwards and Rob Dillingham expected to play a lot of minutes, could Minnesota install some actions and rules, that would put Gobert in a position to throw longer outlet passes?

It frankly makes all the sense in the world to have Minnesota’s two most dynamic guards leak out, and try to get quick baskets in transition, with Gobert entering the frame in unsuccessful situations.

Yes, the Wolves would unquestionably feel more comfortable with Julius Randle in that particular situation, but any team would stand to benefit a fair bit by having both their big men be able to make those passes, and it’d save some necessary clock, instead of taking the ball off the glass, and hand it to a guard in the backcourt.

Is such a change realistic? Time will tell. It’s more realistic than the Frenchman suddenly becoming some type of 20-point scorer. The potential of that died ages ago.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.