Timberwolves Rudy Gobert is taking names this year
By Bret Stuter
Gobert is going places this season
That was not a great way to start his next chapter with the Minnesota Timberwolves. But will the 2023-24 NBA season turn out any differently?
My experience with Rudy Gobert last year was that when he's frustrated about a game or something they're not doing, you can tell. He usually tells us.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) October 27, 2023
Which is why I thought it was noteworthy today when I asked a random question about the defense that he seemed genuinely excited…
This is not a subtle marketing strategy to take on old and unpopular laundry detergent, wrap it up in a new package, and call it ‘new and improved,’ for the sake of fostering renewed interest in a season veteran NBA center. This is a renewed Rudy Gobert, a player who is so motivated to recapture his prime performance that he spent 48 hours in a darkness retreat.
A new chapter
Summing it all up, is Rudy Gobert any different this season? The numbers so far say yes:
another game another double-double.
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 29, 2023
Rudy - 14 PTS / 14 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL pic.twitter.com/OWXyjloCB2
Gobert is showing off his prime-time form in the first two games of the 2023-24 NBA season already. In two games, he has two Double-Doubles already. Last season, he had 38 Double-Doubles in 70 regular-season games, one play-in tournament game, and five playoff games from a year ago. That works out to just 50 percent of the time.
It’s not just Double Doubles so far. Gobert is scoring far more effectively, and his ability to impact the game in real-time is far more effective so far this season. Best of all, he and Naz Reid are the two most dependable players on the Timberwolves roster so far.
Holmgren isn’t there yet. Kessler isn’t there yet. Not even Victor Wembanyama is at Rudy Gobert’s level yet. But that’s not how the NBA headlines read right now. Right now, Rudy Gobert’s plan is to kick names and take ass.
In the end, that’s not such a bad plan after all.
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