The Minnesota Timberwolves are going to deal with a brutal stretch of weeks with Anthony Edwards sidelined. He is set to undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee and could be out for up to two months. Minnesota will need extra offense during that time. And that means Rudy Gobert’s offensive woes are only going to be accentuated.
Gobert has been about as bad as one could imagine on offense this year. He hasn’t just been a non-factor: He’s been a detractor. But with Edwards sidelined, the Timberwolves are going to need to source offense from a bunch of different players. Having a guy who is hurting the offense as much as Gobert is going to be all the more noticeable.
In Minnesota’s first game without Edwards, Gobert shot 0-of-4 from the field and was a -11. Losing Edwards is an absolutely brutal blow for the Wolves, and Gobert is going to feel the heat as much as anyone.
Anthony Edwards' absence is going to make Rudy Gobert look even worse
So far this season, Gobert’s defense has still been there. The Wolves have been one of the best defenses in the league through their first few games. They rank second in defensive rating with a 102.5.
In that regard, Gobert is still as good as they come. But on the other side of the ball, this has been an absolutely atrocious start to the year. One that the Wolves really cannot afford.
Through his first five games, Gobert is averaging 6.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting an abysmal 37.0% from the field. (He’s also taken two threes and missed them both.)
Gobert is currently shooting 42.1% in the restricted area. Under the rim. For context, last year, Gobert shot 73.6% in the restricted area. It’s only been five games, but that steep a fall-off is very concerning.
And now, Edwards is going to miss a ton of time. That will leave LaMelo Ball to step into the driver’s seat, and guys like Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, and Ayo Dosunmu to pick up the offensive slack.
But Gobert needs to help in that regard, too. The Timberwolves’ offense just got a whole lot less consistent with the loss of Edwards, so having a guy out there missing layups just isn’t going to cut it.
Everyone needs to chip in to make up for the lack of Edwards’ offense. Everyone. The Wolves need to be at their best on offense. Right now, Gobert isn’t. Not even close.
Edwards’ absence is only going to make his struggles look even worse.
Add us as a preferred source on Google