Rudy Gobert's early season has been a roller coaster ride. Some nights, he looks unstoppable; others, he looks unplayable offensively. The Minnesota Timberwolves' defense has largely struggled with Rudy off the court. This creates an odd dynamic around Gobert; they need him to maintain their defensive identity, but there have been plenty of times where he's struggled on offense.
However, there's a common thread with Gobert's good and bad games. Unfortunately, all of Gobert's games where he scored 10 or more points have come against teams with a .500 or below record. The Wolves are 7-0 in these games. Conversely, the Wolves are 1-5 when Gobert scores 10 or fewer points. After Saturday's game against the Denver Nuggets, all five of these losses (and the team's overall losses) are against teams with a .500 or better record.
While it's only November now, for a Wolves team with title hopes, it's never too early to start thinking about the playoffs. If this trend continues for Gobert, this could ultimately spell doom for the Wolves. In the playoffs, defenses key on opposing teams' weaknesses, and Gobert's offense is a weakness against good teams. Last playoffs, Gobert's points per game dipped from 12 in the regular season to 7.9, so there's precedent for this trend to continue.
The Nuggets game showed why fans should be concerned about Gobert
Saturday's game against the Nuggets was the perfect example of Gobert's shortcomings. He recorded 23 minutes, four points (2-3 shooting), six rebounds, and four turnovers. This led Chris Finch to keep Rudy on the bench despite Naz Reid fouling out in the fourth quarter. The Wolves ultimately lost 123-112.
The Nuggets ran a zone at various points, which Gobert struggled against, leading him to record three turnovers in the first quarter. One common strategy to beat a zone (which the Wolves tried) is "high-post, short-corner." The problem is that Gobert can't pass or create out of the high-post, hence why he recorded so many turnovers. You have to wonder if other teams try this approach.
First shift of the Wolves starters complete… they posted a 53.8 offensive rating highlighted by 3 Rudy Gobert turnovers…. That… is not ideal 😬
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) November 16, 2025
The Wolves need consistent production out of Gobert
Gobert's inconsistent scoring and poor hands make him an offensive weak point that defense can either ignore or try to expose, particularly in playoff settings. Rudy's offensive deficiencies allow defenses to pressure Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. Regardless of Gobert's offense, one thing fans should be able to count on is his defense and rebounding.
While Gobert's defense has largely remained stellar, the 7-foot-1 big man has yet to grab double-digit rebounds against a team with a .500 or greater record this season. The Timberwolves not having a true backup center and needing his defense makes this Gobert issue even more troubling.
Listen, I don't want to sound too negative on Gobert; he's a future Hall of Famer and is still elite on defense. The reality is, though, he's 33, an age where big men start to show signs of decline, and Gobert's offensive game is clearly declining.
It's great that he dropped 19 and 12 against a bottom-five Sacramento Kings defense or 15 and 12 against a Brooklyn Nets team that has won a single game this season. I'm just saying this back-handedly, these games show that when the Wolves' offense is thriving, so is Gobert.
However, with all due respect, the Wolves need Gobert to produce against teams like Denver, not Sacramento. It's a long season, and Gobert could very well get back on track against top-end teams. Until Gobert proves otherwise, though, it's fair for Timberwolves fans to be concerned that this issue could hurt them in the playoffs.