On Wednesday, ESPN posted its weekly power rankings for the NBA. For each team, they list their biggest weakness at this point in the season.
Slotted in the ninth spot is the Minnesota Timberwolves, who currently own a 15-9 record. Their biggest weakness, according to the power rankings? That would be their defense when Rudy Gobert isn’t on the court.
Gobert’s defensive presence seen in his on/off splits
The impact that Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, still provides on that side of the court is evidenced by Gobert’s on/off splits this season. With the 33-year-old big man on the court, the Timberwolves’ defensive rating is 108.6. That would be the second-best in the league, only behind the Thunder.
When The Stifle Tower is off the court, their defensive rating jumps by nearly 10 points, all the way up to 118.3. As per ESPN, that rating would place them between the Hornets and Clippers, who are 24th and 25th, respectively, in defensive rating.
Right now, Gobert is their only center (that plays) who is a deterrent at the rim on the defensive end. Backup big Naz Reid is certainly a very valuable offensive player, but he isn’t going to make opponents second-guess taking it inside as Gobert will. The same goes for Julius Randle.
Could Joan Beringer be an answer at some point?
Finding a way to not allow the defense to fall off a cliff when Gobert is off the court needs to be one of the goals for Chris Finch the rest of the season. Now in his fourth year with the team, Minnesota has finished in the top 10 in defensive rating each of the 7-foot-1 center’s first three years with the club (including first in 2023-24). This year, their 113.4 defensive rating places them 14th (they can move up rather quickly though, as the Raptors are ninth at 113.2).
The Timberwolves finally made the decision to assign rookie Joan Beringer to their G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves. Having turned 19 years old on November 11, it was expected that the 17th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft may be somewhat of a project.
Where Beringer could earn playing time later in the season though is through his play on the defensive side. If he can further show that at Iowa, perhaps Finch will give him some minutes when he is recalled back to Minnesota. Beringer has yet to be a part of the Timberwolves’ rotation, only receiving garbage time minutes.