For most of the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves' non-Rudy Gobert minutes have been problematic on defense. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Timberwolves have a 109.1 defensive rating with Gobert on the court but a 120.1 DRTG with Gobert off the court. This is the difference between the second and 28th-ranked defense in the league. Likewise, Gobert's 11-point on/off defensive swing ranks in the 98th percentile.
However, the addition of Kyle Anderson has served as a remedy to these non-Rudy minutes. Notably, with Anderson and without Gobert, the Wolves have a 105.2 DRTG. That's somehow better than the Gobert minutes, and it translates to the league's best defense.
Now, 252 possessions is a small sample size, and I don't expect this number to remain so elite. Regardless, using Anderson as a backup center is a clear way to negate some of the problems with the non-Gobert minutes.
How Anderson is saving the Timberwolves in the non-Gobert minutes
Listen, you can never replicate Gobert's rim protection, and Anderson doesn't do this. Still, he provides a bit more rim protection than Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Perhaps more importantly, though, Anderson's elite basketball IQ has uplifted the Wolves.
Even watching on TV, it's clear that the Wolves' communication and cohesion are much improved when Slo Mo is on the court. As the back line of defense, Anderson ensures his teammates are in the right spot and making the proper rotations, while being able to contest shots at the rim when needed.
Anderson is also incredibly switchable if he's put into a pick-and-roll with a perimeter player. On the other end of the court, Anderson operates as a playmaking hub and offensive connector. There's no understating the value of having a Swiss Army knife like Anderson.
It's not entirely shocking that Anderson has uplifted the Wolves' defense this much. When Slo Mo was on the Wolves two years ago, they posted a stellar 108.3 defensive rating with him on the court and Gobert off the court.
There's still room for improvment (in terms of lineup management)
Despite Anderson making an immense impact in the non-Gobert minutes, there's room for improvement. Notably, 38.8 percent of Anderson's minutes have come next to Gobert.
This is problematic for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Anderson's main value is fortifying the non-Gobert minutes. Beyond this, the floor spacing of Anderson and Gobert is dreadful. During the Anderson and Gobert minutes, the Wolves have a 100.6 offensive rating, which ranks in the 1st percentile per Cleaning the Glass.
For the Timberwolves to maximize Anderson's minutes and role, avoiding playing him with Gobert is an essential move for Chris Finch. All in all, though, Anderson has been extremely impactful in his second stint with the Wolves.