Rudy Gobert has routinely defied Father Time. Now, entering his age-34 season, Gobert hasn't shown any major signs of decline. In fact, his defense looks as good as ever. Furthermore, he has been remarkably durable throughout his career, playing in 70-plus games for four straight years and only playing in fewer than 60 games once outside of his rookie season. However, since offense has never been his strength, it's fair to wonder if Gobert could start to decline soon.
Thankfully, LaMelo Ball's arrival changes the equation in the best possible way for Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves as a whole. Ball is an elite playmaker who will unlock Gobert as a rim-runner due to his pick-and-roll excellence and ability to throw lob passes.
The story is no longer whether Gobert can sustain his level of play—it's whether he can elevate alongside Ball. That's pretty cool, right? And I feel good about Gobert producing at a higher rate with Ball.
LaMelo Ball can unlock Rudy Gobert
It's no secret that the Wolves have lacked playmaking. That's why they traded for Ball. Regardless, Gobert has been one of the players that Minnesota's lack of playmaking has most negatively impacted. In fairness, we did see Mike Conley unlock some of Gobert's abilities as a rim runner.
Nevertheless, as Conley declined, so did Gobert's production. Relevantly, he went from averaging 14 points in 2022-23 to 10.9 points last season. Over the past two seasons, there have been countless times when opposing defenses disrespected Gobert, and his teammates refused to pass to him. LaMelo will solve this problem and ensure that Gobert is involved in the offense.
And while a younger Conley was effective as a playmaker, he never commanded attention as a creator like Ball did. As such, LaMelo could get even more out of Gobert than Conley did.
It's worth noting that during his time with Charlotte, Ball played with similar styles of big men, such as Moussa Diabaté and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Diabaté in particular benefited immensely from playing alongside Ball, as his true shooting percentage was 8.1 percent higher from the field with LaMelo on the court.
For the Timberwolves as a whole, getting more from Gobert on offense could be a game-changer. As noted, opposing defenses frequently disrespect him. Ball can make him a threat. Look, he may not pass his career-high mark of 15.6 points, which he set during his final season with the Utah Jazz. Still, he'll certainly average more than the 10.9 points and 6.5 field goal attempts last season.
Without a doubt, LaMelo can ease the natural concerns about a 7-foot-1 big man turning 34.
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