Since being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert has helped transform the team into legit contenders. They have reached new heights defensively and made back-to-back conference finals appearances for the first time in franchise history. Undoubtedly, Gobert is one of the best floor raisers in the NBA due to his elite rim protection.
However, some people believe that reaching the conference finals with Gobert is the ceiling and that he can't be a key piece of a championship team. The logic behind this argument is that he isn't versatile enough on defense, and his declining offensive game hurts his team. Nevertheless, if the Wolves are able to make a surprise finals run with Gobert manning the middle this season, that would dispel this narrative would be nonexistent.
Rudy Gobert's defensive "concerns" are laughable
Gobert's defensive "concerns" in the playoffs are largely overblown. For starters, his rim protection remains elite, holding opponents to 56.3 percent shooting at the rim in the 2025 playoffs. Additionally, Gobert posted an overall defensive field goal percentage of 43.5 percent. Notably, he held perimeter opponents to 6 for 19 shooting on isolation plays in the playoffs. Not bad for a guy who supposedly lacks versatility.
Every Field Goal Attempt In The 2025 Playoffs Where A Perimeter Player Isolates Rudy Gobert pic.twitter.com/OGVZpsPwkM
— Pitless (@pitlessball) September 7, 2025
Now I'm not here to tell you that Gobert is the most versatile defender in the league, but the idea that you can't win a championship with him as your defensive anchor is simply false. By all accounts, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year remains an elite defender in playoff settings.
Gobert must disprove concerns about his offensive game
The offensive concerns are more reasonable for Gobert in the playoffs. This past season, Gobert's points per game declined from 12 regular season to 7.9 in the playoffs, marking the second straight year his points per game average declined. Notably, in the 2025 playoffs, Gobert notched 10-plus points in just three out of 15 games.
Gobert's never been an elite offensive player by any means, and at 33, it's fair to wonder if he will take another step back on offense. Rudy certainly lacked aggression last playoffs, and at times, he made mistakes with the ball in his hand (or couldn't catch the ball). However, the Wolves also utilized him in pick-and-roll actions and as a lob threat far less often in the playoffs. Notably, his pick-and-roll frequency declined by 9.6 percent from the regular season to the playoffs.
With Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, and a loaded bench, the Wolves don't need elite offensive production from Gobert to succeed at the highest level. Regardless, they could look to work him into the offense a bit more. Ultimately, if the Wolves make a finals run, expect Gobert to be a big part of it, and this would dispel some long-standing narratives about his game on both ends of the floor.