Despite grabbing 20 rebounds on Monday, Rudy Gobert did not have a good overall game for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The NBA’s league-leading field goal percentage player in 2025-26 missed all nine of his field goal attempts. His fumbling passes and trouble holding onto the ball probably made Minnesota legends Justin Jefferson, Randy Moss, and Cris Carter shake their heads in disbelief.
Now it’s all hands on deck for the Timberwolves after it was announced that Anthony Edwards is set to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and could miss two months. Everyone—including Gobert—has to help make up for the 33.3 points per game now out of the lineup.
With LaMelo Ball now on the team, everyone expected Gobert to get more easy buckets. Instead, he’s averaging only eight points through four games.
With the Timberwolves' next game on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors, and the following game on Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year has a chance to get back on track.
Warriors have a small lineup, which Gobert should take advantage of
The Warriors start one of the league's smaller lineups. Early on this year, Yaxel Lendeborg has arguably been the most productive rookie, but the 6-foot-9 forward is listed as questionable for Wednesday with a left foot injury.
With Kristaps Porzingis out indefinitely, little-used Charles Bassey is their tallest listed player at 6-foot-10. A smaller team seems like the perfect opportunity for Gobert to get easy lobs and putbacks off misses (hold onto the ball!).
If any team should motivate Gobert to perform, it's the Warriors. Even if he doesn't guard him often, the beef between him and Draymond Green has been well publicized. They have had issues on the court, and Green has never hesitated to criticize Gobert, whether in interviews or on his podcast.
That motivation happened last season, when Gobert averaged 15.3 points on 79.3 percent shooting in his four appearances against Golden State. That was his second-highest scoring average against any opponent in 2025-26.
In the game against the Clippers on Friday, Gobert faces one of the league's smallest starting centers, Isaiah Jackson—though Brook Lopez plays a good amount off the bench.
Gobert has only reached double figures in scoring once in Minnesota’s first four contests. Minnesota’s postseason run ended last season with Gobert scoring only four points in Game 5 and going scoreless in Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs.
On paper, he has two excellent chances to make a bigger impact. Seeing him do so would put the fanbase at ease.
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