Rudy Gobert has quietly reinvented himself and is uplifting the Timberwolves

Rudy Gobert's offense is often mocked on social media. I get it, Gobert's hands aren't great, and sometimes he makes plays that are easy to end up on lowlights. However, that shouldn't change the fact that Gobert positively contributes to the Minnesota Timberwolves' offense in multiple ways.

When discussing Gobert's offensive impact, his screening is usually at the top of the list. Notably, he ranks sixth in screen assists, and his off-ball screening opens up the Wolves' offense. Nevertheless, Gobert has been used a bit less as an on-ball screener but has been crashing the glass at an elite rate. Gobert's frequency as a roll man is down from 22.3 percent last year to 17.5 percent -- but his 3.9 offensive rebounds are tied for a career high.

While this change is subtle, it's undoubtedly uplifting Gobert and the team overall.

Gobert's new offensive role is helping him and the team

Let's be honest, Gobert isn't a natural roll man; that's not to say he can never be used as a roll man. Regardless, he's more of a dirty work player, so to speak, than a typical rim runner. Using Gobert a bit less in pick-and-rolls allows the Timberwolves to diversify their offense a bit. Most notably, involving Gobert less has helped Jaden McDaniels have a career year while allowing Julius Randle to have a significant role in the offense.

It's no coincidence that the Wolves rank sixth in offense per Cleaning the Glass, which is the highest mark in the Gobert era.

Despite being used less as an on-ball screener, Gobert's connective off-ball screening still opens up things for everyone on the Wolves, most notably their shooters, Anthony Edwards, and Donte DiVincenzo. Gobert's ability to crash the glass allows him to score at a respectable rate (11.3 ppg) even while being less involved as a roller.

The Wolves' latest game against the Washington Wizards is the perfect example of his new offensive role. He recorded 18 points and 14 rebounds, including eight offesnive boards. Since December, Gobert has been averaging 12.4 points and 12.3 rebounds (4.6 offensive).

Impressively, Gobert ranks fifth in putbacks per game. Popular Timberwolves podcaster Dane Moore has compared Gobert's evolution from being used like Clint Capela to Steven Adams. It's not a perfect comparison, but in essence, I love it -- watching his connective screening and ability to punish teams on the glass, the similarity to Adams is clear.

Gobert may not be an elite rim runner, but he's an elite rebounder, and this adjustment of having him play more off the ball and crash the glass plays directly to his strengths. Overall, Gobert ranks third in rebounds per game (11.1) and fourth in offensive rebounds per game.

Undoubtedly, Gobert's main value is always going to be on the defensive side of the ball. He is one of the best defenders of all time, for crying out loud. Nevertheless, Gobert's ability to crash the glass and set screens off the ball has clearly elevated the Wolves' offense.