It was just a couple of days ago that Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert made a comment about Kyle Anderson being willing to pass. Many saw it as a shot at Anthony Edwards, and some in the media even talked about how Rudy shouldn’t be doing this while the team is winning. (I wasn’t of that opinion, and I took the side of the comments being overblown.)
Minnesota took part in its second outing since Gobert spoke on Slo Mo. No noticeable fracture of team chemistry was observed in the Timberwolves’ 115-107 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. Gobert was plenty involved as well, scoring 18 points. The team is now 12-2 when The Stifle Tower scores 15-plus points.
Gobert has now scored at least 15 points in 14 games this season
While it’s true that the Timberwolves are 12-2 when Gobert goes for at least 15, they are now 8-0 when he finishes with at least 17 points. So, the correlation between Rudy being more involved in the offense and having more success when he is more involved is evident.
Both of his first quarter field goals were assisted on (first by Jaden McDaniels, then by Julius Randle). Altogether, it was a game in which Gobert went 7-for-8 from the field. Now, two of his made shots came off him hitting the offensive glass, but four of the other five were assisted upon (once by Anderson).
Not only is this a game that the Timberwolves should feel good about, but it’s also one that Gobert should be pleased with as well. In the previous four outings, he combined to score just 25 points. Rudy filled up the box score as well against Toronto, also adding 12 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks.
Gobert is never going to be a high-usage player on the offensive end. You can understand him occasionally wanting some touches on offense, though, to be rewarded for his work on the defensive side of the court.
This isn’t just a one-year trend, either for the Timberwolves. Last season, Minnesota was 18-6 in games where Gobert dropped at least 15 points. That continued in the postseason, as they won in each of the two instances he did so in last year’s playoffs.
Even after Thursday night’s 18-point performance, Gobert is averaging just 11.0 points per game. That’s a point less than last season, and three less than two years ago. It’s also his lowest scoring average since his third year in the league with the Utah Jazz back in 2015-16.
Gobert is always going to have to do some of his work on offense by getting the team second chances. There are times every game though where he is left open, and the team should look to find him during those instances. Let’s see if Rudy can remain a little more involved in their next contest on Saturday against the Orlando Magic.