Anthony Edwards is the Minnesota Timberwolves' best player. That's not up for debate, and that should require no further explanation. Likewise, LaMelo Ball is Edwards' co-star and second option. His importance to the team is immense.
The Timberwolves' most important player, and the guy they'd have the most trouble replacing in case of injury, though? That distinction belongs to Rudy Gobert. In fairness, I'm not the first person to point this out, as other Wolves media members, such as Kyle Theige, have also made this claim.
Regardless, when you explore how the Wolves' roster is built, Gobert's case for being the most important player holds up extremely well.
Rudy Gobert is immensely important to the Timberwolves' defense
Since arriving in Minnesota, Gobert has been a vital part of the Wolves' defense. Last season, the Wolves' defense was an absurd 11.8 points per 100 possessions better with Gobert on the floor, a number that ranked in the 99th percentile per Cleaning the Glass.
Now, hopefully unleashing Joan Beringer can stabilize these minutes, since he, unlike Julius Randle or Naz Reid, is a natural rim protector. Still, Beringer is a second-year player and will likely have some growing pains. Moreover, the Wolves' only other bench big man is Trey Lyles, who is more of a natural power forward.
As such, the Wolves' defense likely won't be great when Gobert is off the court, and if he gets injured, it could be tough sledding. Even if Beringer is a quality backup (which I think he will be), whether he can handle a starting role remains a valid question. And perhaps more concerningly, how would a bench without a true center hold up?
Gobert's rim protection will also be vital to protecting LaMelo on defense and helping the Wolves if they run a smaller lineup, which is possible given their lack of frontcourt depth. I'd also argue that Gobert's offensive involvement is a swing factor in them reaching their ceiling.
Without a doubt, Gobert is more important than ever to the Wolves' defense given their frontcourt changes, and if he misses time, that could significantly derail Minnesota's season.
Other position groups are deeper
When you look at the Wolves, it's hard to point out any major flaws. However, their frontcourt depth is a possible pitfall, and they can't afford for Gobert to miss any significant time.
The good news is that the 34-year-old has been remarkably durable throughout his career. That doesn't change how scary it would be if he misses time, though. We've already established why this is scary, but let's compare the Wolves' frontcourt depth to other positions to fully highlight Gobert's immense value.
Obviously, no injury to a key player would be ideal. Still, if Ant goes down, the Wolves can count on LaMelo scaling up into a number-one option role, and Ayo Dosunmu is a quality starting guard.
Ball provides a much-needed infusion of playmaking and creation. The Timberwolves won't be able to win a championship without him, but they've been a quality team for years, with concerns at the point guard position. And again, Dosunmu would slide into a starting role nicely.
Terrence Shannon Jr. and Bones Hyland would also get a bigger role in the case of a Ball or Edwards injury. They can certainly handle more minutes and impact regular-season hoops.
Forward depth isn't a strength, but the Wolves were preparing for a lot of the offseason for this to be a weakness. Remember: Jonathan Kuminga wasn't signed until late August. If Kuminga or Jaden McDaniels suffer an injury, the other can take on more responsibilities. Either Dosunmu or Shannon could start and play more of a forward role. Jaylen Clark has enough strength to provide some minutes as a forward.
Again, this wouldn't be ideal, but the Wolves could manage. In the case of a Gobert injury, the Timberwolves would simply have a much harder time filling this void. For all of these reasons, he's the team's most important player.
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