One of the more under-the-radar advantages of the Minnesota Timberwolves LaMelo Ball trade is how his passing will unlock Rudy Gobert. Unsurprisingly, though, Gobert knows how much Ball will help him on offense. At media day, Gobert gushed about how LaMelo will help both him and the team overall.
“Really excited, really excited (to play with Ball). I think LaMelo is one of the best passers in this league, one of the best creators, especially for big men," Gobert said. "It’s going to create a lot of opportunities and make us a more deadly team”
Without a doubt, LaMelo will make life easier for everyone, and Gobert will be one of the biggest beneficiaries.
LaMelo Ball can unlock Rudy Gobert
Look, Gobert's offensive skill set is fairly limited, and his tendency to drop passes is frustrating. However, throughout his four-year tenure, the Timberwolves have ignored him in their offense, which has spiraled into other problems.
Relevantly, the Wolves' offense has only been better with Gobert on the court in one of his four seasons with the team, and that was only marginally so (0.4 points per 100 possessions). Last season, things got out of hand, with the Wolves' offense being 8.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Gobert on the court.
Having a non-threat that opposing defenses completely ignore at times made it easier to send the house at Anthony Edwards. Say what you will about Gobert, but many of these problems stemmed from not having a natural playmaker (particularly last season). Thankfully, Ball will change that.
Ball is a brilliant passer who throws beautiful lobs, and he'll know exactly how to pass to Rudy, which is a distinct skill. Furthermore, he controls the game like a true floor general and will ensure Gobert is involved.
Having Gobert be involved in the offense will certainly help him statistically. More importantly, it will also force opposing defenses to treat him as a threat, which will make the Wolves' offense that much more potent.
Again, Gobert's poor hands can be frustrating, but the reality is that when he catches the ball, good things tend to happen. Notably, Gobert led the league in field goal percentage last season; let's not act like he's entirely useless on offense.
Gobert's best trait is his rim running, with 43 percent of his field goals being dunks last season. Keep in mind that this is without a traditional lob passer. It's safe to say that LaMelo will take Rudy's offensive game to another level.
Ball's playmaking impact and knack for lob passes aren't just hypothetical, either. He thrived alongside similar centers in Charlotte, Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Notably, Diabate's true shooting percentage was 8.1 percent higher with Ball on the court, according to Databallr. Plus, Ball ranked in the 98th percentile for playmaking talent according to Basketball Index.
As Rudy noted, LaMelo will open up opportunities for the Wolves' whole offense. Ball will help free up Edwards and alleviate pressure on him as a ball-handler. He'll help the Wolves push the pace. He'll help stabilize the offense. And Ball will simply make everyone around him better. The list could go on.
Nevertheless, his ability to maximize Gobert is a factor that shouldn't be overlooked, especially because it won't just help him—it'll help the whole team.
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