There's a real chance that the Minnesota Timberwolves don't win an NBA Championship this season. The LaMelo Ball trade seems like the right type of move they should make with Anthony Edwards leading the show, but there are a lot of great teams. And if they fail, the Wolves might have to consider another shake-up. Unfortunately, that shake-up might have to be Rudy Gobert.
Gobert is one of the best defenders in NBA history. As much as people don't want to admit it, that's the truth. His defensive impact is otherworldly, and his Four Defensive Player of the Year Awards prove that the people watching understand how valuable he is. Unfortunately, Defensive Player of the Year awards are for the regular season. Gobert needs to help the Wolves in the playoffs.
In the postseason, considering how much of an offensive liability Gobert can be at times, he might just not be the right center to help a team win in the biggest moments.
Rudy Gobert isn't good enough on offense
Gobert has helped the Wolves make the conference finals. He can help a team win in the postseason to a certain degree. But in today's NBA, you almost need every player to be at least decent on the offensive end.
Having an offensive hole in your lineup is a death sentence at times in the NBA. Just look at the Oklahoma City Thunder. Look at what happened to Chet Holmgren in the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
He was a complete zero on the offensive end, and with guys like Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell out, the Thunder desperately needed somebody else to step up on offense. Holmgren couldn't do that.
Look at the Boston Celtics in the first round this year. Derrick White is one of the best defenders in the league, but with his offense taking a major hit this year, he wasn't able to be nearly as effective.
A team only gets to have five players on the court at a time. So, if one of those players isn't a good offensive player, that's 20% of a team's lineup that is incapable of producing consistent offense.
You need points to win the game. Gobert is great at preventing the other team from scoring points, but he's not great at helping his own team get points.
It's an unfortunate dilemma, but one that the Wolves might have to address next season. They have a good defensive infrastructure, and Gobert makes that infrastructure elite.
But is it worth having an elite defensive infrastructure if your offense is going to take a hit because of it?
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