The very best basketball of Rudy Gobert's career is now likely in the rearview mirror. And yet, Minnesota Timberwolves fans know that he's still bringing a positive influence to this team, both on and off the court. One of the best things Gobert is doing for this group is instilling good defensive values and fundamentals to the younger players early on in their careers.
There are a lot of things younger hoopers learn as they progress in their NBA careers. But oftentimes, what seperates a good player from a great player month after month and year after year is the presence of fight, tenacity and know-how defensively. Gobert has had the opportunity to show these young guys in Minnesota's locker room that their defensive identity is important, and stress to them the importance of taking pride in playing hard on that side of the ball.
The Timberwolves aren’t ignoring that Rudy isn’t quite the rim-dominating presence he once was. Many have noticed him grabbing fewer offensive rebounds, a decline in contested rebounds, and an uptick in opponents’ rim-attacks when he’s defending. Still, that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Rudy Gobert is teaching good defensive habits
Ever since the first week or two of the season, Minnesota’s defensive identity has stayed legitimate even in losses, largely because Gobert has established a standard of positional discipline and accountability that younger players are picking up on. He's helping to build the kind of culture the Wolves want in the long-term, even after Rudy's gone.
Culture will always matter, and that's especially true for a franchise that changed ownership recently. Laying a sustainable foundation provides the structural backbone needed for Minnesota to continue leveling up even after Gobert retires or changes teams.
That’s especially valuable in a season where Minnesota is hovering near the upper middle of the West. Their 15-9 record shows that they’ve avoided collapse even with some turbulence. If Gobert continues to mentor younger players while still offering credible rim protection and defensive IQ, the Wolves will gain even more foundation upon which their window of contention can continue to grow into the future.
Simply put: the best years of Rudy Gobert as an all-world rim protector and elite rebounder may be behind him. What doesn’t appear in the stat sheet, though, is his ongoing value as a teacher of discipline and defensive fundamentals. For this organization, that's as big a statement as any personal accolade. Number 27's impact is going to be felt long after he's gone.