Rudy Gobert quietly holds the keys to the Timberwolves' title hopes

After beating the 25-3 Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, belief in the Minnesota Timberwolves as title contenders is at an all-time high this season. A lot of factors go into the Wolves' championship chances in a loaded Western Conference. However, Rudy Gobert's play is perhaps the biggest swing factor in my eyes.

Notably, the Wolves are 13-4 when Rudy scores 10 or more points, and they are just 6-6 when he scores fewer than 10 points. Likewise, he averages four more points in wins. Friday's win over the Thunder saw Gobert score just nine points, but his impact was felt by his rim protection and presence on the glass (14 rebounds!)

In a playoff setting, teams will be even more focused on stopping Anthony Edwards. When doubling team Ant, Gobert is often left open, and it's necessary that he can make teams pay for doing that. If Gobert can punish teams for this strategy, then the Wolves could be poised for another deep playoff run and could even break through to win a championship. However, if he can't, though, the Wolves could be eliminated in the first-round.

That might sound dramatic, and of course, a lot of factors will go into the Wolves' success in the playoffs, but Gobert will undoubtedly be one of the main swing pieces.

Rudy Gobert is a vital part of the Wolves' championship pursuit

Teams leaving Gobert open to blitz and double Edwards is commonplace in the regular season, but in the playoffs, this strategy will be even more prevalent. Gobert has proven that he can punish smaller teams when they disrespect his presence, but he hasn't consistently done so against teams with elite size and rim protection. While teams are often leaving Gobert open, the best defenses recover quickly and make life challenging for him.

Gobert averaged just 5.8 points in the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder and was a key reason for the Wolves' shortcomings. If the Wolves draw the wrong matchup in the playoffs, it could lead to an early exit if Gobert doesn't play up to his standards.

However, if Gobert is aggressive and effective offensively, the Wolves could be poised for another deep playoff run. Gobert's offensive impact isn't just as a scorer; making the right reads on short rolls will also be key for him. This has been something Gobert has done at a high level this year. Notably, his 2.0 assists per game are tied for a career high. Last playoffs, though, Gobert averaged more turnovers than assists.

Undoubtedly, taking care of the ball and making some plays out of the short roll will be central to Gobert's impact outside of simply scoring.

Gobert is one of the best defenders of all-time, and I think a lot of the concerns about his defense are overblown. Still, it's worth wondering how he'll react when teams inevitably go five-out against him. Gobert has never been more important to the Wolves' defense; he has a minus-14.4 defensive on/off swing, which ranks in the 98th percentile per Cleaning the Glass.

The Stifle Tower is holding opponents to just 46 percent shooting within six feet of the hoop. People will question how Gobert will hold up on switches and against five-out schemes. Nevertheless, my bigger question is how the Wolves will maintain defense if Gobert's offense limits his minutes.

While the playoffs may seem far away now, it should be the main focus for the Wolves all season long, and Gobert's play will be a massive factor in determining their title hopes.