Amid the Minnesota Timberwolves' thrilling 131-106 season-opening win over the Miami Heat, it could be easy to forget about Rudy Gobert. Anthony Edwards scored 45 points, LaMelo Ball instantly proved to be an elite fit, and the Wolves poured in 21 3-pointers. Gobert's five points and 15 rebounds don't necessarily jump off the stat sheet. However, his impact was there as usual.
Gobert helped the Timberwolves outrebound the Heat's elite frontcourt 52-34, which is an incredibly impressive accomplishment. Moreover, as always, Gobert anchored the Wolves' defense.
Single-game on/off splits can be dubious at times, but the Wolves' defense was stellar with Gobert and awful without him, and the numbers prove it. According to Cleaning the Glass, their defensive rating with Gobert on the floor was 90.3, but without him, it spiked up to 123.1. Likewise, Gobert was a team-high plus-29.
Minnesota's frontcourt reserves looked hopeless without Gobert, which further underscores his importance to the team.
Rudy Gobert's impact was undeniable during the Timberwolves' season opener
While Gobert didn't record a single block, he deterred a ton of shots at the rim due to his mere presence. In fact, just 25 percent of Miami's shots came at the rim, which, per Cleaning the Glass, ranks in the 22nd percentile. Doing this against a team with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo is an impressive feat.
Yes, the Timberwolves' 3-point shooting and revamped offense were the main story of their opening win, but Gobert's role in shutting down the Heat's offense can't be overlooked. And throughout the season, this should continue to be a superpower for Minnesota.
As noted earlier, the Wolves' bench frontcourt reserves struggled. Joan Beringer scored zero points and grabbed six rebounds. He struggled to hold up on defense, and his lack of offensive feel was concerning. Trey Lyles scored a point and grabbed a rebound. His rotations were slow, and he didn't provide much physicality on defense.
Maybe it was simply a tough matchup, but both of Minnesota's backup big men didn't look up to snuff on Wednesday, which only increases Gobert's value.
Gobert's importance to the Timberwolves has always been immense. But with Beringer being unproven and Lyles not being a high-end rotation player, he's never been more valuable. This was a talking point all offseason long, and it was on full display during Wednesday's game.
The bright side is that the Wolves' defense is awesome with Gobert on the floor. Unfortunately, if he gets injured or gets into foul trouble, the Timberwolves' defense will collapse.
In any case, Gobert's importance to the Timberwolves is undeniable this season, and Wednesday's game reinforces this theory.
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