While most big men don't age gracefully, 34-year-old Rudy Gobert has remained incredibly impactful. The Minnesota Timberwolves big is arguably the best defender on the planet not named Victor Wembanyama. Gobert is a walking top-10 defense due to his rim protection, and as we saw in the playoffs against Nikola Jokic, he can take opposing stars out of games. Â
At some point, though, you have to wonder if Father Time will catch up to Gobert. If that unfortunately happens this year, that would be a disaster for the Timberwolves. In addition to his production remaining at a high level, Gobert's health is a key part of his impressive longevity. Notably, he's played in 65-plus games in each of the last eight seasons.Â
Look, there are plenty of reasons to believe that Gobert will continue to defy Father Time. For starters, he's incredibly committed to preserving his body, and as noted, there hasn't been any real evidence of decline. Additionally, LaMelo Ball should be able to unlock more from Gobert on offense.Â
However, the older Gobert gets, the more likely a drop-off or injury becomes. And with their offseason moves, the Timberwolves have never been more reliant on Gobert.Â
The Timberwolves have limited depth behind Rudy Gobert
The frontcourt trio of Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid had its flaws. Trading Randle and Reid to land LaMelo was the right call, given their need for a point guard. Regardless, not having both Randle and Reid inherently makes Gobert more important to the Timberwolves' success.Â
Second-year big man Joan Beringer is primed to take over as Gobert's backup. Beringer should be a serviceable reserve big man given his rim protection and rim-running abilities. Still, it remains unclear just how ready Beringer is for a sizable role, and this concern will reach another level if Gobert suffers an injury.Â
Trading both Randle and Reid was certainly a vote of confidence in Beringer. And thankfully, Beringer flashed his upside in limited minutes last season. At the same time, Minnesota's offseason was a vote of confidence in Gobert staying productive and healthy.Â
I don't think this is an unreasonable proposition in any way, but it's certainly worth noting the Wolves don't have many options if things go south.Â
The Timberwolves' only other center options are Trey Lyles, who was out of the NBA last season, and two-way big man Rocco Zikarsky, who in summer league looked like he was years away from an NBA role. Now, the Timberwolves need to make at least one more roster addition, but landing a pure forward feels more likely.Â
So yeah, if Gobert unfortunately suffers an injury or his production takes a step back, the Timberwolves would be in a rough spot. Gobert has proven to be remarkably durable and productive for his age, but the Timberwolves desperately need this trend to continue.
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