Rudy Gobert is playing like a Defensive Player of the Year this season once again. The Minnesota's Timberwolves' defensive output has improved massively over the last few weeks, and number 27 deserves the lion's share of the credit. What the Wolves now need to do is make sure Rudy's effort doesn't ultimately go to waste.
It wasn't necessarily supposed to be this way. When Minnesota made their trade for Gobert back in July 2022, the expectation was that he probably had a couple more elite seasons left in him, and it would be a good time to bring him on to try to open a championship window as Anthony Edwards' young talent blossomed.
Well, we're now in season four of Rudy in the Twin Cities, and he's still playing some of the best basketball of his career. Gobert is 33 years old, and most big men of his stature begin to wear down around this time. Rudy has shown nothing of the like, putting up dominating performances on a nightly basis and raising plenty of eyebrows both in Minnesota and around the league.
What has to happen now is that the Timberwolves need to recognize what they've got on their hands, and be very vigilant not to waste it away. They're going to need to make a trade for another point guard in order to upgrade this roster and make it something resembling a real contender, so another great season from Gobert doesn't go to waste.
Rudy Gobert is going to force this team to make a trade
Minnesota’s defense has carried them through stretches of lackluster offense, and Gobert has been the constant. His rim protection allows the Wolves to be aggressive on the perimeter and gives drivers the freedom to take risks knowing the safety net they have behind them. That structure only works if the offense can hold up as well.
Right now, the Wolves have lacked consistent table-setting at the guard spot, and too many possessions devolve into improvising late in the shot clock. That puts unnecessary strain on a defense that's already doing more than its share.
Mike Conley looks quite a bit older than he was two seasons ago, and the younger guys haven't shown enough promise to be true game-changers at this stage. With that in mind, it becomes a borderline requirement for this team to make an external upgrade. Clearly, nothing internal is going to change things for the time being.
It's obvious Gobert is playing at a level that demands action. If the front office wants to maximize this version of the team, they need to complement his dominance with better organization on offense.
Otherwise, Minnesota could look back at one of Rudy's best defensive seasons of this era and wonder why they never fully capitalized on it.