If one were to power rank the Minnesota Timberwolves roster, many would have Julius Randle second and Rudy Gobert third (a few may have the two flipped). The best players are supposed to be out there at the end of the game when it’s still in question.
On Friday, Randle was benched for much of the fourth quarter as the Timberwolves put an end to their 3-game losing streak. On Sunday, when Minnesota played the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was arguably Gobert’s worst game of the season, and Chris Finch didn’t hesitate to leave him on the bench for the end.
It was just another example of Rudy not doing enough on the offensive end against one of the better teams. As the playoffs near, Gobert's offensive limitation remains a clear concern.
Gobert sits for second half of fourth quarter
Randle found his way out of a massive post-All-Star break slump on Sunday, scoring 32 points. It was the other main frontcourt piece in Gobert for Minnesota that was a minus-23 in his 29 minutes (lost by 13, so plus-10 with him off the court). He was taken out midway through the fourth quarter and was not reinserted into the outing. It's far from a one-off incident that Gobert sits in the fourth quarter of games, too.
Gobert’s touches on the offensive end have dipped of late, but it’s never a good sign when you have the same amount of turnovers as field goal attempts. The four-time Defensive Player of the Year had four of each against OKC.
Three of those attempts were rejected at the rim. Gobert finally scored on a dunk with nobody around him early in the fourth quarter. One of the top offensive rebounders in the game, OKC kept him off the offensive glass as he secured just one.
When it was announced that Kyle Anderson was coming back, Gobert made comments that he actually passes the ball, and it was taken by many as a shot at some of his teammates. Anderson was one of the few attempting passes to him on Sunday, but none of them ended up as points.
Offensive struggles against many good teams
In four games against the Thunder this season, Gobert combined to score 30 points. While he’s not a huge scorer, of course, it’s alarming how many of the better teams Rudy is averaging 10 points or less against.
Gobert is averaging seven points in four games against the Denver Nuggets. He’s averaged 9.5 in two games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 10 in his one game against the Houston Rockets, and 9.0 in two outings against the New York Knicks. There has been even less production against the San Antonio Spurs (10 total points in two games) and the Los Angeles Lakers (14 total points in three games).
With the playoffs a little more than a month away, Minnesota won’t be facing any tanking teams once they begin.
The question remains, and it’s one that has been asked since his days with the Utah Jazz. Will Rudy do enough on the offensive end that his team will be comfortable keeping him on the court?