There are so many benefits to the Minnesota Timberwolves trading for LaMelo Ball. One that is going under the radar, though, is how Ball's presence will uplift Rudy Gobert. Even beyond the general sense that an elite playmaker can unlock Gobert, the Wolves' leaning into a more perimeter-centric identity could help Rudy. A similar roster construction with the Utah Jazz helped maximize him offensively.
During Ball's introductory press conference, Chris Finch spoke to this.Â
"Well, I do feel like we have a blueprint for what fits Rudy most comfortably, and when he had a lot of consistent offensive success in Utah, in more of smaller lineups, four around one. Rudy's done an incredible job over the last couple of years learning how to play off another big... I know he's excited as well and looking forward to establishing an early chemistry with LaMelo," Finch said.Â
Listen, some of Gobert's offensive struggles stem from his limited offensive skill. There's no denying it. But another part of the equation has been the Wolves' lack of playmaking and spacing. Now, the Wolves' roster is better positioned to support Gobert.Â
The combination of LaMelo Ball and extra floor spacing can help unlock Rudy Gobert
Gobert averaged just 10.9 points last season, which was the lowest mark of his career since 2015-16. One could argue this is age-related, but his defense remains as elite as ever. Playing him alongside a fellow non-floor-spacing player in Julius Randle gave the Wolves less optionality from a play-calling standpoint and simply made life tougher for Rudy.
It's worth noting that during the final season with Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy averaged 14 points. And with the Jazz, Gobert averaged a career-best 15.9 points in the 2018-19 season, in part thanks to playing alongside a perimeter-centric team.Â
The Timberwolves still need to add a power forward, so their roster isn't complete. Regardless, after the ill-fated Randle-Gobert pairing, it's fair to assume they'll prioritize floor spacing with their next roster addition. Operating under the assumption that the Wolves add a power forward who can space the floor, they'll have a ton of shooting to surround Gobert with. This, in turn, will give him better looks around the rim.
Likewise, Ball's elite playmaking will ensure that Gobert is involved in the offense more and should open up opportunities for him as a lob threat. Gobert's lack of involvement in the offense has been a key problem for the Wolves, particularly last season.
Again, some of this is because of his limited skill set and poor hands. However, the Wolves' lack of high-end playmaking was also a major factor in this issue.Â
Even if Gobert's game can be clunky at times, it's the right play to hit the open man, and best believe that's exactly what Ball will do.Â
Saying that Gobert will reach or exceed the offensive heights of his Utah days might be entirely fair. But what is fair to suggest is that Gobert will be much more involved in the Wolves' offense, thanks to Ball and the Wolves' upgraded floor spacing. Â
All in all, the stars could be aligning for Gobert to have an offensive resurgence, and that would make the Timberwolves' offense even more dangerous.Â
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