Rudy Gobert is a perfect example of a player who probably won't be appreciated the way he should until he retires. He should be a bona fide lock for first ballot Hall of Fame, with four Defensive Player of the Year trophies to his name, as well as being in the running for a fifth this year.
With him on the court for his entire career, his teams have been one of the best defenses in the league, but when he sits, that number drops to one of the worst defenses. This year, when Gobert is on the court, the Wolves have a defensive rating of 108.6, and when he's off, it skyrockets to 121.1, a 12.5 point difference.
Anthony Edwards is the Timberwolves' best player but Rudy Gobert might be more valuable
Gobert has been a conundrum his entire career; his clunky, bagless offense can be maddening for fans to watch when he airballs an open layup or struggles to post up a 6-foot-4 guard. But his defense is franchise-altering, and that's an understatement.
He's essentially been a walking top-five defense for the last 10 years, and it's no coincidence that the Wolves started having their most successful stretch of seasons in franchise history right after they made the trade to acquire Rudy Gobert. You can't argue with results, and even though Gobert hasn't won his elusive championship yet, he's been a winner his whole career.
When it comes to the most valuable players on the team, everyone shifts focus to Anthony Edwards, with good reason. But I argue that while Edwards provides the Wolves with a sky-high ceiling, Rudy Gobert is the one preventing them from crashing and burning every year. When he rarely misses games or is in foul trouble, it's apparent how sorely the Wolves need him on defense.
The non-Rudy minutes are the key to winning a championship
When Gobert is on the court, there's no need to worry about defense. The stories about him being unplayable in the playoffs because of a few Jazz playoff runs (that weren't his fault) couldn't be more false. He was often scapegoated for having to guard five players at once, but that was a roster construction problem, not a Gobert problem.
Even though the offense dips a little when he is on the court, I'm not worried because in the playoffs, when the game is slowed down, the Wolves have a superstar who has excelled in those moments before. The defense, on the other hand, is extremely concerning.
The Wolves haven't been able to guard a parked car when Gobert is off the floor, and if that continues in the playoffs, they can kiss their championship aspirations this year goodbye.
It's on guys like Anthony Edwards, who's shown the ability to elevate his defense in big moments, and Julius Randle, who this year has left a lot to be desired on that end, to hold their own when The Stifle Tower inevitably has to rest.