One of the biggest stories so far this season, for the Minnesota Timberwolves, has been their awful defense. Overall, they ranked 27th in defensive rating, which is a far cry from a team that has ranked in the top 10 in defense over the past two years, including posting the best DRTG two years ago.
While Minnesota's defense has struggled, per NBA.com, with Rudy Gobert, the Wolves have a 109.7 defensive rating (translates to third in the NBA). Unfortunately, the real problem lies when Gobert goes off the court, as they have a 134.8 DRTG, which translates to dead last by a significant margin. In fact, this number translates to the worst DRTG of all-time.
The Wolves desperately need to find a solution to this conundrum or else it could derail their season.
The Timberwolves need to find a solution to the non-Rudy minutes
Undoubtedly, the Wolves' defensive system is built around Gobert's historically elite rim protection. When he's off the court, the perimeter players don't have the safety net behind them if they get blown by. Julius Randle and Naz Reid are amazing players, but they aren't centers or rim protectors. They are two of the Wolves' best frontcourt players, but they are forced to play out of position when Gobert sits. This was a problem last season, but not to the same degree.
Per Cleaning the Glass, Gobert's -32.9 points allowed per 100 possessions ranks in the 100th percentile. Despite his defensive excellence, Gobert's previous career high was -12.1 points allowed per 100 possessions. Additionally, Gobert ranks in the 100th percentile for opponent shooting frequency at the rim, highlighting that opponents are far more likely to attack the rim when he sits.
One solution that has been floated around is using Jaden McDaniels as the low man and putting Jaylen Clark as the point-of-attack defender. McDaniels is averaging 2.0 stocks and is a highly versatile defender. Clark has been the Wolves' best POA defender this season.
Thus far, Chris Finch has only deployed this combination for 28 minutes, 12 of which have come with Rudy. Notably, Clark has spent more time with five other players. Regardless, this duo has posted an impressive 110.2 defensive rating.
Another solution could be playing rookie Joan Beringer. Is he a raw 18-year-old big man? Absolutely. However, the Wolves drafted him with the No. 17 pick for a reason, and Beringer's defense is his main strength. I don't see a reason why they can't sprinkle him into the rotation and see if it helps the Wolves' defense.
Whatever the solution is, it's clear the Wolves need to find a way to play respectable defense when Rudy Gobert is off the court.