The Minnesota Timberwolves shocked the NBA world- everyone except ESPN's Brian Windhorst- when they traded five draft picks and five players for Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert. It was the ultimate win-now move by Minnesota, who viewed the three-time Defensive Player of the Year as the missing piece in their rotation.
Gobert will be joining a Timberwolves team that made the playoffs for just the second time since the 2004-05 season. The Wolves won 46 games, doubling their win total from last year while announcing their presence to the Western Conference.
It's not hard to see Minnesota making some noise again with Gobert in the lineup next year, as he is legitimately a game-changing talent. But what will Gobert himself do in year one in Minnesota?
That's what we're going to address here, but we're going to take a leap of faith.
Without further ado, here are three bold predictions for Rudy Gobert in his first season with the Timberwolves.
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3 Bold Predictions For Rudy Gobert In First Timberwolves Season
3. Rudy Gobert leads the league in blocks
Gobert finished fifth in the league in blocks last season, averaging 2.1 swats per contest for the Jazz. That's a great number for Gobert, but there's reason to believe that he will affect even more shots with the Timberwolves in 2022.
The biggest reason why? Gobert will be seeing more shot attempts against him on a nightly basis than he ever has. Per ESPN's John Hollinger, the Jazz ranked 22nd in pace. They were one of the slowest teams in the NBA- and have routinely played a plodding, half-court style of offense.
The Timberwolves, on the other hand, are one of the fastest-paced teams in the NBA, ranking first in the stat last year. Not only does more possessions on offense mean potentially better scoring numbers for Gobert, but it also means potentially more defensive opportunities on the other end of the floor.
And as we all know, Rudy Gobert knows just what to do with those. He'll lead the league in blocks for just the second time in his career.
2. Gobert will win Defensive Player of the Year
This is an award that Gobert has taken home three times in his career. The former Jazz center makes such an impact on the defensive end, one can make the case that he deserves the award practically every season.
Well, if the award is truly based on the value a singular defender provides to his team, no one will be more important to their team's defense than Gobert will be to the Timberwolves in 2022.
Minnesota ranked 24th in the NBA, allowing 113.3 points per game. Insert Gobert into the rotation and watch as that number shrinks next season.
The former Jazz center will help transform the Minnesota defense into one of the NBA's best. He'll be rewarded for his efforts at the end of the season with his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award.
1. Gobert will help the Timberwolves finish inside the top-4 teams out West
Ok this is bold. The Timberwolves won 46 games last year and only finished as the seventh seed. How in the world are they going to finish top-4 in a conference that includes the defending-champion Golden State Warriors, the 64-win Phoenix Suns, a Memphis Grizzlies team that looks poised to take the next leap and a Los Angeles Clippers team that will be returning back healthy?
It's bold, I admit it. But go big or go home, right?
There's a reason why the Timberwolves gave up all those picks and players for Gobert. The jury is still out on how his game translates to postseason basketball. However, there's no doubt that his game translates to winning in the regular season. His Jazz teams won 50 or more games three times during his tenure there.
Gobert is already ranked inside the top-150 players in NBA history in career win shares. The man flat-out contributes to winning. That's exactly what he'll do in Minnesota.
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