The Minnesota Timberwolves have been the surprise team in the NBA this year for a lot of people. Skeptics of the Rudy Gobert trade pigeon-holed Minnesota into a “flawed roster” that wouldn’t work with the Karl-Anthony Towns and Gobert pairing. However, those critics overlooked a few key things about Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves’ roster.
First of all, the team is loaded with high-caliber defensive stalwarts. Gobert is the headliner, but Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Kyle Anderson all are top-tier point-of-attack defenders. Secondly, those doubters misjudged Anthony Edwards’ potential and how quickly he would progress when surrounded by other high-end talent. Lastly, Minnesota’s willingness to work out the kinks and make it work is a testament to the club’s newfound culture.
After the Timberwolves’ thrashing of the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, Edwards opened up to the media about Minnesota’s turnaround from a 42-40 record last year to their 53-23 record currently this season. Let’s dive into his thoughts on the Wolves’ big jump and break down Minnesota’s historic rise.
Anthony Edwards highlights Rudy Gobert’s offense
When asked about the Wolves’ big turnaround, Edwards immediately highlighted Gobert’s newfound offensive value.
“I think trusting Rudy. That’s the main thing… We all trust Rudy together. We trust to hit him in the pocket. We trust him when we call a post-up. We trust he’s gonna catch it and do his thing… Little things like that. It goes a long way and he’s been playing his ass off. Everybody, where we’ve grown at, is just trusting Rudy throughout the whole game.”
That trust has developed through continued success for arguably Minnesota’s most crucial piece. Not only has Gobert anchored the NBA’s best defense all season long, but his production on the offensive end has been pivotal as well. Despite not being a true back-to-the-basket big, Gobert is paying off his post-up opportunities at an efficient clip this season.
On 1.2 post-ups per game, the Wolves center is averaging 1.12 points per possession on those chances. The volume isn’t enormous, but the production has been essential. Especially when the Wolves face switch-heavy teams, the ability to feed their big man in advantageous matchups has been a big factor in punishing those defenses. While his screen-setting, foul drawing, offensive rebounding, and rim pressure are all underrated facets of his offensive value, Gobert’s ability to pay off on post-ups has been essential for the Timberwolves offense.
Timberwolves’ offensive style
Chris Finch’s offense is predicated on ball movement. With Gobert constantly setting flare screens and on-ball screens, his productivity as a roll-man is also pivotal to the Wolves’ offensive attack. This is where his teammates’ trust in him is once again necessary. Not only is the Stifle Tower one of the best lob dunkers in the league, but he’s also emerged as a surprisingly good short-roll passer.
When the Wolves guards have hit Gobert in the pocket, he’s been able to hurt defenses who are using the low man as a helper in the pick-and-roll game. With teams dedicating three defenders to guard two in the screen game, Gobert’s ability to facilitate — oftentimes to the weak side corner — has punished teams big time this year.
Jaden McDaniels PnR + Rudy Gobert short-roll passing, leading to the corner 3 for Nickeil Alexander-Walker pic.twitter.com/F2u7a6c3rA
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) December 29, 2023
Outside of his passing, Gobert has shown some pizzazz as a play-finisher on short-rolls as well. His euro-step around Aaron Gordon in Minnesota’s most recent game against the Denver Nuggets serves as a great example of his continued progression as a below-the-rim finisher.
Rudy Gobert nasty PnR euro + layup, assisted by Mike Conley through DeAndre Jordan’s legs pic.twitter.com/y4JDpTz12e
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) March 30, 2024
Since Gobert has delivered this season on both ends, the Wolves’ trust in him has continued to climb. Looking back to his Utah Jazz days, it was clear Donovan Mitchell didn’t share that faith which ultimately led to the team’s demise. With Minnesota looking for the opposite result, monitoring Gobert’s involvement offensively will be at the heart of the Timberwolves’ playoff hopes.
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