Former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins firmly believes that the Rudy Gobert punch fiasco in the final game of the 2022-23 regular season highlights a major problem for the Minnesota Timberwolves: leadership … or the lack thereof.

For those who missed it, Gobert got into a heated exchange with his Timberwolves teammate Kyle Anderson, which later escalated to the Frenchman punching the forward to the chest before they were separated. The Minnesota center was later sent home, with the team ultimately deciding to suspend him for their upcoming Play-In showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

While Gobert has since apologized for his actions and despite the fact that Anderson has played down the incident, Perkins couldn't help but worry about the Timberwolves. He highlighted how much they are missing a locker room leader and glue guy like Patrick Beverley, adding that he's doubtful if there's any chemistry left within the team amid the issue.

“That locker room is broken. Patrick Beverley is not there no more to actually repair and make things come together. Now all of a sudden, you probably have guys that are not speaking to one another,” Perkins shared.

True enough, Kendrick Perkins' sentiment is similar to what Timberwolves fans said following the Rudy Gobert incident. It just looks like Minnesota is crumbling since no one is taking the lead to hold it together.

It remains to be seen how it will actually affect the Timberwolves, but it certainly couldn't have come at the worst possible time with the team fighting for a playoff spot.