When it comes to Minnesota Timberwolves star big man Rudy Gobert, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has all sorts of opinions — mostly critical ones. Green's hatred for Gobert is palpable every time he finds an opportunity to talk about the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. It can also seem that Green loathes the Frenchman so much that his objectivity when providing basketball analysis gets compromised.
Take for example what he said on his podcast on Wednesday, claiming that the Timberwolves went on a run during the time that Gobert was off the floor in Game 7 of the Denver Nuggets series last Sunday. At least one NBA fan on social media (@automaticnba) made sure that Green gets called out for his inaccurate take.
“Draymond Green on his podcast today: ‘they actually go on their run when Rudy Gobert finally comes out the game'.
MIN cut the DEN lead from 20 to 6 in 6 mins WITH Gobert in the game. MIN then cut the DEN lead from 6 to 1 in 5 mins WITHOUT Gobert. MIN then ofc turned their 1 pt deficit into an 8 pt lead with Gobert in the game in the 4th. Most of their “run” was indeed not with Rudy Gobert out the game.”
Here's more from the same fan just to add a little bit more fairness and context:
“So of their 28 pt turnaround (from being down 20 to up 8), Gobert was on the floor for 23 of them, including the first 14 and last 9. If those middle 5 were the entire “run” Draymond was talking about then I guess he’s technically right.”
Draymond Green can't stop criticizing Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert
Green is viewed as one of the smartest NBA players in the league. As great as Stephen Curry is as a singular basketball powerhouse, the Warriors wouldn't have won all those titles without Green's savvy on the court. But it seems that he doesn't show the same calculated decision when dealing with Gobert — on and off the court. Remember, Green's decision to put Gobert in a headlock during a game against the Timberwolves last November resulted in the NBA slapping the four-time NBA champion with a five-game suspension.
Gobert isn't fond of Green either, but he's also not out there making misguided basketball analysis.
For what it's worth, Gobert is having a tremendous impact on the Timberwolves' deep playoff run. While it's Anthony Edwards, who is Minnesota's face in the postseason, it's Gobert who is leading the Timberwolves in terms of net rating among players with regular minutes. Gobert has a 16.3 net rating through two rounds in the playoffs. The next player under the same qualifications with the best net rating on Minnesota's roster is Mike Conley Jr. (12.7).
There is nothing that will stop Green from speaking what's on his mind. Regardless of how he feels about Gobert, there will be people willing to listen to him because he's someone who's not just entertaining but also has won multiple titles in the NBA.
In any case, there will be more Timberwolves games for Green to comment about and it will be interesting to hear him deconstruct Gobert's performance, especially in the wake of significant pushback from fans on his recent analysis of the big man.
Gobert and the Timberwolves will take on the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Western Conference Finals that starts this Wednesday in Minnesota.
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