Minnesota Timberwolves star Rudy Gobert talked about the team's success this year as they are No. 1 in the West with a 39-16 record and what has changed from the prior season to the one they are currently in. This time around, Gobert says that the Timerbwolves “have a purpose” and that he came to the team originally to help them “win a championship” according to Dane Moore.

“I can feel that we have a purpose. Personally, I came here to help this team win a championship. But last year it was kinda like a lot of adversity, we realized early on that it probably was not gonna be that year, but we could feel that we had the potential. And this year, from Day 1 of training camp, it was a different focus, different mindset,” Gobert said. “We learned, obviously, from everything that happened last year, and it made us grow. It made us grow as a team. And this year we have a purpose. We know why we're here. We're not here to just be first in the West, we're not here to just have a good year, we're here to try and win a championship and everyone's is aware of it and everyone believes in it.”

As Gobert said he wanted to help the team, he has been doing that and more as he has not lost his defensive prowess, his presence as a rebounder, and even being efficient in the paint. So far this season, Gobert is averaging 13.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 64.7 percent from the field.

Gobert has the support of his peers like veteran Mike Conley

Minnesota Timberwolves stars Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley in front of the Target Center.

He has got support from Minnesota head coach Chris Finch and all of his teammates, especially point guard Mike Conley who had some high praise about the star big-man. Conley would even say that Gobert has the “same impact on a game” as other superstars in the association like Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry according to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.

“I think he’s not treated like a superstar because he doesn’t do the superstar things, offensively, that LeBron [James] and Steph [Curry] do. But he has the same impact on a game. People gameplan for him like they gameplan for others,” Conley said. “You gameplan differently for Steph as you do for somebody else. But with Rudy, you do have to gameplan for his gravity offensively. If he goes to the offensive glass, they’re bringing two or three people. Knowing the film session, they are saying, ‘You got to box out. All three of us have to be there. We have to be in the paint.’

Gobert has been a “dominant force defensively” for Timberwolves

While offensively has been the weak-link for Gobert, despite his aforementioned efficiency from the field, his elite defense has not left as the former three-time defensive player of the year could be in contention for his fourth. To Conley, he has been a “dominant force defensively” and has noticed that he “seems more in great spirits.”

“He seems like the same guy that I remember coming in when I went to Utah (2019-22). He’s being a dominant force defensively. Offensively, he has a magnitude with his rim runs and his finishing. He’s actually done a lot better with touching up around the rim and putting up a lot of tough shots,” Conley said via Sportskeeda. “He seems healthier than ever. He seems more in great spirits more than anything, I think. He’s confident. When you’re confident at anything, man, it doesn’t matter your skill level. You seem to outplay whatever deficiency you may have.”

There is no doubt that his play mixed with other stars like Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and others have made Minnesota a standout this season leading to them having the No. 1 seed. Last season, they finished eighth in the West and lost in five games to the champions in the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.

The Timberwolves will look to be different this time around as they have legitimate championship aspirations in the year 2024. However, there is still a good portion of the season left as their first game after the break will be against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, Feb. 23.