Through the first few weeks of the season, the Rudy Gobert experiment for the Minnesota Timberwolves has been one big disaster.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have not been the team that many were hoping they would be to start the year. In fact, you can make an argument that they’ve been one of the more disappointing teams in the Western Conference.
The big move for Rudy Gobert has been anything but seamless and has left the team scrambling. Through the first few weeks of the season, the Wolves are 5-8 and sitting in 13th place in the West standings.
But it’s not just that the Wolves have gotten off to a slow start. A slow start is something that good teams can overcome. It’s the fact that there isn’t much for the Wolves to feel good about in the midst of a slow start. In short, this season has disaster written all over it for the Wolves.
And the culprit may very well be Gobert. He has not been a great fit next to Karl-Anthony Towns and the two players have struggled mightily to coexist to begin the season.
What the numbers say about Rudy Gobert
At least so far, two 7-footers in the starting 5 does not work. The advanced stats echo that. In 240 minutes played together, the Towns and Gobert combination has simply not worked. They have a -4.0 net rating, a 103 offensive rating, and a 107 defensive rating when they share the floor together.
To put those numbers into perspective, a 103 offensive rating would be dead-last in overall team ratings in the league. The Wolves struggle, specifically on the offensive end, when they’re both on the floor.
However, when we truly think about it, that may have to do more with Gobert himself. Here are how the advanced numbers stack up for Gobert himself.
Rudy Gobert ON COURT:
- 102.7 OFF RTG
- 106.9 DEF RTG
- -4.2 NET RTG
Rudy Gobert OFF COURT:
- 115.8 OFF RTG
- 113.8 DEF RTG
- 2.0 NET RTG
Essentially, when Gobert is on the floor, his positive defensive impact does not outweigh his negative offensive impact. And if that is going to continue to be a trend for the Wolves, this trade was a massive failure.
Gobert was supposed to come in and potentially be a piece that pushes them forward. So far, he’s been one that has held them back a bit. Considering all that Minnesota has invested in Gobert, the Wolves are in big trouble.