Rudy

Gobert

Gobert only played three minutes on Tuesday, and after the game, he said that he’d recently undergone a surgical procedure on his finger. However, Collet said the 7-foot-1 center had undergone an MRI, and the injury wasn’t why Gobert’s minutes were limited. The matchup dictated France going to a smaller lineup, with Guershon Yabusele scoring 22 points and Matthias Lessort playing quality minutes off the bench. Regardless of the status of Gobert’s finger, he’s expected to be available for Thursday’s semifinal matchup with Germany. The question is whether or not this is an issue that will impact his availability for the Timberwolves when training camp begins in late September.

Gobert was benched for a large portion of France’s recent matchup against Germany and was featured even less in his team’s semifinal matchup against Canada. Whether France’s decision to sit him is more based on matchups or his health is unclear. He could continue to see little playing time in the impending rematch with Germany, though.

Rudy and Evan Fournier (15 points, three triples) were benched following Friday’s loss to Germany, and the move worked, as the host team took down the undefeated Canadians. It’s unclear what Gobert’s playing time will look like for Thursday’s rematch with Germany, but the team had a tremendous performance with his role minimized, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he came off the bench again.

Gobert was relatively quiet on Thursday night after recording a double-double in Minnesota’s Game 4 victory. He averaged 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the series but could not significantly impact the action as a rim-protector. Gobert’s 2023-24 season was an improvement on 2022-23, his first after being traded to Minnesota. The chemistry between him and Karl-Anthony Towns improved, but the partnership lowered the fantasy ceilings of both players. Gobert has top-50 potential, but this represents his ceiling rather than his floor.

The Timberwolves aren’t done yet, as their best players performed well enough to avoid being swept. Gobert recorded his second double-double of the series, the first coming in Minnesota’s Game 2 loss at home. He also played a series-high 39 minutes for the Timberwolves, who did not have to deal with Mavericks backup center Dereck Lively II (neck sprain). Gobert and the Timberwolves avoided falling apart in crunch time, which was an issue in the first three games of the series. They’ll look to extend the series even further on Thursday night at home.

Much will be made of Gobert switching onto Luka Doncic for the Mavericks’ guard’s game-winning 3-pointer, but one could argue that the Defensive Player of the Year should not have been in that position. And Gobert’s play has been the least of Minnesota’s concerns, as Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns continue to struggle offensively. After shooting 6-of-20 from the field in Game 1, KAT was even worse in Game 2, going 4-of-16 and finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one 3-pointer. Regardless of what Gobert does (or doesn’t do), the Timberwolves will find it challenging to turn this series around if Towns doesn’t improve his play.

As has been the case throughout this season, Reid gave the Timberwolves solid production off the bench in Wednesday’s Game 1. Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, their bench outscoring the Mavericks reserves by a 28-14 margin didn’t mean much. Kyle Anderson added 11 points, two rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer in 17 minutes, shooting 5-of-8 from the field. While Reid and Rudy Gobert (12/7/1/1/2 in 38 minutes) recorded full stat lines, the struggles of Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards were too much to overcome. Minnesota will look to tie the series in Game 2 on Friday night.

Gobert recorded a solid overall stat line in Tuesday’s Game 5. Still, the conversations will be dominated by the fact that he was Nikola Jokic’s primary defender for most of the night. The three-time MVP went off for 40 points and 13 assists without committing a turnover, so Gobert’s numbers will only be a footnote. His offensive performance in Game 5 is encouraging because it happened with Mike Conley (Achilles) sidelined. Gobert didn’t miss a shot from the field, with six of his seven makes coming within the restricted area. Regardless of Conley’s status for Game 6 on Thursday, Gobert needs to be better defensively if Minnesota is to extend its season.

After missing Game 2 to be present for the birth of his first child, Gobert was back in the lineup for Game 3. He and the Timberwolves attempted to land a decisive blow early in Friday’s game but failed, and the reigning champions eventually pulled away. Neither Gobert nor Naz Reid (7/1/1/1 with one 3-pointer in 21 minutes) could do much with Nikola Jokic, who finished with a plus-30 rating. Gobert and the Timberwolves will look to take a 3-1 series lead on Saturday night.

Gobert is set to be back in the mix after missing one game for the birth of his child. His return will cut down Naz Reid’s involvement.