Rudy Gobert garnered a league-wide reputation for his defense, winning four Defensive Player of the Year awards over his 11 NBA seasons. However, his offensive output, fit, and impact on his team’s ceiling have always remained perplexing.
Gobert only fits in offensively as a screener, occasional play finisher, and positive offensive rebounder, limiting his role.
The Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves have tried to find ways to make Gobert productive offensively, but it’s difficult. He takes up a ton of space, and opponent defenses allow him to receive the ball. They often sag off him, putting pressure on more lethal scoring threats and forcing Gobert to make decisions.
Minnesota’s rosters haven’t helped Gobert’s case. Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns developed chemistry, but their size always made it difficult for the Timberwolves to dominate offensively. This season, the Julius Randle-Gobert frontcourt has faced similar issues. Randle’s lack of 3-point shooting gravity makes it tricky for the Wolves to space the floor.
The Wolves have unearthed something without Gobert
It can be hard to see the conflicts in real time, but Minnesota’s lineups with Gobert off the floor highlight them. The Timberwolves have a more modern look without Gobert, showcasing improved spacing, pace, versatility, and creativity within their offense. They can cycle through multiple screeners and give others more freedom within the half-court offense.
Minnesota’s non-Gobert lineups have varied over the season. However, with Gobert playing 33.3 minutes per game this season, there isn’t much time for the non-Gobert lineups to find their rhythm.
However, Gobert has missed nine games after being added to the Timberwolves injury report prior to their final game before the All-Star break against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a back injury. The nine-game sample has given the Timberwolves enough time to see what the offensive schematics look like when Gobert is off the floor.
Minnesota’s results have varied in this nine-game stretch. The Timberwolves have a 117.5 offensive rating, 10th in the NBA, a 113 defensive rating (12th), and a plus-4.5 net rating (12th).
Opponents can’t blitz Edwards as often
The vacancy left by Gobert as a screener has opened up numerous paths for built-in movement. Gobert is a fantastic screener. He creates a lot of space for the ball handler and forces defenders to climb around his large frame. Still, his offensive deficiencies overwhelm his screening effectiveness.
Opponents have blitzed Anthony Edwards at an extreme rate this season. Their main goal is to get the ball out of Edwards’s hands. Teams also have a counter when the Timberwolves try to create an advantageous situation by bringing Edwards a screener.
Opposing defenses can also put two on the ball when Gobert must become a decision-maker in the short roll. Gobert has meaningfully improved as a short roll decision maker and facilitator over the last few seasons. However, the Timberwolves don’t want to have to rely on that.
Gobert’s absence has left a void in Minnesota’s screening role, although they have been able to cycle others into this role.
McDaniels can find an offensive rhythm
Jaden McDaniels has by far been the most intriguing option.
McDaniels has blossomed as a scorer and creator in the new year. He’s averaging 15.4 points per game on 50.9% shooting from the field since Jan. 1. McDaniels has had an extended role due to injuries. As a result, he has had the ball in his hands more frequently, allowing him to showcase his ability to get to his spots in the mid-range.
Using McDaniels as a screener has opened up more opportunities for him to get to his spots in the mid-range. It has also allowed him to get downhill without as much on-ball resistance.
Over his career, McDaniels has struggled to find rhythm getting to the rim because of his inconsistent handle. Although McDaniels can be incredibly deceptive as a ball-handler, he hasn’t always maintained consistency with his dribble, often allowing defenders to poke the ball away or bump him off his line.
But when the Timberwolves use McDaniels as a screener for Edwards, they give Edwards a more reliable release valve and place McDaniels into a more favorable spot to score.
Things have also opened up for Naz Reid
Naz Reid has been the biggest beneficiary of usage amidst Gobert’s absence and another key to unlocking offense around the blitzes on Edwards. He has started in all nine games and experienced increased offensive importance in the seven games that the Timberwolves were down Gobert and Randle.
Reid plays a drastically different role than Gobert and Randle because he’s the epitome of what NBA front offices are looking for in the modern game.
Offering devastating three-point shooting abilities, simple connective passing, and a dynamic handle off the dribble. Reid has become Minnesota’s most dynamic option and can fit into many play types.
He has found most of his success off pick-and-pop flare-outs. Reid strays away from Edwards after a screen. That gives Edwards a safety valve, but most importantly, Reid has the mobility to adjust depending on the defense’s coverages.
Unlike with Gobert, teams don’t want Reid catching the ball with space on the perimeter.
While Reid’s direct screen for Edwards does not give him the space that Gobert may create, it creates more possibilities within the possession. The offense becomes much more fruitful when Reid receives a dump-off pass from Edwards or any lead ball handler.
Edwards is Minnesota’s center of gravity on offense
Edwards is Minnesota’s offensive engine. Everything the offense does when he’s on the court will cater to his play style, whether he’s on or off the ball. Plugging in as many dynamic players around him as possible and allowing them to benefit from Edwards’s gravity gives the Timberwolves a lot more flexibility within the half-court.
Gobert’s defensive prowess drastically improved the Timberwolves over the past three seasons, helping them reach the Western Conference Finals. Still, his deficiencies hinder Minnesota’s offensive ceiling.
The Wolves miss Gobert’s on-court presence. Still, it’s become difficult to ignore how well McDaniels has played during this stretch and how much Reid has brought to the offensive flow within the nine games Gobert has missed.