Rudy Gobert says quiet part out loud about the Timberwolves’ defensive approach
With a new collection of players in Minnesota, Rudy Gobert expects the Timberwolves’ defense to look a little different this season.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves defense is set to look a whole lot different this season.
While at practice today, head coach Chris Finch acknowledged that the team has yet to dig deep into X’s & O’s, several players, including defensive anchor Rudy Gobert, have noted that the shifts in team personnel will lead to a revamped defensive approach.
“It’s about our mindset — It’s about our daily habits and it’s about our resilience,” said Gobert, a four-time defensive player of the year. “Being willing to do the things that are boring over and over. We always talk about this: when it’s Game 43, and you play a team that’s in the bottom of the rankings, are we going to do those things? Those games mean a lot. Those games are gonna make the difference between being top of the West or fighting for home court or fighting for the Play-In.”
Last season, Minnesota ranked eighth league-wide in defensive rating at 113.5, per databallr. With the departures of forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid, however, the defense, which has routinely ranked near the top of the association, could enjoy a similar fate, while practicing a different means of obtaining it.
“I mean I’m super excited, like I’ll be able to fly around, be on the ball, off the ball,” said forward Jaden McDaniels, who is widely regarded as one of the best two-way players in the NBA. “Then just rotation-wise, we all got, shoot, Melo like 6-foot-7 — he’s almost as tall as me. So I think he has potential to play defense well. Just all of us flying around helping each other out.”
Another point of emphasis made throughout camp thus far has been the prospect of McDaniels playing on the ball less. Through the majority of his career, the Washington alum has been the team’s primary on-ball defender. While that likely won’t change entirely, McDaniels said that coming into this season, regarding playing more off-ball defense, the team will “build it in eventually,” but noted that the buck ultimately stops with coach Finch, and it will be his call when to implement it.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Timberwolves defense is set to look a whole lot different this season. While at practice today, head coach Chris Finch acknowledged that the team has yet to dig deep into X’s & O’s, several players, including defensive anchor Rudy Gobert, have noted that the shifts in team personnel will lead to a revamped defensive approach.