Rudy Gobert is widely regarded as a key rotation player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. As the team’s defensive anchor, Gobert plays a significant role as a rim protector and inside presence. Unfortunately, the big man has struggled to sustain his performance for the entirety of a game early on the season.
In the Timberwolves’ recent 119-114 loss at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, many were frustrated with Rudy Gobert, with the duo of Anthony Edwards and Jonathan Kuminga looking visibly annoyed by the center’s shortcomings. While such situations are inevitable over the course of an 82-game season, Gobert has already had a similar moment.
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During Minnesota’s ongoing game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Rudy Gobert was caught falling asleep on defense, allowing Bucks rookie Brayden Burries to score an easy layup. Although a defensive lapse is commonplace, the manner in which it occurred sparked outrage within the NBA community.
After unnecessarily spiking the ball away instead of securing the rebound, Rudy Gobert seemed as if he was in a daze. Having made no attempt to crash the board after another missed shot attempt, Gobert followed up by disengaging from Brayden Burries, who was in a clear scoring position, allowing the Bucks to score an easy pair of points.
The sequence was baffling, to say the least, but NBA fans did not hesitate to voice their thoughts on Rudy Gobert’s defensive lapse. With several sharing their thoughts on social media, here are some of the reactions from X:
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“Nah, he’s got to be gambling. I’ve seen enough,” commented one fan.
“He’s gambling, bro. I’m convinced,” chimed in another.
“He’s not even trying, man. What’s going on in the NBA?” questioned one user.
“Everyone’s trying to convince me he’s worth 200 million,” shared another.
“Nah, he’s got to be trolling. There’s no way,” said one skeptical fan.
“Either he’s really a– or he’s trolling to get traded,” speculated another user.
“Rudy Gobert is the most washed player in NBA history,” claimed one user.
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“At this point in the season, you have to cut him,” suggested another fan.
“He’s definitely got ulterior motives,” added one more.
“Is this from a real NBA game? Horrific effort from everyone,” reacted another, disappointed in the product on the floor.
It goes without saying that watching Rudy Gobert look lost on defense was shocking enough. However, with some fans even speculating about the involvement of gambling, it was clearly quite egregious.
Barring the incident, Rudy Gobert hasn’t been much of an asset to the Timberwolves against the Bucks either. With just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Gobert has logged 10 points, 10 rebounds, and a block in 30 minutes of action.
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Given that the Wolves are enjoying a sizable 100-89 lead, it is safe to say that he hasn’t been a burden. But when factoring in the condition of the team’s roster, the Wolves need Gobert to step up and be more impactful on both ends of the floor. If he can’t do so, one could argue that triggering a trade may be necessary to keep their title aspirations alive.
