“He’s been playing his a** off”: Anthony Edwards credits trust in Rudy Gobert for Timberwolves’ growth

During his initial season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, star center Rudy Gobert faced significant criticism. Nevertheless, he has proven himself this year as one of the top big men in the NBA. According to Timberwolves’ standout wing Anthony Edwards, the team’s growing trust in the three-time All-Star has been crucial to their achievements.

After dominating the shorthanded Toronto Raptors with a final score of 133-85 on Wednesday, the Timberwolves (53-23) solidified their position at the top of the Western Conference. Despite being tied with the Denver Nuggets (53-23), the Timberwolves hold the tiebreaker due to their 2-1 lead in their season series.

Minnesota’s recent performance indicates a significant progress from their previous eighth-place ranking (42-40) with a nearly identical roster. Edwards credits the team’s increased trust in Gobert’s offensive skills as the driving force behind the Timberwolves’ current domination.

“I think trusting Rudy, that’s the main thing,”Edwards said. “… Like, we all trust Rudy, together.

“We trust to hit him in the pocket. We trust when we call a post-up that he’s gonna catch it and do his thing, catch it in the pocket and make one more [pass]. We trust him at the free-throw line. You know, just little things like that. It goes a long way, and he’s been playing his a** off.”

Despite not seeing much improvement in his offensive output, Gobert continues to be a consistent threat for a double-double every game, displaying strong efficiency in his scoring.

In the span of 70 games, his statistics show an average of 13.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.1 blocks per game with an impressive 65.5% shooting accuracy.

Rudy Gobert Continues Dominance as Top Contender for 2024 Defensive Player of the Year

Despite his offensive improvements this season, Rudy Gobert has also resumed his usual status as an elite defender.

Minnesota relinquished a significant package, which included four first-round selections and a pick swap, in order to secure Gobert from the Utah Jazz during the 2022 offseason. He was widely regarded as the premier defensive big man in the NBA at the time.

Despite not meeting expectations in his first year with the Timberwolves, resulting in criticism of the franchise for paying too much for him, the 31-year-old has turned things around this season.

Gobert has led the way for the Timberwolves’ No. 1 defensive rating (107.8), a significant improvement from their 10th place ranking (113.1) in the previous year.

Therefore, he is heavily favored to win the Defensive Player of the Year award this season, with -4000 odds on FanDuel. If he were to win, it would be his fourth time receiving the honor, putting him on par with the likes of Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace, both Hall of Fame big men who also have four DPOY awards.

The question of whether Gobert will continue his elite performance in the playoffs remains unanswered. Nevertheless, at present, it seems that the trade has proven to be a success for Minnesota.