{"id":274736,"date":"2025-04-23T11:34:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T11:34:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/23\/timberwolves-fans-launch-passionate-defense-of-rudy-goberts-performance-on-defense\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:08:46","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:08:46","slug":"timberwolves-fans-launch-passionate-defense-of-rudy-goberts-performance-on-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/23\/timberwolves-fans-launch-passionate-defense-of-rudy-goberts-performance-on-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"Timberwolves fans launch passionate defense of Rudy Gobert&#8217;s performance on defense"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"4887878\" data-slug-id=\"2487561\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Following the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/basketball\/minnesota-timberwolves\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>\u2019 85-94 loss in Game 2 of the first-round series against the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/basketball\/los-angeles-lakers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/basketball\/rudy-gobert\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Rudy Gobert<\/a> was heavily criticized on social media. A Reddit post, in particular, went viral with the user berating Gobert for being \u201cnot good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The user claimed that the Frenchman was a liability on the offensive end and that his defensive abilities were overrated.<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p><template id=\"bets-today-poll\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"preview-card-holder bets-today-poll\">\n<p><span class=\"date\"\/> \u2022 <span class=\"time\"\/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"march-madness-logo\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/march-madness-logo.png\" height=\"42\" width=\"99\" alt=\"march madness logo\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p>Several Timberwolves fans stood up for Gobert, disagreeing with u\/Verbalary\u2019s take.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cyou\u2019re a casual and you don\u2019t know ball honestly,\u201d a user <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/timberwolves\/comments\/1k5r6r4\/comment\/mok6xq1\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">wrote<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cHe took us from one of the worst to one of the best defensive teams in the nba,\u201d another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/timberwolves\/comments\/1k5r6r4\/comment\/mok7doe\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">praised<\/a> Gobert for the team\u2019s improvements on the defensive end.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cRudy gobert is good. People pretending like he wasn&#8217;t one of the issues tonight are ridiculous though,\u201d a fan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/timberwolves\/comments\/1k5r6r4\/comment\/mok7vu6\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">commented<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWrote all that just to confess that you don\u2019t know the game of basketball,\u201d @Philelverumfan69 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/timberwolves\/comments\/1k5r6r4\/comment\/mok6zqp\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">mocked<\/a> the user.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cSounds like you don\u2019t know what help defense is,\u201d @cayuts21 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/timberwolves\/comments\/1k5r6r4\/comment\/mok740j\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">highlighted<\/a> Gobert\u2019s contributions beyond the stat sheet.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Gobert has been underwhelming on the offensive end, failing to average more than 16 ppg in any season across his 12-year career. However, he has made up for his offensive shortcomings with exceptional defense and impactful rebounding.<\/p>\n<p>The European star has been one of the most lethal shot blockers in the league since joining the NBA in 2013. His towering presence in the paint makes it difficult for opponents to get open looks and often results in settling for a low-percentage shot.<\/p>\n<p>Since the center joined Minnesota in 2022, the Wolves have emerged as one of the best defensive teams, finishing the 2023-24 regular season with the best DRTG (109). His Defensive Player of the Year performance was a key contributor to the team\u2019s 3rd spot finish in the West, achieving the second-best record in franchise history.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the 7-foot-1 player has directly impacted his team\u2019s offense by creating several second-chance opportunities by grabbing 3.4 offensive rebounds per game across his career.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Rudy Gobert promises to be better defensively in Game 3<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Los Angeles Lakers clinched a comfortable win in Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Chris Finch&#8217;s boys had a valiant effort in the fourth quarter. But their shabby job, particularly at guarding Doncic in the first half, cost them greatly.<\/p>\n<p>Having played almost 21 minutes in the opening two quarters, the Slovenian superstar stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.<\/p>\n<p>Rudy Gobert criticized himself for allowing Doncic to get open looks at the rim but vowed to do a better job in the remainder of the series.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI thought we were just opening up way too much in the first quarter, especially myself. I just gave him a straight-line drive, which in basketball makes it hard. You give him too much of an advantage. So we just tried to guard him a little more naturally in the second half and try to force him into tougher shots,\u201d Rudy Gobert told reporters during the postgame press conference.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Gobert has struggled to make an impact early in the series, averaging just 4 points, 6 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game over the first two contests. Still, the Wolves have managed to stay afloat with the series tied at one game apiece. If Rudy Gobert can elevate his performance for the remainder of the series, Minnesota\u2019s chances of upsetting the third-seeded Lakers would significantly improve.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-author-info-parent\">\n<span class=\"about-the-author\">About the author<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-info-holder\">\n<div class=\"author-pic-holder\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"author-pic\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,&lt;svg width=\" height=\"100\"\/><rect width=\"100\" height=\"100\" style=\"fill:rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\/>&#8221; data-lazy=&#8221;https:\/\/keedag.sportskeeda.com\/user-pic\/4977288-1738121275-200.jpg?w=200&#8243;<br \/>\nalt=&#8221;Advait Jajodia&#8221; height=&#8221;72&#8243; width=&#8221;72&#8243;&gt;\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-bio-detail-holder\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p class=\"author-bio\" id=\"author-bio-text\">\nAdvait Jajodia is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over four years of experience in the field with The SportsRush. <\/p>\n<p>Advait has a love of basketball that stems from playing the game, and has represented Mumbai North at the Inter-District State Championship and Maharashtra at the ASISC National Games.<\/p>\n<p>His favorite team is the New Orleans Pelicans, although Advait also has an affinity for the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. His favorite player of all time was Kobe Bryant, as the Lakers legend&#8217;s undeniable talent and mentality were just unignorable. As for players in the current game, Stephen Curry, Zion Williamson, Victor Wembanyama, and Kyrie Irving are top of Advait&#8217;s list.<\/p>\n<p>When not watching or writing about sports, Advait is a fan of true crime shows, board games and console gaming.\n<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"author-know-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/author\/advait-jajodia\" aria-label=\"Author know more\">Know More<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Nadim El Kak<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/basketball\/news-timberwolves-fans-launch-passionate-defense-rudy-gobert-s-performance-defense\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Following the Minnesota Timberwolves\u2019 85-94 loss in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Rudy Gobert was heavily criticized on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":274737,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274736"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=274736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274736\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/274737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=274736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=274736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=274736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}