For Rudy Gobert to thrive, his Timberwolves teammates must be better

Before Rudy Gobert sprained his ankle and missed three games, the Timberwolves were making progress at integrating him more naturally into the offense.

In the five games before Gobert left the lineup, he was averaging 17.8 points per game. After some early-season struggles in handling passes, Gobert seemed to be earning the trust of his teammates, who had confidence in delivering him the ball in the post. Finally, they were finding ways to utilize Gobert on the offensive end without it looking forced.

That's why Monday's loss to the Heat felt like such a step back.

This matchup was set for a big Gobert game. Miami was down Bam Adebayo, its All-Star center, and was shorthanded at the center position.

Somehow, Gobert scored just 10 points and was on the bench for almost all of the final minutes of a close game. Coach Chris Finch didn't address the decision to keep Gobert on the bench in his postgame comments to reporters who were in Miami. This was the first time he had made such a move this season with Gobert. Finch is often careful about not disrupting the flow of late-game rotations and making sure the big-money players are on the floor when it matters most.

Most notably, Finch upended this dynamic in Game 6 of last season's playoffs when he sat D'Angelo Russell for Jordan McLaughlin against Memphis. Otherwise, the players who expect to be on the floor in those moments usually are.

But Monday wasn't a good look for the Wolves and Gobert when center Orlando Robinson, one of Miami's two-way players, put up better numbers than Gobert. Robinson scored 15 points and had nine rebounds in 27 minutes while Gobert had 10 points, eight rebounds in 31 minutes.

The only excuse that might hold some weight for Gobert's play Monday and in Friday's loss to Boston is perhaps he is not yet back to 100% following the ankle sprain, but he is good enough to play.

If there's one thing that's become clear in Gobert's time with Minnesota, it's that Gobert is not the type of player who can do what he does best by himself. Gobert needs his teammates to be player near the peak of their powers in order to maximize what he does best.

The team sold him as a defensive entity unto himself, but if he doesn't have adequate help around him, Gobert can't possibly cover all the holes an unfocused defense creates. That was evident multiple times Monday night when players attacked Gobert off the dribble. That was also apparent in the playoffs the last few seasons when teams attacked the rim, and Gobert tried to cover both that area and the perimeter. It resulted in Utah bowing out of the playoffs and Gobert developing a reputation that he can be "played off the floor" in big moments.

If the defense around him isn't clicking, Gobert can't maximize his elite rim protection.

Similarly, on the offensive end, Gobert needs help in getting the ball in the right spots. He can boost his own cause by setting good screens that create room for his guards. But players like D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards still have to work on their chemistry with Gobert, and he is dependent upon their play to maximize his rolling ability and touch around the basket.

Along those lines, Gobert had a growing chemistry with Kyle Anderson, who has missed these last three games.

Anderson had been studying film of former Utah forward Joe Ingles, who had a similar connection with Gobert. Anderson was adept at finding Gobert with passes in tight spaces, something that hasn't happened in the last few games.

Gobert shoulders a lot of responsibility for how he has played of late, but his teammates have to be there for him as well if this partnership is going to work.