Second-year Dallas center Dereck Lively II and former NBA player Theo Pinson had some choice words for Rudy Gobert today. Lively was being interviewed on the Nike EYBL free game podcast when someone from the crowd asked him a question most fans have thought of. Do NBA teams play players just because they are being paid a lot? Lively and Pinson broke down why teams play the guys making the most, even when there are better options. Pinson and Lively brought up that teams market these players and thus have to play them for the fans. That’s when Pinson brought up Gobert with this to say about his performance against the Mavericks in the playoffs.
“Perfect example they played the Minnesota Timberwolves. There is zero reason Rudy Gobert should have been on that court, zero, but you are paying him about $40 to $50 million better get your as* out there and figure it out.”
Lively echoed Pinson’s belief, agreeing with him while he was speaking and then adding this at the end.
“And he didn’t, he did not.”
The pair then spoke about Naz Reid’s performance, how he outplayed Gobert, but didn’t see more minutes because he wasn’t making as much. Both Lively and Pinson hammer home how much of a business the NBA really is and how teams have this hierarchy when it comes to their players.
Second-Year Dallas Big-Man Has Choice Words For Rudy Gobert
Were The Timberwolves Really Better Without Rudy Gobert?
In the regular season, Gobert’s positive impact on the Timberwolves is unquestionable. With Gobert on the court, the Timberwolves outscored their opponents by eight points per 100 possessions. Gobert led all Timberwolves starters in net rating throughout the regular season. In the first two rounds of the postseason, Gobert had a similar type of impact, with the Timberwolves winning his minutes handily. Against the Suns, Gobert did well guarding Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. In the second round, Gobert was instrumental in defeating the Nuggets and slowing down Nikola Jokic.
However, against Dallas, Gobert struggled to impact the game at the same level. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving relentlessly attacked Gobert. They forced him to defend on the perimeter, which he failed to do well. Gobert’s net rating against the Mavericks was well into the negative, with him posting the worst plus/minus of any of the Timberwolves players in the Game 5 blowout.
What’s Next For Rudy Gobert and The Timberwolves
Gobert is owed over $90 million over the next two seasons. His last year is a player option that he will likely pick up. That means the Timberwolves are stuck with Gobert for at least two more seasons. Minnesota will have to find a way for him to still be impactful in the playoffs. That might mean playing him less against specific teams who can exploit his weakness or just playing him less overall. If Reid continues to grow, the Timberwolves will have to make a tough decision on whether to keep riding with Gobert or look to give more minutes to Reid.
