There were murmurs throughout the NBA media that the Minnesota Timberwolves might take a step back this season after trading Karl-Anthony Towns late in the summer. A slow start to the season isn’t necessarily a “step back.” However, a slow start is not ideal for a team that is losing games it should be winning. Case in point: two back-to-back losses to the same team, for which Timberwolves 4x DPOY Rudy Gobert takes ownership.
Timberwolves 4x DPOY Faults Himself For Back-to-Back Losses
Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert Assumes Responsibility for Team’s Struggles
Those back-to-back losses—also a home-and-home—came at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers, who enjoyed a 45-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies just four days ago. The Blazers stood back up, though, and overcame the Timberwolves twice in two consecutive nights. The loss dropped Minnesota to .500 (6-6) on the season. Judging by the reaction of some of the players postgame, disappointment was in the air.
One said player is Gobert, who has attempted just 11 shots in the last two games. Gobert is in the NBA for his defensive capabilities more than anything else. That being said, he has attempted over ten shots just twice this season. With his height and size in the paint, he should be getting a handful of easy shots under the rim, yet he doesn’t. Is it a matter of playcalling? Does the coaching staff not run plays for him? You would think that they would use his size at the rim to their advantage, where he can attempt more than a measly 11 shots in a two-game spread. He’s not the most offensively gifted center in the league, of course. Still, he’s tall enough to catch the ball above his head at the rim and toss it into the basket several times a game. But I digress.
After Wednesday’s second loss to Portland, Gobert spoke with locker room reporters, pointing the finger at himself for his team’s recent struggles.
“Those two games are mostly I think on me defensively. I need to set the tone for the team, and I haven’t done it these last two games. So, I’ll be better.”
Finding the Next Gear
Where the Timberwolves issues lie could include a few areas, but Anthony Edwards lamented that they couldn’t make shots. He also seemed exasperated when asked what the issues were, answering he didn’t know what to say. According to Gobert, it’s about finding the next gear.
“It’s on us to keep working defensively and offensively, and keep finding that next gear, you know, that next level that we need to find, and that’s going to be every day and every night regardless of who we play.”
While Gobert isn’t necessarily wrong, because the Timberwolves absolutely need to figure it out—they are much better than 6-6. The ‘next gear,’ so to speak, must come from Edwards. He’s the catalyst of the franchise. If he’s going to lead this team, if he wants to be the face of the NBA, he’s in a position right now where carrying the Timberwolves without KAT is his reality. Antman has wanted all the smoke since he came into the league. Now, it’s about wading through that smoke and finding ways to win games for his team.
