How many ways did Rudy Gobert impact the game in his Timberwolves debut? About a billion, and they were all noticeable as he killed the Thunder with 23 points and 16 rebounds.
Let’s dive into the game for some interesting observations…
1. Gobert was more than a big box score
The way he impacted the game was something Minnesota fans have never seen from their center in 33 years as a franchise. Gobert changed countless shots, living up to the hype as a generational defensive superstar who single-handedly forces opponents away from the paint. He only had one block, but he was dominant.
His efficiency on the offense end was remarkable. Of his 15 shot attempts, 14 were within five feet of the basket. The only exception was his buzzer-beating floater to end the third quarter. Six of his ten makes were dunks, including two alley oops from Karl-Anthony Towns.
KAT ALLEY-OOP TO RUDY 😱 pic.twitter.com/4uOIVJN6rL
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 20, 2022
Gobert gets the ball very deep in the paint, usually in the restricted area where his size is way too much for most opponents to handle. It’s exactly what he did for Utah. Last season, Gobert attempted 508 shots and 473 were within five feet of the hoop, where he shot 74.6%.
2. Naz Reid not in the rotation
Somewhat surprisingly, Reid didn’t get on the floor in the season opener. It was pretty clear that head coach Chris Finch was looking to keep Gobert or Towns on the floor at all times, and that left little room for Reid to play.
It’s one game, but Reid’s outstanding preseason may not lead to many minutes unless the Timberwolves are blowing out opponents or Towns or Gobert find foul trouble.
3. The offense has incredible potential
Scoring 115 points on a night when Anthony Edwards and Towns shot a combined 6-of-27 is an indicator that Minnesota is a guarantee to be one of the highest scoring teams in the league.
The Wolves led the NBA with 115.9 points per game last season. But they did that on the backs of Towns, Edwards and Russell. Now they have Gobert scoring at an efficient clip along with the improved offensive games of Jaden McDaniels and Jaylen Nowell, who combined for 32 points on 10-of-21 shooting against OKC.
Throw in Taurean Prince, who hit 4-of-5 threes, and the Wolves have seven players who have a knack for getting buckets.
What’s more is that the Wolves gave up 16 offensive rebounds to the Thunder. That was pitiful and probably won’t happen on most nights. It should be the reverse, actually, as Gobert pulled down seven offensive rebounds by himself. Better rebounding means more offensive possessions, more shots and more points.
4. A closer look at the rotation
We can’t glean too much from one game, but unlike the preseason finale against the Nets, it was Jordan McLaughlin checking for D’Angelo Russell to run the point about eight minutes into the first quarter. Kyle Anderson also checked in for Gobert at the same point.
That left these five on the floor for about three minutes late in the first quarter:
- Jordan McLaughlin
- Anthony Edwards
- Jaden McDaniels
- Kyle Anderson
- Karl-Anthony Towns
Then with about a minute left in the first quarter, Nowell replaced Edwards, Prince checked in for McDaniels and Gobert re-entered the game for Towns. That was the first example of Finch keeping Towns or Gobert on the court as much as possible – and it left these five on the court for about four minutes to begin the second quarter.
- Jordan McLaughlin
- Jaylen Nowell
- Taurean Prince
- Kyle Anderson
- Rudy Gobert
There were other lineup combinations throughout the rest of the game, but that appears to be the way Finch will roll when foul troubles aren’t a factor.
5. What was that in the 3rd quarter?
When Edwards hit a 10-foot shot to put the Wolves up 76-60 with 7:57 left in the third quarter, it felt like Minnesota was on its way to a blowout win. Instead, the Thunder went on an absurd run and led 87-81 with exactly one minute left in the quarter.
The Wolves had five turnovers and shot 1-of-9 from three in that hellacious stretch.
That’s a 27-5 run that offered a grim reminder of how the Wolves couldn’t hold double-digit leads against the Grizzlies in the playoffs. That cannot happen against good teams with killer instinct.
Related: Gobert’s monster debut powers Timberwolves over Thunder
Related: 5 bold predictions for the 2022-23 Minnesota Timberwolves
