The Minnesota Timberwolves put up an admirable fight in the 2026 NBA playoffs. Despite coming in as the underdogs (sixth in the West at 49-33) and facing multiple injuries early on, they advanced to the Semifinals and pushed the Spurs to six games before their elimination.
Today, during his team’s exit interviews, veteran center Rudy Gobert reflected on the season and offered his thoughts on the team’s failure to meet its ambitious goals. For Rudy, the process begins with self-reflection, which can take anywhere from weeks to months.
“As a competitor, it’s always frustrating to fall short of our goal. It’s time to process that and reflect. I’m going to do that for the next few days, the next few weeks, probably the next few months. You always have to look at what the lessons are and, as Ayo said, also be really grateful, no matter what. Grateful for health, for being able to play at the highest level, and for giving people a lot of great memories and moments. Then you gotta take what you want to work on, what you want to get better at. The goal is still the same, year after year. I know it’s a team sport, but it’s full of individuals. I know, personally, my goal is still the same, and it’s not going to change while I’m breathing and stepping on the court. Just gotta take time to reflect and have a great summer.”
The Timberwolves have been on the rise in recent years, turning from Western Conference bottom-feeders into one of the NBA’s most formidable playoff teams. Superstar shooting guard Anthony Edwards is the star of the show, but Gobert’s impact cannot be ignored. Over 76 games in 2025-26, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year averaged 10.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game on 68.2% shooting.
Despite his interior presence, which has made Minnesota elite on defense, they’ve been unable to get past the Conference Finals. This year, they lost in the Western Semis to a deeper, better-disciplined Spurs team. According to Rudy, bad habits spelled their doom, and they’ll have to clean up their act if they have any hope of a better outcome next year.
“Yeah, we can definitely say that. I think just our focus on our foundation – who we really are and the things we need to do no matter what, I think that’s probably what he means by that. It’s true that we have an amazing group of resilient and very talented guys, but we had a lot of ups and downs. And a lot of that, I think, was in our control.”
Between Gobert, Edwards, Julius Randle, and Jaden McDaniels, the Timberwolves have a core that can compete with any team in the West, but they have to get out of their own way before they can truly reach their ultimate potential. That’s why Rudy and the rest of the team will work hard to address the flaws and resolve their issues with focus and consistency.
With two more years and $74 million left on his contract, Rudy Gobert intends to stick around and help his team through this, but he may not have a choice. After their latest playoff collapse, the Timberwolves are eying change, and everybody but Edwards, McDaniels, and Joan Beringer is on the table this summer.
