The Minnesota Timberwolves were hyped as one of the teams to watch out for during the 2022-23 NBA season. The biggest reason behind that hype was the acquisition of Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz.
Minnesota traded for Gobert in a blockbuster trade that shocked the entire league. The Timberwolves were in need of a defensive beast, and the organization somewhat overpaid to acquire Rudy in hopes of filling that gap. At the time, many believed that the T-Wolves overcompensated for Gobert.
While those were nothing but speculation at the time, after watching the first 11 games of the Timberwolves, fans are turning against Gobert. In fact, some are even labeling it as the contender for the worst trade in the history of the NBA.
Rudy Gobert Defends His Slow Start
The Minnesota Timberwolves sit below .500 currently with a 5-6 record. Gobert is currently averaging 12.6 PPG, 13.9 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. These numbers aren’t bad by any means, but fans expected better from Rudy, considering the Timberwolves gave up a lot of assets to bring him to the roster.
The All-Star center obviously heard this chatter around him being a flop for the Timberwolves and decided to clap back at his doubters.
Rudy Gobert today:
"It's the hardest thing to do, to do the things that are not cute. Once again, the things that none of your family members are gonna come in and say, 'oh, that was a great box out tonight.' All those things that are gonna make the difference at the end."
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) November 8, 2022
“It’s the hardest thing to do, to do the things that are not cute. Once again, the things that none of your family members are gonna come in and say, ‘oh, that was a great box out tonight.’ All those things that are gonna make the difference at the end.”
Gobert’s trade to the Timberwolves unarguably ruined the trade market since the franchise paid a lot to get him to the team. But it would all be worth it if Rudy can help the franchise make it to the NBA Finals, to say the least.
At the end of the day, Gobert’s still starting his career with a new team. He may take about 20 to 25 games to get adjusted to their system. But if he continues to underperform after that, then it could be a huge sign of worry for the Timberwolves.
If you are interested in more NBA news, follow us on Google News for the latest updates.
