"I think our identity stays the same": Wolves’ Rudy Gobert addresses Julius Randle-Karl-Anthony Towns trade and DPOY criticism (Exclusive)
Typically, an NBA player who has won multiple individual awards would garner universal respect among his peers.
Not Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, whose fourth Defensive Player of the Year award sparked more criticism about his play than praise for just becoming the third player in NBA history to collect that much hardware.
Among the list of players include a former NBA big man (Shaquille O’Neal), a trash-talking defensive specialist (Draymond Green) and even a young NBA prospect (Dallas Mavericks second-year center Dereck Lively II). Instead of marveling at Gobert’s rim protection, they criticized his apparent weaknesses with defending perimeter defenders and with not always playing in crunch-time minutes.
“Just look at the numbers,” Gobert told Sportskeeda. “Media manipulation and perception is one thing. But look at who is in the top five with guarding on switches last year or in isos. Look at the numbers. Numbers don’t lie.”
According to NBA.com’s tracking data through the 2023-24 season, Gobert ranked first defensively on isolation plays among players that appeared in at least 70 possessions and third among players that appeared in at least 60. According to Second Spectrum tracking data through the 2023-24 season, Gobert also allowed the fewest points per direct isolations in switch situations among players that defended at least 175 isolation possessions.
Gobert finished sixth in blocks per game (2.13) behind San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (league-leading 3.6 blocks per game) and Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis (fourth with 2.3 blocks per game). Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo also garnered praise for overseeing a top-five defense for his positional versatility.
Nonetheless, Gobert received 72 first-place votes and 24 second-place votes ahead of Wembanyama (19 first-place votes, 44 second-place votes), Adebayo (three first-place votes, 15 second-place votes, 31 third-place votes) and Davis (four first-place votes, 10 second-place votes, 33 third-place votes).
Overall, Gobert largely factored in Minnesota leading the NBA in defensive rating (108.4) and defensive field-goal percentage (45%).
“A lot of people discredit some of the awards with Defensive Player of the Year,” Gobert said. “That’s great. But when you do that, make sure you come with the receipts. Make sure you come in with the numbers and the data that can prove your point.”
Gobert also spoke to Sportskeeda about Minnesota recently trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop and a future first-round pick. Gobert shared why he thinks he and Randle can complement each other well. Gobert detailed his appreciation for Towns. Lastly, Gobert outlined how the Wolves can build off last season’s Western Conference Finals appearance.
Rudy Gobert interview (Exclusive)
The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.
In recent days, how have you processed the trade before trying to shift into adapting to the new personnel?
Rudy Gobert:
“I try to be focused on the moment and focus on what I can do to help this team achieve our goal as a leader and as a player. I also try to be a resource for the new guys. I just try to do anything that I can help us achieve our goal this year.”
What do you envision that looks like compared to last season?
Rudy Gobert:
“I think our identity stays the same. We’re a defensive team. We want to be the best defensive team in this league. KAT is a one-of-a-kind player. So obviously we’re going to have to fill the gaps with the talent that he brings to the table. We’re going to do that as a team. We’re going to try to play faster. We’re going to try to move the ball even more. It’s going to take a team effort to accomplish that.”
Julius is a great player, but he’s a different player than KAT. What’s your initial impressions on how you and he can fit together?
Rudy Gobert:
“He’s a very smart player. He’s very versatile. I think that I’m going to be able to help him with my screening, with my spacing and my gravity and make his life even easier. I’ll try to get him as many easy baskets as he can get. He’s a guy that I know will make the right play. When the defense collapses, I know he’s good at kicking out. When the big helps, he’s good at finding his bigs. He’s a very smart player. We got a lot of games to get used to making mistakes and learn how to maximize him for us as a team.”
Beyond the obvious with practice and games, what things do you think are critical to foster chemistry?
Rudy Gobert:
“Getting to know each other as human beings is always important to me. I want to know him as a person and know how to challenge him better and know how to communicate with him better. One thing that I’ve learned over the years as a leader is that it’s important to know more about each individual’s background and what they’ve been through and to understand him and be there for him. The court is just a reflection of life."
"To be able to win a championship, we have to be able to overcome adversity as a group. If the closeness is not there, when there’s adversity, then you’re going to break apart. We’ve been through a lot of adversity in the last two years as a group. I know Julius and Donte have been through adversity. They know what it is. They both have this type of maturity. They both are also guys that want to win. They understand that winning is not always pretty. So I’m excited about that.”
KAT is a different player, but what do you draw from how your dynamic worked out with him when you first were traded, tried to establish chemistry and through last season’s playoff run?
Rudy Gobert:
“Understanding each other’s strengths and trying to maximize that and focusing on ourselves. Julius is a really smart player. He knows that I don’t need to be in his ear. He can figure things out. But when I have something to say to him, I will. We have a great coaching staff and a lot of guys that can really help him. I’m going to try to focus on how to make him be as comfortable as he can and be the best version of myself.”
Given the context of the Wolves acquiring you in a big trade and KAT being the team’s franchise player, what did you appreciate about playing with him?
Rudy Gobert:
“He always believed in me. Since I got here, he was always a great friend. Any time I needed him, he had always been there. We believed in each other. We had a very honest relationship. I challenged him in some areas that I think would help him be an even more winning player. He challenged me, too. We made each other better. It happened because we believed in one another. We believed we could be together. I’m very grateful that he welcomed me with open arms. We went through a lot of adversity. But we ended up being in the Western Conference Finals. When the trade happened, it wasn’t on a lot of media people’s bingo cards. The business is made in a way that sometimes you’re not able to keep things going. But I appreciate every moment, and I appreciate everything that we had been through.”
In what ways do think you both challenged each other?
Rudy Gobert:
“For me, it was really defensively. I knew when I had the opportunity to come and get here that I would be able to push him the right way to even be better on that end. And with him, it was more of confidence with finding and looking for me and giving me the ball and trusting me to be dominant inside. I think he really helped me to do that.”
A lot has happened these past few months. You all make a deep playoff push, but fall short. France finishes with silver [in the Paris Olympics and your role fluctuated and you had injuries. You catch strays from guys around the league. To what extent do all of those things serve as sources of motivation for this season?
Rudy Gobert:
“I think I’m at the stage of my career where I know who I am. My biggest competition is myself. Everyone’s journey is unique. Everyone’s story is unique. Actions speak so much louder than words. There is a saying that if you want to reach a destination, you can’t throw rocks at every dog that barks. That’s exactly where I’m at. I’m aware of what’s being said. Everyone is allowed to have opinions. But the court doesn’t lie. The numbers don’t lie. I’m going to keep focusing on being the best that I can be for my team and focus on all the great things that I’m trying to do for this world in all kind of ways.”
What is your rebuttal to the criticism some other players have said about you: you’re a great rim protector, but they say they can defend other positions better and that you’re not always playing crunch-time minutes?
Rudy Gobert:
“Just look at the numbers. Just look at the numbers. Media manipulation and perception is one thing. But look at who is in the top five with guarding on switches last year or in isos. Look at the numbers. Numbers don’t lie. That’s what I say. A lot of people discredit some of the awards with Defensive Player of the Year. That’s great. But when you do that, make sure you come with the receipts. Make sure you come in with the numbers and the data that can prove your point. Or else it’s just opinion. Show me who should have won in those years instead of me. I’m curious to see that.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda.. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.