Rudy Gobert believes Minnesota’s defensive identity is already established, with the Timberwolves ranking second in defensive rating after improving to 8-3 with Sunday’s 115-100 win over Utah.
“Surprise me? No, that’s who we are,” Gobert said when asked whether the team’s defensive success had surprised him. “That’s our D. That’s who defensive team.”
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year wants Minnesota to remain among the NBA’s best defensive teams, but he believes there is still room for improvement.
“I want my team to be a top defense in this league,” Gobert said. “Now it’s great that we second. I feel like we still have a lot of room to still have a lot of things to improve. So just focus on that.”
Gobert identified rebounding as one of the team’s most important foundations.
“I think we really taking that serious. We understand that, if you want to be a championship team and if you want to be a great defensive team, we have to rebound and we have to rebound as a unit,” he explained.
The center finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds against the Jazz, including two offensive boards. Minnesota outrebounded Utah 45-37 and held the visitors to 43% shooting.
“That’s great defense. It starts with finish, ends with a rebound,” Gobert said. “I feel like we played good defense, but we couldn’t sometime finish the possession. And, yeah, I had to do a better job doing that, which we did in the fourth.”
Gobert also praised Minnesota’s aggressive perimeter defense, which forces opponents into difficult decisions before they reach the paint.
“We don’t want the team to be comfortable,” he said. “When you have someone putting more pressure, it’s harder for you to run your offense and then forcing them into drive and then I’m there most of the time.”
He added that the defensive approach requires trust across the roster.
“So it’s a team effort, you know, team effort,” Gobert said. “I try to give these guys confidence to know that they can be aggressive even if they foul sometimes. It’s okay, just be aggressive on the ball.”
The Timberwolves have also received important contributions from their reserves. Bones Hyland scored 14 points in 13 minutes against Utah, while Trey Lyles finished with nine points and six rebounds.
“They’ve been great. It’s given us a lift every night. Playing the right way, playing with energy,” Gobert said about the bench. “Trey has been great. So, we need that. We need that. I think great teams need a great bench and our bench has been great.”
Gobert particularly appreciated Lyles’ offensive rebounding and willingness to contribute without demanding touches.
“I think he’s just being really solid, being really sound, making the right play,” Gobert said. “He knows how to play basketball. He knows how to play winning basketball.”
The center also explained why offensive rebounding needs to be a collective responsibility.
“We need everyone around to go because usually they bring two or three guys to try to box me out,” he said. “So it’s a lot of meat on bone for the other guys and a lot of extra possessions.”
Gobert also praised the partnership between LaMelo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu, who combined for 50 points against Utah.
“Those guys are very dynamic, you know, two different players, but they put a lot of pressure on the defense in a lot of different ways,” he said. “They can both shoot the three, they can both play in transition and they can both find a teammate.”
Minnesota has won four consecutive games and is 5-2 without Anthony Edwards, who is expected to miss two months following knee surgery on October 29.
Gobert said the team’s consistent effort comes from a shared understanding of what winning requires.
“I think we have a group that wants to win, that understands what it takes to win,” he said. “I think that’s called a foundation. That’s the foundation that every single night.”
The Timberwolves have started an eight-game homestand and will host Dallas on Thursday, November 12.
