Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves were on the road on Thursday for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. Oklahoma City scored Game 1, 114-88 on Tuesday evening.
Minnesota struggled offensively in Game 1 vs Thunder, and the same was true in Game 2. Three of their five starters finished with points in under double digits. That’s not a Timberwolve victory recipe. Through two games at WCF, Rudy Gobert scored just seven points for Minnesota. Is it time for the Timberwolves to say goodbye to Goatbert?
Rudy Gobert was not an offensive no-show for WCF’s Timberwolves
Rudy Gobert from WCF:
5 pts | 40%fg | -9
2 pts | 33%fg | -2(via @RealApp_ )) pic.twitter.com/dgql6vm9nd
– nbacentral (@thedunkcentral) May 23, 2025
After the 2021-22 season, the Utah Jazz traded big man Rudy Gobert for the Timberwolves. In return, the Jazz received four first-round draft picks, a first-round pix swap in 2026, Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverly, Jarred Vanderbilt and Leandro Volmaro. The Timberwolves were all in on the goat and became the starting centre for the future. In three seasons with Minnesota, Rudy Goat helped the team make their second consecutive appearance in the Western Conference Finals.
However, Minnesota lost 118-103 to lightning on Thursday, dropping 2-0 in the series. Rudy Gobert is the type of dying player in the modern NBA. The 32-year-old was a defensively dominant force, and has always been. His skills are offensively not approaching what he can do on the other side of the court. Rudy Gobert scores points on pick-and-rolls and grabs rebounds to quickly return the shot.
Through two games at WCF, Gobert scored seven points. Two points, Game 1 and Game 2. Rudy Gobert will not be a player who scores more than 20 points each night. But he could be a double double threat to Minnesota. The four-time defensive player of the year has only one double-double in 12 playoff games in 2025. He made nine rebounds in Game 2, but that doesn’t mean anything if he can’t contribute to the offense. Gobert and The Timberwolves are in the houses of games 3 and 4. Can Rudy Gobert step up and become a threat on both ends of the court?