Analysis: Rudy Gobert frustrated by Timberwolves’ defensive lapses in 119-115 loss to Pelicans

Rudy Gobert is one of the voices in the Timberwolves locker room who often gives sobering analysis after losses of what the team needs to do to get better. He will often speak of the team needing to build championship habits, to play smart basketball, especially on defense.

But there was an edge to Gobert’s comments after the Wolves’ 119-115 home loss to the Pelicans on Friday, Feb. 6, that usually isn’t there, an edge that reflected growing frustration in the locker room around how the Wolves play on nights like these.

After being up 18 points in the third quarter, the Wolves relaxed, played with little effort — especially on defense — and gave up the game to one of the worst teams in the league.

They again made Zion Williamson look like an All-NBA player when he faces the Wolves (29 points on 11-for-13 shooting). As Wolves coach Chris Finch said, it was in the scouting report to take away Williamson’s runway to the hoop. They didn’t do that. They allowed New Orleans’ Saddiq Bey to score 30 points and let Trey Murphy III (26 points) get several open looks from three-point range. It showed the cracks that come in the Wolves’ energy level and execution on defense.

And Gobert, the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, sounded as frustrated as he has ever been in his Wolves tenure.

“Just no effort. We’ve seen that many, many times this year, last few years, since I’ve been here,” he said. “We always know it’s coming. When it comes there’s no sense of urgency, no accountability. So I think at some point, if the players don’t have accountability, someone has to have accountability for the players.”

This led to a discussion with Gobert about that accountability. Should it come from the players themselves? From the coaches to the players?

“It should start with ourselves, but it seems like we don’t have that, so I think at some point from the coaches, yeah,” Gobert said. “It’s not an easy position for a coach to take guys out of the game. It’s not something that you want to do, but I think if the players don’t show any effort, at some point, no matter how talented we are as a team, if you don’t have that, you just can’t be a winning team.”

Nobody should be spared from hitting the bench, Gobert said. Not himself, not anyone else regardless of stature on the team. As for who Gobert may be referring to? He didn’t name names, but it’s not hard to parse that he was including Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle in his critiques.

“It starts with me. If I’m not showing effort, bench me. Take me out of the game. Everybody else will follow. Our best players, leaders, if we don’t show any effort, it doesn’t matter if you score 50, we’re not going to win,” Gobert said. “At some point, if we’re not mature enough to have that accountability ourselves, that might be a solution. And I guarantee you that when we come back onto the court, we’ll show effort.”

As Gobert stated, when the Wolves play defense, they tend to win.

“It’s insane how when we just do that we win every night,” Gobert said.

“Like, if I’m guarding at a high level, I think everybody’s gonna do it,” Edwards said at the time. “So I just gotta make my mind up and choose to do it, which is, like I said, it’s always tough, but I gotta figure out a way to do it.”

On Friday, the Wolves dropped another clunker against a team they should beat on the same day President Tim Connelly said he traded for Ayo Dosunmu because the Wolves had a “puncher’s chance” of winning a title. But as they showed again, they don’t always pack heat behind that punch.

Perhaps Dosunmu, who is known for his defense and his energy, can help snap the Wolves out of their season-long malaise. But there’s only a little more than two months left in the regular season. If they haven’t woken up by now, will they ever?