Shortly after the Timberwolves acquired Rudy Gobert last summer, coach Chris Finch sounded the alarm on what the arrival meant for the Wolves defense.
"We can't expect him to come in and be the entire savior of our defense," Finch said,
It seemed at times this was what fans and even some teammates thought Gobert should be — a one-man, top 10 defense unto himself that can fix everything around him, even when teammates make mistakes.
That's not how to enhance what Gobert does well. He can activate his elite rim protection when his teammates in front of him are on top of their game and aren't just relying on him to be a failsafe when they mess up, sometimes multiple times a possession. Gobert operates best when he feels like he doesn't have to be two places at once, and he can patrol the paint better than almost any big man in the league, as he has in winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards.
It took awhile, but it seems the Wolves are finally understanding the subtle ways in which Gobert affects a game, and how they can help him be the best version of himself on the defensive end of the floor.
That will also be put to the test Wednesday when the Wolves take on the defending champion Golden State Warriors at Target Center.
"Just the little things," guard Anthony Edwards said. "I said on the bench [Saturday], I seen a guy go in and look at Rudy and have a wide-open layup. And Rudy just stabbed at him, and he threw it and Rudy stole it. Like him present in a game just affects a lot of people."
The Wolves closed January 11-5, and a big reason was their improved defense. They went from having the No. 21 defense in terms of efficiency in November to No. 17 in December to fifth in January (112 points allowed per 100 possessions).