Rudy Gobert fits right back in as Timberwolves are finding their rhythm

Rudy Gobert knew he needed to take his time getting back, as much as he wanted to be on the court.

The Minnesota Timberwolves center made his return to the lineup in Sunday night's win over the San Antonio Spurs, playing for the first time since Feb. 12 after being sidelined due to back spasms. It was a day-by-day process for Gobert to make his way back, working with the training staff and others to build up his strength to avoid any future setbacks.

"Playing with pain is a part of the game, but there's pain and pain," Gobert said. "There is the pain that you know keeps you from moving like it's underlying and can get worse, or there is pain when you know that it's only getting better from here, so right now I feel like I'm strong, I feel like I'm balanced and I can move almost how I need to move to be myself."

Gobert certainly looked like himself Sunday night. While foul trouble limited him early — he had three in the first quarter — Gobert did a little bit of everything, and his defensive efforts in the fourth quarter helped the Wolves pull away. He had a game-best plus-minus of plus-18 and finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in 20 minutes.

"We found him in a variety of ways, which is really good, you know, we haven't played with him for a little while," Wolves coach Chris Finch said of Gobert. "I thought he was good with his spacing, I thought he was patient there. Defensively, I thought he was good at the right time. They were a hard team; they got a lot of guys that put their head down and drive it. We were able to get enough stops right there at the beginning of the fourth with him on the floor, and he was a presence."

Gobert's return marked the first time the Wolves have been at full strength in nearly two months as Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have both also recently returned from longer-term injuries. Minnesota has been red-hot since Randle returned, in particular, and it was an encouraging sign to see that momentum kept rolling with Gobert back in the lineup.

There's no question Gobert is an important piece of the puzzle for the Timberwolves. He's the team's leading rebounder and averages 11.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is clearly their best rim protector. But there have been concerns about the team fit since Randle's acquisition, particularly with the initial starting lineup of Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Randle and Gobert, Sunday's starters.

That lineup fit like puzzle pieces on Sunday as they rocketed the Wolves into an early lead. The offense was humming all around as Minnesota assisted on 38 of its 53 made field goals and shot 56% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. Gobert, known better for the defensive presence he brings than his offense, shot 7 for 8 and moved the ball quite well.

"Do you believe in coincidence?" Gobert quipped about his return coinciding with the efficient offense. "It was great, it was fun. When the ball is moving like that and the mindset is how it was (Sunday), I think we have a really powerful team."

In addition to working on his rehab, while Gobert was out, he made every road trip in an effort to stay present with the team. He took particular pride in seeing the young guys take advantage of their opportunities amid the flurry of injuries. That's led to an expanded rotation that's seen Jaylen Clark and Terrence Shannon Jr. get minutes even as DiVincenzo, Randle and now Gobert have returned. Finch's goal is to use a 10-man rotation, and now he has Gobert back in the fold.

"Even though it was hard for me to not be on the floor for the last few weeks, I think it was great to see these young guys get opportunities and then take advantage of these opportunities," Gobert said. "I think down the stretch and in the playoffs, it's going to be a plus for us because we're going to need everyone at some point."

Recommended articles