How the Timberwolves Trading for LaMelo Ball Will Unlock Rudy Gobert's Offensive Game

Rudy Gobert's impact on the defensive end is obvious, but LaMelo Ball will allow his offensive game to hit a new level.

Here's what LaMelo Ball will do for the Timberwolves' No. 1 center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Timberwolves were at a crossroads with Rudy Gobert this offseason. The Wolves have had incredible success with Gobert, winning five playoff series in the last three seasons, but in each of their postseason defeats, Gobert's impact has been muted.

While the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year's defensive impact has stayed consistent from series to series, the offensive end of the floor has been another story. Opposing teams often ignore Gobert completely and load up defensively on the other four players on the court.

The past few seasons, the Timberwolves have been unable to solve that defensive scheme. Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, and the other Wolves playmakers have been unable to find Gobert open near the rim, leading to a clogged paint area and an overall unsustainable way to play playoff basketball.

The issues on the offensive end of the floor left the Timberwolves with a couple of possible options. They could trade Gobert to create a more offensively viable team, but risk cratering on the defensive side of the floor, or they could re-orient their roster to maximize Gobert's skills and make everything easier for him and the rest of the roster.

The Timberwolves chose the latter, as in a series of moves, Minnesota sent out Randle and Naz Reid and got back one of the best offensive engines in the NBA, LaMelo Ball.

LaMelo Ball could be the missing ingredient to unlocking Rudy Gobert's offensive upside. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Ball is the perfect type of player to pair with Gobert. His size and playmaking ability give the Timberwolves an added dimension that they did not have before.

Rudy Gobert's outlook is brighter with LaMelo Ball

No longer can opposing defenses ignore Gobert in the paint as Ball will be able to find the Wolves' center for lob dunks and easy baskets near the rim.

Gobert's best offensive season in a Timberwolves uniform came during the 2023-24 season, not coincidentally the first full season with Mike Conley at point guard in Minnesota. Gobert and Conley were a deadly pick-and-roll combination that season, an action Minnesota has gone away from since the switch to Donte DiVincenzo in the starting lineup.

The Gobert and Conley pick-and-roll was that team's safety valve. Whenever they needed a bucket, whether it was late in a close game or just during a cold stretch for the offense, the Wolves would run the two-man action using their two most veteran players to save the game.

Now, the Wolves will again start a pure point guard in Ball, one who should be able to replicate the chemistry Gobert had with Conley. While the Timberwolves ranked near the bottom of the NBA in pick-and-roll frequency, they will likely need to increase that volume with Ball now on the roster.

It's not just the pick-and-roll game where Ball will be able to increase Gobert's involvement on offense. In Minnesota's usual read-and-react style offense, Ball's playmaking and shooting gravity will make it easier for him and teammates to find Gobert open under the rim far more often than the Wolves have in the past.

Addition by subtraction

The other aspect of the Wolves' new-look roster that stands to benefit Gobert is the removal of Randle. The Timberwolves were never able to fully maximize the on-court fit between the two bigs. Randle's inconsistent shooting and inside-out playmaking never paired well with Gobert's paint-centric game, causing constant spacing issues.

Rudy Gobert will have much more breathing room without Julius Randle on the Timberwolves' roster. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the Wolves are still looking to fill the power forward void left by the departures of Randle and Reid, the new addition is likely to complement Gobert much better than Randle did during his two seasons in Minnesota.

The Timberwolves are also prioritizing Gobert off the court as Edwards and Ball are attempting to gather the entire Wolves roster in Gobert's home country of France so that everyone can work out together and get to know one another.

In almost every way, the current Timberwolves roster is much better suited to maximize what Gobert can do offensively while hiding his deficiencies. They have added one of the NBA's best playmakers, removed one of their streakiest players and greatly increased the offensive spacing with one of the best shooting backcourts in recent memory.

With everything in place to have one of the best scoring lineups in the NBA, if the Wolves still can't keep Gobert from becoming an offensive liability in the playoffs next season, it might signal the end of the seven-footer's time in Minnesota.