(Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
About a quarter of the way into the NBA season, many were expecting to see a team such as the defending world champion Denver Nuggets or perhaps the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, or Phoenix Suns hold the league’s best record.
But entering Monday, it was the Minnesota Timberwolves who had the best record in the NBA at 17-4.
They may be a mediocre offensive team, but they’re winning with defense, as they hold the highest defensive rating in the league.
Leading the defensive charge is center Rudy Gobert, who is averaging 2.5 blocked shots and 12.4 rebounds a game.
While acknowledging that he may have come off as a homer, Timberwolves play-by-play man Michael Grady said that Gobert should at least be in the conversation for the league MVP award, per SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“He looks like a monster out there on the court.”
Timberwolves play-by-play announcer @Grady tells @RickKamlaSports and @adaniels33 Rudy Gobert has set a high bar with his play this season. pic.twitter.com/6g83ePrlVp
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) December 11, 2023
When the Timberwolves gave up a king’s ransom to get Gobert in the summer of 2022, many mocked the move and felt it wouldn’t work, given how limited he is offensively and the fact that the team already had an All-Star-caliber big man in Karl-Anthony Towns.
Last season, the fit seemed clunky, as the team finished in the bottom third in offensive rating and barely finished over .500 while having to participate in two play-in tournament games just to be able to get routed in the first round of the playoffs by Denver.
Saying Gobert should be an MVP candidate sounds hyperbolic, but if Minnesota maintains what it has been doing defensively, perhaps they will make some postseason noise for the first time in many years.
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