(Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Timberwolves are dominating this season and have the best defense in the NBA.
A large part of that is due to Rudy Gobert, the talented big man who has shut down a number of opponents all season long.
As great as he can be, he can also be a problem for the Timberwolves, according to NBA great Udonis Haslem.
“Rudy Gobert can be Defensive Player of the Year in the f—— regular season and be a defensive liability in the playoffs,” Haslem said on the latest episode of “The OGs Show,” via NBACentral.
Udonis Haslem calls Rudy Gobert a ‘defensive liability’ in the playoffs
( @theOGsShow / https://t.co/jvWqUNcBwN) pic.twitter.com/v75zVfqWpD
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 26, 2024
Like all big men in the league, Gobert has definitely had some bad nights and even entire series where he has fallen short.
But is he a defense liability right now?
The answer to that seems to be a resounding no.
Gobert is averaging 13.2 points and 12.5 rebounds a game, as well as 2.1 blocks per game.
He has been named Defensive Player of the Year three times already but some people expect him to earn that honor yet again at the end of the season.
When Gobert first came to the Timberwolves last season, the team fell short of their lofty goals and some people thought the acquisition of Gobert was a mistake.
Those people have been silenced in 2023-24 and the Timberwolves are one of the best teams in the league and currently the strongest in the West.
The team is sometimes impossible to score on and Gobert is playing some of the best basketball and defense of his career.
However, Haslem might end up correct if Gobert can’t keep it up in the playoffs.
If Minnesota reaches the postseason and then falls apart, people will point the finger at Gobert and, once again, some will wonder if this team needs changes.
The post Udonis Haslem Calls Timberwolves Star A ‘Defensive Liability’ appeared first on The Cold Wire.