Rudy Gobert sets screens, and the stage, as Minnesota Timberwolves host LA Lakers
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Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves dunks the ball on Kevon Looney of the Golden State Warriors at Chase Centre on Dec 6.
PHOTO: AFP
MINNESOTA – The Minnesota Timberwolves knew that Rudy Gobert would be a difference maker on defence when he joined the team more than two National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons ago.
His statistics on offence do not jump off the page, but one of his greatest attributes is how he sets screens for Anthony Edwards to ignite the Timberwolves’ scoring.
The duo will get another chance to excel when the Timberwolves host the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec 13 (Dec 14, Singapore time) in Minneapolis.
Against the Lakers, Minnesota will be looking for their fifth win in six games. Part of the team’s recent success is the on-court dynamic between Gobert and Edwards, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said.
“It has really developed over Rudy’s time here. (There is) trust both ways. Rudy has long been one of the screen-setters,” Finch said.
“Ant’s willingness now to take that three has been huge, and Ant’s willingness to look for Rudy at different levels of the floor, like in the pocket or at the rim, we’ve been able to complete a lot more of that.”
The Lakers also have room for improvement as they travel north to Target Centre. They have lost seven of their past 10 games but are coming off a 107-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
However, they could face an additional challenge as LeBron James reportedly is unlikely to play because of foot soreness. Earlier this week, he missed practice due to personal reasons.
James, who turns 40 years old on Dec 30, is averaging 23.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists this season. His 49.5 per cent shooting from the field and 35.9 per cent from beyond the arc are down from last season.
Teammates said they all would need to step up if James misses time.
“He’s going to come back, and he’s still going to be the same. He’s going to give everything on the court,” Lakers backup centre Christian Koloko said.
“We’ve just got to do our part and just get better so that when he comes back, he can just look at us and be like, ‘Oh yeah, (they) were actually working’ when he wasn’t there.”
Anthony Davis leads the Lakers with 27.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, while Edwards is averaging 26.4 points to lead the Timberwolves.
This is the third of four games between the two teams during the regular season.
Los Angeles won the opening game 110-103 on Oct 22 on their home court, and Minnesota got even in the second matchup with a 109-80 blowout win on Dec 2 in Minneapolis. REUTERS
