Rudy Gobert is one of the best defensive players in the NBA right now. Based on all of the awards he has won, most would say he is the best defensive player in the league, although many feel otherwise. With that being said, Gobert is a polarizing player, and many were stunned when the Timberwolves gave up their immediate future to get him.
Now, Gobert will be playing with Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. These are two fantastic players that Gobert will now get to form a big three with. Regardless, the Gobert proved to be quite jarring, specifically for T-Wolves players who did not see it coming.
In a new report from Brian Windhorst of ESPN, numerous players on the T-Wolves explained how they were surprised to find out Gobert would be coming to the team. Most wanted to run it back, and the front office essentially threw them a curveball.
“We were already in kind of the mindset to run it back with the pieces that we had,” Jordan McLaughlin said. “And then for that trade to happen, it was different for us.” Meanwhile, Taurean Prince had a similar take, saying “It wasn’t that it put us in a bad mood, but, uh, we were surprised.”
Heading into the regular season, fans are expecting big things from Minnesota, and Gobert is a huge part of that. If he doesn't have a strong start then you can just imagine what the narratives will be.
[Via]