Rudy Gobert’s performance in Game 1 of the playoff series against the Golden State Warriors has prompted scrutiny from Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch. The Timberwolves went on to lose this game 99-88. Finch says Gobert faced heavy contact throughout the game, which compromised his impact on the floor.
On one such play in the second quarter, Gobert was called for a foul after Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski “clearly grabbed” him first. This incident points to a larger issue Finch is worried about when it comes to the physical play Gobert is facing. Finch had submitted several video cut-ups to the league office, showcasing what he sees as over the line contact against the center.
Finch remarked, “On defensive rebounding, they do a lot of fouling, shoving, holding, pushing and tackling Rudy.” This quote really highlights Finch’s view that Gobert’s impact was limited by the physical style of the Warriors’ play.
Despite Gobert’s efforts, he managed only 11 rebounds in the game, a stark contrast to the 24 rebounds he recorded in the Timberwolves’ previous series against the Los Angeles Lakers. The lack of a positive rebounding difference was hard for her to understand, as the Warriors out-rebounded the Timberwolves 51-41.
Jaden McDaniels noted the physicality of the contest, stating, “They were playing harder than us, more physical.” This assessment echoes Finch’s worries and might go a good way in explaining Gobert’s lackluster year.
Plus, the Timberwolves were whistled for a whopping 21 more fouls than the Warriors (35 to 54). Mostly, though, the inconsistency in officiating was called into question when just one foul was called on Gobert for the entirety of the game. Finch was particularly nonplussed with his franchise star, citing disappointment with Anthony Edwards. He thought Edwards’ poor Game 1 energy reflected on the team’s performance as a whole.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that he too had issues with officiating and said, “I’m getting ready to send my own tapes to the league.” This rejoinder serves to show that complaints about the officiating went both ways.
Against that backdrop, Donte DiVincenzo’s statement of “there was nobody safe” became the understatement of the year when describing the Wolves’ film session following their embarrassing performance. This comment goes back to that sense of collective accountability each player expressed after the stinger of a game.
As the series goes on, analysts, including Stephen A. Smith, call for more from Anthony Edwards. They’ve not made any direct public efforts to plead the case for Gobert.
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