The Minnesota Timberwolves season has not lived up to the expectations of the front office or the fans. Considering the assets they gave up to get center Rudy Gobert, an assured playoff spot was the least the Timberwolves faithful could ask for. Instead, they end up in the Play-In tournament and will face the Lakers on Tuesday.
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Rudy Gobert, a former 3x Defensive Player of the Year, joined the Wolves at the start of the 2022-23 season in a trade involving Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, 4-first-round picks, and a 2026 pick swap. That’s a lot of assets to give up for any player, let alone a declining big.
With a must-win game on Sunday, Minnesota faced the New Orleans Pelicans to decide the seeding for the Play-In tournament. Though they won the game, the real drama unfolded near the Timberwolves’ bench. What seemed to be an argument between Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson quickly escalated to a scuffle, with Gobert caught throwing a punch.
JJ Reddick has his say on Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson’s fight
What transpired in the Pelicans-Timberwolves game on Sunday was a series of events that left the Minnesota fans in utter disbelief. As per reports, Kyle Anderson had told Rudy to block some shots, and he responded by asking him to get rebounds. This led to Kyle calling him a b**ch and subsequently Rudy throwing a punch.
JJ Redick had some strong words for Rudy Gobert about the physical altercation. In his podcast ‘The Old Man and the Three’ with Tommy Alter, JJ gave his views on the incident and was not happy:
“I kept thinking about the incident yesterday. You are the problem dude!” said Redick.
JJ believes players calling each other words like b**ch and p***y are commonplace in the NBA. According to him, the reaction from Gobert was extreme and uncalled for, especially in a game of such magnitude.
Minnesota Timberwolves and Gobert going forward
With the play-in game on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Timberwolves’ front office has to make an important decision. Even though Rudy Gobert has apologized to Kyle and the team personally as well as publically, it will be interesting to see if he will be suspended.
To make matters worse, Jaden McDaniels, arguably the best defender on the team vented his frustration out on a wall and fractured his hand. After getting ejected from the game, McDaniels was not happy and was seen punching the tunnel wall. He has been ruled out for the entirety of the playoffs should the Minnesota Timberwolves reach there.
