Skip Bayless Blames Rudy Gobert’s Incapability to Handle Nikola Jokic For Hot Timberwolves Take

When the Denver Nuggets lost Games 1 and 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series against the Minnesota Timberwolves at home, analysts like Stephen A. Smith, Gilbert Arenas, and Charles Barkley wrote them off and predicted a sweep. but Nikola Jokic and the team came roaring back and won two games on the road to level the series at 2-2.

Stars Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon hitting their stride has been critical to the Nuggets’ resurgence. However, Skip Bayless believes Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns’ poor showing against the newly-crowned MVP was the reason for the Timberwolves’ back-to-back losses.

On Monday’s episode of Undisputed, the veteran analyst claimed that the duo failing to contain Jokic handed the advantage back to the defending champion,

“[The Nuggets] just kept going to the big fella [in Game 4]. It’s 1-on-2 and he annihilates two big guys [Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns]. Both of them. These are two seven-footers!” 

Pierce backed Bayless’ point and claimed that Gobert and KAT didn’t do a good enough job when double-teamed Jokic. The Hall of Famer noted that either of the two joining the other to help contain the Nuggets superstar left Gordon wide-open in the paint, whom the Serbian found with ease for an easy dunk.

Pierce marveled at Jokic’s excellent playmaking ability but suggested that Gobert and KAT should’ve done better defensively when they double-teamed the MVP.

https://twitter.com/undisputed/status/1790030680325537993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The Timberwolves couldn’t come up with the answers for Jokic and Gordon’s two-man game all night long. The center attacked the rim when Minnesota played man-to-man defense and dumped the ball off to the forward when they sent another defender as help. Jokic finished the game with 35 points, while Gordon scored 27 on 11-of-12 shooting.

The duo’s dominant display against the Timberwolves’ Twin Towers prompted Pierce and Bayless to write their chances off in this series.

Kendrick Perkins questions Rudy Gobert’s defensive credentials

Skip Bayless and Paul Pierce weren’t the only analysts left less than impressed by Rudy Gobert’s performance in Games 3 and 4. ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins slammed the Timberwolves center for playing timidly against Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon. On Monday’s episode of Get Up, he said,

“”Isn’t Rudy Gobert the Defensive Player of the Year? Why is it all the time he’s the Defensive Player of the Year in the regular season but he’s a defensive liability come playoff time? I’m tired of the man playing sassy. There’s a level of physicality that he needs to play with, there’s a level of expectation that he has to uphold. But when it comes down to how he was getting punished, not protecting the basket, not finishing around the basket. They’ve to figure out this out and it starts with him.”

"Isn't Rudy Gobert the DPOY? Why is it all the time he's the DPOY in the regular season but he's a defensive liability come playoff time?"

👀 @KendrickPerkins pic.twitter.com/vLMa8riR0k

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 13, 2024

Perkins makes a valid point. When Gobert missed Game 2 and Naz Reid played close to 30 minutes, the Timberwolves defense stifled the Nuggets and held them to only 80 points. The Nuggets’ improved offensive display cannot be attributed to Gobert’s return and underwhelming performances alone However, it has been a factor and Minnesota has to address it before Game 5 tips off on Tuesday night.