After years of disappointment and being at the bottom of the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves have finally found some consistency and been a reliable contender for a couple of years now. Rudy Gobert has been a big part of their resurgence and new culture.
While the trade that brought Gobert to Minnesota caused a lot of stir because of what they had to give up to the Utah Jazz, the French center has brought his defensive greatness to the T-Wolves. That has been vital in their back-to-back Western Conference finals appearances in the past two seasons. As Rudy recently revealed, they feel they are very close to their ultimate goal.
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“The biggest perspective is that we were right there, so obviously as a competitor you, there’s two ways of seeing it, right? We were right below a step for the NBA Finals two years in a row. It’s frustrating because it doesn’t happen in a career; it’s not something that happens all the time, but at the same time, it shows that we’ve been able to do it over and over, and we’re creating something special, and I think that’s really what it’s about for us. What we need to be able to take that next step,” Gobert explained on the “Old Man and the Three” podcast.
West’s best
While the Timberwolves did lose convincingly to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks in those conference finals appearances, the fact that they made it that far still signals that they are highly competitive. The biggest reason for their rise to the top in a competitive Western Conference has been the emergence of Anthony Edwards as the squad’s superstar.
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Ant is the next man up for the NBA in general, as Minnesota will have to make sure to surround him with the right supporting cast. They have been doing a solid job, with guys like Gobert, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Mike Conley, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo by his side for now. However, they will need more to overcome the adversity that comes with trying to become champions, and Rudy is confident they know what it takes.
“Both seasons were totally different. Last season and this year, there was the big trade with KAT and last year I think we faced a lot different kind of adversity throughout the season, especially early and then we kind of overcame that and grew from that. We were able to finish the season strong and have a really good playoff run,” Rudy added.
Time for the final step?
As the 2025-2026 season nears, the Timberwolves are placed among the vast group of Western teams people view as potential contenders just outside the first tier. Bringing back pretty much the same group, aside from losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the T-Wolves count on their chemistry, perseverance and experience on the big stage to carry them through the season.
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“Now we have the opportunity to, for the most part, keep the same group of guys together and running back into trying to achieve our goal,” the French center concluded.
While Gobert is already 33 years old, he is still a valuable center and defensive leader, averaging 12.0 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game during the 2024-2025 season. With Edwards expected to make the leap to MVP contention and the rest of the supporting cast right there, nobody can deny the T-Wolves or deny that they have finally built a winning culture in Minny.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.