![\"Rudy](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/NBA-Minnesota-Timberwolves-at-Cleveland-Cavaliers-27977637-scaled-e1768108994491.jpg\")
Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been good this season<\/a>, currently the 4-seed in the Western Conference, if the season ended today, 0.5 games back of Denver for the 3-seed.<\/p>\n With two-straight Western Conference Finals runs under their belt, the 2025-26 Wolves are trying to take that next step. To do that, 24-year-old<\/a> Anthony Edwards will have to push the 37-year-old<\/a> NBA organization to the NBA Finals for the first time in its history.<\/p>\n If he can break the curse, it\u2019d be the first a Minnesota team has tasted the NBA Finals since<\/a> the Minneapolis Lakers were swept by Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics in the Spring of 1959<\/a>. The \u201cLakers\u201d would leave for the Los Angeles desert one season later<\/a>.<\/p>\n But the 2025-26 Minnesota Timberwolves are flawed. Edwards is playing the best basketball of his career, but there\u2019s not a lot of ball-handling help for him in the backcourt, which has proven a major problem vs good teams.<\/p>\n Another DPOY for MN Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert?<\/p>\n So with the trade deadline less than a month away, Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has been working the phones hard. One player who isn\u2019t going anywhere? Rudy Gobert. Because without him, the Timberwolves wouldn\u2019t be able to stop anybody.<\/p>\n In fact, independent Wolves beat reporter Dane Moore<\/a> is pretty convinced Rudy Gobert is going to win his 5th NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award this season, despite Minnesota\u2019s serious issues on that end of the floor through 39 games this season.<\/p>\n Some long-winded thoughts on why I think Rudy Gobert is going to win Defensive Player of the Year w\/ @KyleTheige<\/a> <\/p>\n Trying to add some context to the numbers that will be used to argue for and against his candidacy. pic.twitter.com\/jNzpmsycgF<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) January 10, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think Rudy\u2019s going to change what he\u2019s doing defensively. I think the team as a whole is going to keep improving defensively. I mean, I think if you can get any plus money on Rudy right now, you should take it because I think Rudy is going to win Defensive Player of the Year.\u201d<\/p>\n Dane Moore \u2013 Dane Moore NBA Podcast<\/a><\/p>\n The MN Timberwolves lost for the first time in five nights on Saturday, and it wasn\u2019t because of the offense, which put up 134 points. Their issue, yet again, was on defense, where the Wolves allowed 146 points<\/a> to the home Cavaliers, ultimately falling by double-digits.<\/p>\n Not a single Minnesota starter finished with a positive (+\/-) rating<\/a> last night. Julius Randle was a -20, Jaden McDaniels a -17. Even Edwards finished with a -16 (+\/-). Only Gobert \u2014 who blocked 3 shots and added a steal to his 8 point and 12 rebound box score \u2014 finished in the single digits, at -8. Donte DiVincenzo was a -11.<\/p>\n Both Moore and Kyle Theige<\/a> outlined the impact that Gobert is having on the floor for the Timberwolves. It sags substantially when both Julius Randle and Naz Reid (28 minutes vs CLE) are on the court together.<\/p>\n Deeper metrics tell story on Gobert\u2019s defense in 2025-26<\/p>\n Across 38 games this season, Gobert is averaging 11.3 points on a league-leading 72.5% field goal percentage<\/a>. His 11.3 rebounds are a step up from last season, his 3.9 offensive rebounds per game are a career-best. He\u2019s still blocking 1.6 shots per game too.<\/p>\n Minnesota\u2019s own Chet Holmgren is the current betting favorite (-120) to win Defensive Player of the Year (DraftKings<\/a>), but Gobert comes in second at +300. Oklahoma City is a better team on defense, which could help Holmgren eventually come out on top.<\/p>\n But a deeper look at the metrics make Rudy look better than ever on that side of the floor. That\u2019s why Moore is telling his listeners to get their plus-money in on Gobert for DPOY, while they can.<\/p>\n Rudy Gobert’s updates on his monstrous defensive season: Minnesota is the 2nd defense w\/ him, 30th w\/o, teams are shooting -7.5% TS w\/ him, -5.2% eFG% (97th percentile), grabbing -4.4% offensive rebounds (99th) and going way less to the FT line (-11.9 FT rate, 100th) pic.twitter.com\/96rj7BcwdG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Francesco Semprucci (@fra_sempru) January 4, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Bam was quoted on Saturday saying \u201che cant f***ing guard me\u201d of Gobert. <\/p>\n Bam Adebayo when defended by Rudy Gobert (last 2 games): Gobert is holding opponents to 35.8%, playing like the DPOY.<\/p>\n Rudy\u2019s still that guy. pic.twitter.com\/y9R6RhPlwV<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Wolf Wise Statistics (@WolfWiseStats) January 7, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Rudy Gobert the greatest defensive basketball player ever?<\/p>\n If Gobert indeed wins his 5th Defensive Player of the Year Award, it would be the most times any single NBA player has won that award, which would cement Rudy as THE greatest defensive basketball player ever, right?<\/p>\n For now, Gobert \u2014 who is signed in Minnesota through 2027<\/a> \u2014 is currently tied with Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo, who also won four Defensive Player of the Year Awards.<\/p>\n Wallace played until he was 37<\/a> and won his last DPOY Award at 31. Mutombo went until he was 42<\/a>, and won his last DPOY at 34. Both legendary big men are now in the Basketball Hall of Fame. <\/p>\n Gobert setting the record at 33 would be an incredible story. He is signed through 2027<\/a> with Minnesota, and this level of play is something the organization would love to continue signing up for.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned in this article: Defensive Player of the Year<\/a> nba awards<\/a> Rudy Gobert<\/a> <\/p>\n More About: Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a><\/p>\n Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google. \t\t\t
5-for-17 shooting<\/p>\n![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/google_preferred_source_badge.png\"){kind=icon}
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