By Guillaume K. | Sports journalist
Particularly impacted with the departure of Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert is struggling to regain his level of Defender of the Year. He also has difficulty hiding his frustration and annoyance, since he is the author of certain inappropriate gestures on the floor.
Back to square one for Rudy Gobert in Minnesota. After a successful season on an individual and collective level, since he won a new title of Defender of the Year and reached the conference final, the French pivot was separated from his pair Karl-Anthony Towns… And while the latter is having a blast in New York, Gobert must adapt to Julius Randle.
Because his new partner is not the most altruistic and he needs the ball to shine, the French international sees his individual statistics melt away. With 10.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks on average, he posted numbers that resemble those of his third season in the league, in 2015/2016.
Rudy Gobert displayed for his ugly gesture on Zubac
A situation which is very frustrating for the fans, who saw what he was capable of last spring, but also for him. This is perhaps what explains his visible exasperation during certain meetings. For example, this Sunday in the narrow victory against the Clippers, Rudy Gobert made a gesture of humor that is not like him.
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Rudy Gobert is in NBA long enough to know that there is contact in the racket, especially on a rebound. However, after being pushed around by Ivica Zubac and James Harden, the Timberwolves pivot lost his calm and decided to elbow his opponent in the back… An action that does not go down well with the fans:
@HornsBloody : Draymond was right to hit him
@ayeSlinkyBeans : I want him to disappear from the league
@TripleAAAorg : It’s dirty, but soft at the same time. This is a real case.
Rudy Gobert is not necessarily in his best form this season, and this translates into moody gestures that are not like him. It is clearly not with these actions that he will redeem his image across the Atlantic.
