Anthony Edwards Credits Rudy Gobert For Timberwolves' Red Hot Start

Edwards may classify as the Timberwolves' best player this season, but Gobert may be the biggest difference-maker right now with the way he's been playing. As a 3x Defensive Player of the Year already, this type of dominance is not new for Rudy, but it's nice to see him back in peak form after a down year with the Wolves last season.

Rudy Gobert Is Leading The Race For DPOY

Currently, the Timberwolves are the best defensive team in the league. Allowing just 105.3 points per game on 42% team shooting, Minnesota is giving their opponents a lot of trouble defensively and Gobert deserves credit for his role in it. Over the first 20 games so far, Rudy is averaging 13.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game on 61% shooting. When he's been on he floor for the Timberwolves this season, there's a noticeable difference in how their opponents play.

Of course, it's not surprising that Gobert is doing this but some would say it was unexpected. After the Timberwolves gave up an infamously lucrative haul of assets for Rudy, they failed to make traction in the playoffs and the Gobert trade was universally mocked by fans and experts alike. Now, for whatever reason, Gobert is thriving like he did with the Utah Jazz and if it goes all season long, it will be enough to for him to earn his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award.

Are The Timberwolves Contenders?

The playoffs are always a different experience than the regular season, but the Timberwolves certainly look good in the opening few weeks. Despite injuries across the roster, including to Anthony Edwards, the team has held their own so far and it's no doubt thanks to the play of Gobert. But even outside of Gobert and Edwards, other players have been stepping up.

This season, Karl-Anthony Towns has really hit a nice stride and is currently averaging 21.8 points per game on a career-high 42% shooting from three. Backup big man Naz Reid is an early candidate for Sixth Man of the Year with 12.7 points per game off the bench. So, between the the revamped defense the supporting cast, and head coach Chris Finch, the Timberwolves are a team that demands to be taken seriously even if they lack the track record of other elite squads. At the very least, Anthony Edwards' status as a rising star means that Minnesota is trending up in the Western Conference and that's a scary though given what we've seen from them so far in the first few weeks of the season.