Rudy Gobert Rewriting Playoff Narratives While Slowing Jokic, Wembanyama

May 4, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) blocks a shot by San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) in the first half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Rudy Gobert Rewriting Playoff Narratives While Slowing Jokic, Wembanyama

Originally posted on Minnesota Timberwolves on SI
By Tony Liebert | Last updated May 5, 2026 4:17 PM ET

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Rudy Gobert has been one of the most criticized players in the NBA since he entered the league, despite being the most accomplished defensive player over the last decade. His critics have routinely gotten louder during the postseason, but things appear to be quieter this year. His defense against two of the best centers in the world is a big reason why.

Gobert's skillset is best used as a roaming defender in the paint, so he's often not used as a true one-on-one defender, but he has still been operating at an incredibly high level this postseason. Nikola Jokic was impressive in the first round, but he wasn't unstoppable like he often is.

Jokic's points per game average dropped from 27.7 in the regular season to 25.8 against the Wolves. He averaged just 9.5 assists in the series, compared to 10.7 in the regular season. He shot 56.9% from the field and 38.0% from three in the regular season. Those numbers dropped to 44.6% and 19.4% against the Wolves. It was clear that Minnesota's defensive game plan gave him trouble.

Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

In a postseason that has seen Minnesota battle injuries to Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu, Gobert is proving why he's a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. And why he's making more than $35 million a year. He's playing like a star.

Gobert's impact isn't normally felt on the traditional box score. He has played relatively well this postseason with 7.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.7 steals per game, but many people might call that underwhelming for a player who's filling up a significant amount of your cap space. But the Wolves have allowed the fourth-fewest points per game this season at 110.9, and Gobert is a massive reason why.

His impressive showing in round one has carried into the second round against San Antonio and his fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama. In Game 1, Wemby set an NBA postseason record with 12 blocks, but he struggled offensively. He finished with just 11 points on 5 for 17 from the field, and 0 of 8 from three.

Jokic and Wemby put together two of the most impactful seasons from centers in NBA history, but they've now both struggled against Gobert and the Wolves (although it's still very early in this second-round series). The usual comments from Shaquille O'Neal and Draymond Green have seemingly vanished because Gobert is leading Minnesota's defense on an impressive run through the Western Conference so far.

This article first appeared on FanNation All Timberwolves and was syndicated with permission.

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