Coach Chris Finch hit Rudy Gobert with a reality check! The 4x DPOY had an unusual situation to deal with during the late end of the Sunday match-up against the Miami Heat. It’s the game where the Minnesota Timberwolves let the Jimmy Butler-less Heat steal a one-point game at the Target Center. Where did they go wrong? Is it because of the decision to bench Rudy Gobert for the crucial defense possession? The big Frenchman answered the same with a tinge of frustration.

There’s a reason why the defending DPOY award winner is on the team: to utilize his defensive prowess, especially during crunch time. Surprisingly, Coach Finch didn’t think like that last night. With 9 seconds on the clock, the Wolves were up by two and the Heat had the opportunity to tie the game with the ball in their hand. Guess what? Nikola Jovic sunk a layup against Nickeil Alexander-Walker and also drew a foul. The Heat went up by 1 with 7 seconds on the clock. It’s quite natural to think that Rudy Gobert would have denied that layup!

After the Wolves suffered the 94-95 loss, the reporters swarmed the big man in the locker room, who sat on the chair with a disappointed look. A reporter asked if he was surprised by Finch’s decision. He said, “For sure. For sure. I mean, I’m pretty good on that end of the floor. I live for those moments. That’s what I do best. I was frustrated for sure, but decisions.” 

While he was understandably frustrated, Gobert gracefully accepted his coach’s decision and respected it. Moreover, he also pointed out that the team didn’t lose solely because of the last defensive play. He added, “Everyone remembers the last play but I think we as a team we remember the last few minutes… none of us is perfect, man.” Did Finch take this decision due to Gobert’s history in crunch time?

Did Rudy Gobert’s 2024 postseason blunder lead to this surprising decision?

Over the last few months, Rudy Gobert has faced a lot of demoralizing moments on the floor. Last season, the Wolves were dominating in the playoffs. Despite their commanding position, Rudy Gobert constantly faced criticism for his defending skills. Notably, he had just won his fourth DPOY award at that time. But the big man struggled to guard Nikola Jokić. The Serbian superstar embarrassed Gobert by pulling the chair multiple times near the rim.

Apart from that, during the Paris Olympics, the French coach benched him from the starting lineup a couple of times in the tournament and he often found himself on the bench during crunch time. However, one of the most humiliating situations came during Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Mavericks. The Wolves were already 1 down in the series and had the opportunity to level the series.

With 9 seconds left in the game, the Mavs trailing by two points had possession of the ball. Luka Doncic tactically switched to get Gobert to guard him, danced around for a bit, leaving the big man unsettled, and drilled a game-winning three-pointer. While LukaMagic was slow on his legs compared to other guards, Gobert failed to match his speed.

So, taking the lesson learned from the past, Coach Finch must have applied it for the last game. What do you think?