By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Still 1st in the Western Conference standings after beating the Portland Trail Blazers by 37 points (128-91), the Minnesota Timberwolves are now definitely among the favorites to go deep in the NBA Playoffs.
After dropping a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds to contribute to his team’s victory, Rudy Gobert commented on Minnesota’s ambitions in the 2023-24 season. “I can feel that we have a purpose. Personally, I came here to help this team win a championship”, he first commented in the post-game press conference, as reported by Dane Moore.
Coming to Minnesota in 2022, the former Utah Jazz player talked about last year’s struggles. “It was kinda like a lot of adversity, we realized early on that it probably was not gonna be that year, but we could feel that we had the potential. And this year, from Day 1 of training camp, it was a different focus, different mindset”, he then added about the mental switch the Timberwolves made.
The French center also added about the team’s final goal. “We learned, obviously, from everything that happened last year, and it made us grow. It made us grow as a team. And this year we have a purpose. We know why we’re here. We’re not here to just be first in the West, we’re not here to just have a good year, we’re here to try and win a championship and everyone’s is aware of it and everyone believes in it”, he said.
Averaging a double-double of 13.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, the 31-year-old has been a huge factor in Minnesota’s run in the Western Conference thus far.
If you look close enough, you can see Rudy Gobert go behind the back and through the defenders legs for the pass 👀
Timberwolves-Trail Blazers | Live on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/B2tFzt6teb pic.twitter.com/FpZY3kgPGI— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2024
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images