Defeated for only the seventh time this season, the Wolves of Rudy Gobert keep smiling.
Disappointment is, of course, present in the visiting locker room at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, but the French pivot's teammates remain no less joking and cheerful, while Minnesota remains leader of the Western Conference. The young people on one side (Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid) and the veterans on the other (Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Karl-Anthony Towns)…
For Rudy Gobert, author of a “small” match with 10 points and 5 rebounds, it is the exception that proves the rule. The Wolves did not play at their level and they paid for it in cash!
“We were late on everything, me first”
Rudy Gobert, you let go definitively in the last quarter. Are you a little worn out physically, after a series of matches and not easy trips (Miami and Philadelphia in the East, a stop in Minnesota, then Sacramento and therefore OKC in the West)?
We weren't up to our standards on both sides of the pitch. We were late on everything, me first. Behind, OKC played very well and, what's more, they were very skillful. Players like Lu Dort, [Jalen] Williams, put in. Of course, Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] made Shai. But when others do it too, it becomes difficult. They are a difficult team to handle, who are not where they are in the rankings for no reason. We have to be better.
When you say that you were behind defensively, is it also in relation to the “atypical” game of Chet Holmgren, who really attracted you on the outside?
I just wasn't at my usual level. There are matches like that in a season. The most important thing is to be able to bounce back afterwards. We're going to watch the video and see what I can do better, what we can do better collectively too. We have Dallas in two days [à Minneapolis, ndlr].
You are still at the top of the Western Conference, with 22 wins and 7 losses, the second best record in the league. Are you surprised by this success?
Success never happens by accident. It happens through hard work and, of course, through believing in it. We all believe in ourselves. Our goal is to be as high as possible to play in the playoffs and aim for the title. This is clearly our objective. It takes a lot of work, but we are ready to do it. Afterwards, an NBA season is made of ups and downs. We must continue to build good habits, as we have done since last year and since training camp, which was very good. We touch wood [il se retourne et tape sa main sur le vestiaire derrière lui], but for now, we are all in good health. We work hard every day, individually and collectively.
Your success comes quickly all the same, knowing that your group is ultimately only experiencing its second season together. And again, Mike Conley arrived during last season…
As I often say, great things don't happen overnight. Before you succeed, sometimes you have to fail. Last year, we experienced a lot of adversity, physical problems, a lot of things that forced us to adapt. But this year, it made us stronger. I was proud of the team last year [malgré l’échec en playoffs]. Even in the playoffs, we fought against a very good Denver team, despite the injuries and everything that fell on us. There is always something positive and, as long as you believe in your teammates, in your coaching staff and in yourself, anything is possible. Last year's experience allowed us to be who we are this year. It's part of the road to success. We learned from our mistakes. We have confidence in our strengths and, as long as we continue to do the work, we will be rewarded.
“We have a fairly unique team”
Exactly, what are the major strengths of this team in your opinion?
We have a pretty unique team. We have very talented players, a lot of size, a lot of long players. I don't need to mention names, we know who I'm talking about. And then, [l’une de nos forces, c’est] defense. We have built good defensive habits and we want to continue like that. We know that, if we want to get where we want to go, we have to be a nightmare for our opponents. It was not the case [hier] evening [rires], but at the start of the season, this is what we managed to accomplish. We still have a lot of room for improvement.
In which areas do you see this room for progress?
It's the consistency. Being able to focus on the small details throughout the entire match. And then, we have to start the matches better, play better in the first quarter. When difficult times come, we must be more consistent and resilient. We've done pretty well so far. We must be persistent and more regular. No matter what happens, we have to be focused on the little things we need to do.
You mentioned consistency: you have only conceded two defeats per month so far. It's not much !
It's not necessarily a question of victory or defeat. People obviously look at the results, and it’s important to win. But we won matches where we were not consistent for 48 minutes. We were good enough to win, but we still have huge room for improvement in that regard. That is what is interesting.
Looking back, how do you look back on last season, a season of transition where your transfer (and its enormous counterpart) earned you some ridicule?
People can make fun as much as they want, I'm living my dream every day! There are always expectations and, in a way, it's a sign of respect. It was a year, especially at the beginning, a bit complicated, that's for sure. I'm proud of what I've done, I've always been there for my team. Even with injuries, I fought to be on the field as much as possible. Statistically, it was a season where I know I was below what I know I could do, but I was still present. I am where I am today because I never stopped working. And I don't listen to what people say. If everything in life were easy, we wouldn't appreciate the good times as much…
Last year, we had the impression that your teammates (or even the staff) had not yet received the instructions for optimizing your qualities. Do you feel that this is no longer the case? Was there any special work done by the team to find you better inside?
It's a mixture of many things. Of my work. Team chemistry. It takes time. Basketball is a sport that is instinctive. For a player like me, who changes the way the team plays defensively and offensively, it takes time. You can't come in and ask other players to suddenly know how to send the right alley-oop passes, position themselves well in defense… It takes time. You have to work, repeat the movements. You also have to have these hard moments, to build automatisms. We know that we don't have a lot of time either. Our window is now and the next few years. We work with that in mind.
“I’m glad these discussions took place”
You said in our columns that you thought you were evolving at your best level in your career. Can we also explain this by a surplus of motivation after a (very) complicated summer with the French team?
I never need extra motivation, honestly. I have nothing to prove except to myself. For a long time, I wanted to prove to people, but now I'm at a point in my career where I've already accomplished things that no one else has accomplished. My competition is with myself. Of course, I was very disappointed after the World Cup, but maybe that's what we needed. If we look at the bigger picture, maybe this is what we needed to come to the Olympics with a different mentality. Individually, I had an incredible summer. People who know me know that I work hard, but this summer in particular I was able to focus and put myself in the red even more. I had the best summer of my career, in terms of workload. I worked very hard. Sooner or later, it will pay off. I don't think I'm at the level I can be yet. In any case, I know that the team needs me to continue to gain strength.
Have you digested this failure? Were you able to talk about it among yourselves, to smooth things over, knowing that each other had to move on quickly after the World Cup?
We all have our seasons, we all have the Olympics in mind. We had conversations. Sometimes losing can be a blessing in disguise. We had discussions that we wouldn't have had otherwise. There, we are aiming for something very big this summer and I am happy that these discussions took place. It's not easy to win and it's important to be honest, with yourself but also with each other.
Do you think you can “reclaim” the title of Defender of the Year, which you have already won three times?
I don't know, what do you think?
I think you are well on your way to…
I don't know, we'll see. Afterwards, as I always say, I mainly focus on the team. The defender of the year is someone who really manages to impact his team and his opponents. Every morning I wake up and tell myself that I am the best defender in the world. I do everything to be as impactful as possible on that side of the field. From the moment I can play at my level, I think – in all humility – that there is no one else in the league who has as much impact on defense. It's up to me to maintain the same level of demands and continue to gain momentum…
Do you think you're closer to the title here than in Utah, where you also led the Western Conference in the past?
The title, as long as I don't have it in my hands, it's very far away [rires]… At Utah, I thought we had a team capable of doing it and, here, I also think we have a team capable of doing it. Now, there's so much going on in an NBA season… It's an everyday job. We still have a long season ahead of us. We must continue to progress and work. When the playoffs arrive, we will have to be the best possible to go to the end.
Comments collected in Oklahoma City
| Rudy Gobert | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2013-14 | UTH | 45 | 10 | 48.6 | 0.0 | 49.2 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 2.3 |
| 2014-15 | UTH | 82 | 26 | 60.4 | 0.0 | 62.3 | 3.2 | 6.2 | 9.5 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 8.4 |
| 2015-16 | UTH | 61 | 32 | 55.9 | 0.0 | 56.9 | 3.4 | 7.5 | 11.0 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 9.1 |
| 2016-17 | UTH | 81 | 34 | 66.1 | 0.0 | 65.3 | 3.9 | 8.9 | 12.8 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 14.0 |
| 2017-18 | UTH | 56 | 32 | 62.2 | 0.0 | 68.2 | 3.0 | 7.8 | 10.7 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 13.5 |
| 2018-19 | UTH | 81 | 32 | 66.9 | 0.0 | 63.6 | 3.8 | 9.0 | 12.9 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 15.9 |
| 2019-20 | UTH | 68 | 34 | 69.3 | 0.0 | 63.0 | 3.4 | 10.1 | 13.5 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 15.1 |
| 2020-21 | UTH | 71 | 31 | 67.5 | 0.0 | 62.3 | 3.4 | 10.1 | 13.5 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 14.3 |
| 2021-22 | UTH | 66 | 32 | 71.3 | 0.0 | 69.0 | 3.7 | 11.0 | 14.7 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 15.6 |
| 2022-23 | MIN | 70 | 31 | 65.9 | 0.0 | 64.4 | 3.3 | 8.3 | 11.6 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 13.4 |
| 2023-24 | MIN | 28 | 32 | 61.6 | 0.0 | 61.2 | 3.8 | 8.5 | 12.3 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 12.8 |
| Total | 709 | 30 | 65.2 | 0.0 | 63.8 | 3.3 | 8.4 | 11.7 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 12.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
