We weren’t ready for this, just six minutes after kickoff in Game 3 of the most exciting NBA playoff series yet, between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets on Thursday. Denver guard Christian Braun opened the way for an uneventful layup. But this is the moment chosen by Rudy Gobert to transform into Victor Wembanyama on the defensive level… then into Nikola Jokic on the other side of the field.
We promise, we are not exaggerating in any way, as you will see below, with first a huge counter on the board, before recovering the ball. A few moments later, after his classic job as a screener for star Anthony Edwards, he inherited a ball at the entrance to the racket. The kind of configuration in which the 2.16 m French pivot is often mocked for his clumsiness and his mediocre outside shot.
Clumsy and significantly less influential Jokic
Except that there, Rudy Gobert played Spencer Jones thanks to a clever “eurostep”, before continuing with an improbable blind pass towards Julius Randle, author of a hell of a dunk thanks to this caviar (12-4, 7th). Rarely has the 33-year-old’s strong but frustrated inner self brought crowds to their feet during his career. But this lightning does not fall from the sky, as Rudy Gobert has impressed since the start of this XXL shock of the first round of the play-offs, like his defensive recital in this latest success for Minnesota (113-96, 2-1 in the series).
Opposed to the best player in the world Nikola Jokic, who has so often caused him misery in the past, the former Jazz pivot thus makes life difficult for the Serbian genius. Surprisingly clumsy on shots in the Wolves’ two consecutive successes, with an 8 out of 20 then even a 7 out of 26 on Thursday (including a disastrous 3/17 three-pointers cumulative over these two matches), Nikola Jokic (56.9% address this season) is also very far from his standards as the best passer in the League (10.7 assists on average), limited to 8 and 3 offerings in games 2 and 3.
“The best challenge anyone could offer me”
Very complete on Thursday (10 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks), the recent 4th in the trophy for best defender of the season in the NBA (yes yes, only) is of course no stranger to the difficulties experienced by the triple MVP, as his stifling defense is a model of its kind facing him this week. And what about this bluffing “sky hook” achieved with the left hand (63-39, 25th), after multiple feints… à la Jokic? An action from a player full of confidence, galvanized by his key defensive role, praised in recent days by his coach and his teammates.
And the pivot of Denver himself : “He forces me to take difficult shots, he is imposing, he can touch the ball from all angles and in all positions. He’s a really good defender. » “Nikola Jokic is the greatest offensive player I have had to defend against in my entire career,” said the person concerned on Thursday evening. It’s the best challenge anyone could offer me and I love it. I make sure he has to deserve every point he scores. »
Our file on Rudy Gobert
And currently, Nikola Jokic is no longer able to carry his Nuggets (3rd in the West) to victory, deprived of Aaron Gordon (still) injured. Sidelined by Vincent Collet in the hottest events of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Rudy Gobert is proving that he is more competitive than ever in the NBA, and certainly not a player in early retirement. Enough to encourage Frédéric Fauthoux to count on the quadruple “DPOY” this summer for the qualifying matches for the 2027 World Cup?
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