The Timberwolves' plan this offseason was to ease center Rudy Gobert back into action after he led France to a silver medal in the Eurobasket tournament.
Gobert sat out the Wolves' first preseason game at Miami before playing in Thursday night's 114-99 victory over the split-squad Lakers, who sat LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley in Las Vegas.
Here are some observations from Gobert's debut and the Wolves' second preseason victory.
Immediate impact on the glass
The Wolves had the NBA's 13th-best defensive efficiency last season. But that number could have been better if their defensive rebounding percentage was better than 28th (.706). This was the biggest problem the Wolves had in their six-game playoff series against the Grizzlies: shutting down possessions after the first shot. It will be a while before the Wolves can erase the image of Brandon Clarke getting almost every offensive rebound in a key situation in that series.
Gobert is not only the best rim protector of this generation, but he is also one of the best defensive rebounders in the league. Thursday's game was evidence of just how much he will help the Wolves in that area too.
Gobert played only 17 minutes, but he had 12 rebounds in that time. The Lakers had a small lineup on the floor, and Gobert towered over them. He made rebounding look easier than it ever did last season for the Wolves. Offensively, Gobert had five points and three assists as he worked with guards D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards on their screen-and-roll game.
The offensive chemistry will be a work in progress, but one thing that is evident immediately is how much Gobert is going to help the Wolves address one of their biggest weaknesses from a season ago.
Reid downshifts to power forward
One of the story lines to track early in the regular season is just where Naz Reid fits into the picture of the Wolves rotation. Reid has been Karl-Anthony Towns' backup center for the first three years of his professional career. The plan for the Wolves is to have one of Gobert and Towns on the floor together at all times. Reid has been working on playing the power forward position this offseason in order to better compete for minutes at that spot when either Towns or Gobert is sitting.
He got the start alongside Gobert with Towns still resting from a non-COVID-19 illness that has affected his availability early in training camp. Reid will likely be competing for those minutes at the four spot along with Kyle Anderson, the veteran the Wolves signed in the offseason.
Reid finished with eight points, five rebounds and two blocks in 18 minutes after he struggled in the game against Miami with foul trouble. Reid's usage and where he plays will be something coach Chris Finch will likely be balancing all season.
Wolves depth ready to go
The Wolves look like a deep team in the early part of the preseason. Jaylen Nowell had another sharp game with 13 points, while newcomer Bryn Forbes looks like he could slide right into the rotation with seven points. The veteran guard's prolific three-point shooting will be something the Wolves need with the departure of Malik Beasley.
Jordan McLaughlin ran the offense smoothly when he was in at point guard. Nathan Knight also gave the Wolves quality minutes with 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting, proving the Wolves may have an abundance of frontcourt depth this season.
