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Rudy Gobert Spots the LaMelo Ball Habit the Timberwolves Need to Break
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- Rudy Gobert Spots the LaMelo Ball Habit the Timberwolves Need to Break
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Rudy Gobert believes LaMelo Ball can solve a substantial part of his foul problem without becoming a less aggressive defender. The adjustment comes after the difficult work is already finished.
Watching Ball defend, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year sees possessions where Minnesota's point guard gets into position, competes and makes his opponent uncomfortable. Then comes another reach, grab or push that gives the officials a reason to stop play.
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"These situations where he's already done a good job, and then he tries to get the extra grab or the extra push or the extra hit on the elbow on the shot," Gobert explained Monday .
His advice is simple: recognize when the possession has reached the point where a contested shot is an acceptable result. "Once you've done your job, then you've got to live with the result," Gobert said. "If they make a tough shot, they make a tough shot."
Oct 30, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; LA Clippers guard Kobe Sanders (4) dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves guard LaMelo Ball (1) in the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
That distinction has become increasingly important for a Timberwolves team playing without Anthony Edwards . Minnesota needs Ball to initiate offense, create opportunities and carry more of the scoring responsibility. Repeated trips to the bench make all three harder.
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Saturday's loss in San Antonio illustrated the cost. Ball fouled out after just 20 minutes, finishing with 10 points on 2-of-10 shooting and five turnovers. The Wolves remained competitive without Edwards and Gobert but lost 121-111.
Gobert's assessment offers something more useful than a general demand for Ball to stop fouling. He identifies a decision Ball can change while preserving the effort Minnesota wants.
"He's competing hard," Gobert said. "He wants to compete defensively, which is amazing, and that's what we need from him."
He also acknowledged that some whistles have been difficult to accept. Even with that qualification, Gobert believes Ball has considerable control over improving the situation. "I think he can remove at least half of them by just mental focus," he added.
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That is Gobert's assessment, rather than a review establishing which calls were correct. But it gives Ball a practical starting point: avoid adding unnecessary contact to a possession he has already defended well.
Chris Finch has described a similar balance. Earlier in the week, the coach explained that Ball was adjusting to Minnesota's defensive approach, including how to play physically without becoming unnecessarily aggressive. Finch praised the effort while identifying the need for better judgment.
After the Spurs game, his response included both accountability and a forceful defense of his guard.
Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
"He's got to figure it out," Finch said, before describing Ball's turnovers as unnecessary. Finch then criticized the amount of contact opponents were allowed to use against him.
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"They're fouling him all over the floor," he said. "They've got their hands on him, they're bumping him, they're holding him, they're riding him off his line."
At the other end, Finch argued, Ball was receiving a series of calls for marginal contact.
Those complaints and Gobert's advice can coexist. Minnesota can question particular whistles while asking Ball to eliminate the actions that make his availability more vulnerable. Ball acknowledged that responsibility himself.
"You seen all the fouls I had? You think I had six?" he asked after Saturday's game . "Just got to be smarter, though."
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When asked how he could contribute through the frustration, Ball listed ways to help without depending on his jumper: move the ball, create easier opportunities, push the pace and rebound.
The Wolves need those contributions consistently. They also need him available when a close game reaches its deciding possessions. Gobert is working on his part of that partnership, too. Sitting out against San Antonio allowed him to study where Ball finds opportunities and how he can help create them.
"How can I help him just make his life easy on the court?" Gobert said.
For Ball, making the game easier may begin with knowing when to stop doing more. Force the difficult shot, trust the defense behind him and stay available for the next possession.
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