Can anyone make sense of the Rudy Gobert rebounding roller coaster?
There are nights where Gobert is dominant on the glass, like when he pulled down 18 rebounds in Minnesota’s win over the Clippers on Jan. 6. Then there are other nights when Gobert, who is 7-foot-1, finished with fewer than five rebounds.
It’s been mind-boggling ride considering Gobert has long been one of the best rebounders in the league. In two games against Memphis in the past week, Gobert totaled four rebounds in both games. Minnesota lost each game by two points.
Gobert has reached 10+ rebounds in 25 of 43 games this season. In those 25 games, he’s averaged 12.7 rebounds per game. In the 18 games that he’s failed to reach double digits, he’s averaged 6.8 rebounds.
You can see in the graph below that the trend line on his rebounding numbers is going in the wrong direction.
The Timberwolves are 6-12 in games that Gobert fails to grab 10+ rebounds and 16-9 when he reaches double digits on the glass.
Last week, head coach Chris Finch was critical of Gobert’s rebounding following a loss to Golden State in which Gobert failed to box out Andrew Wiggins late in the game.
“I think Rudy’s gotta go get the ball in the air. He’s trying to play a hand-to-hand combat game and he gets tied up too much doing that. He does get fouled quite a bit down there doing that, but it’s really a hard one because you don’t know who’s initiated that. I’d like to see him go get the ball in the air, snag it,” Finch said.
According to Basketball Reference, Gobert’s total rebound percentage — the number of rebounds he gets when he’s on the floor — is at 17.2% this season. That’s a steep decline from his first two seasons with the Timberwolves when he averaged 21.2% and 21.5% of all rebounds.
Gobert’s rebounding isn’t the sole reason why the Wolves have struggled, but it’s an area of concern that needs to be tightened up if they’re going to be taken seriously in the second half of the season.
Rudy Gobert, the Utah Jazz’s star center known for his dominant presence on the boards, has hit a rough patch when it comes to rebounding. Gobert, who led the league in rebounds per game for the past two seasons, has seen a significant decline in his rebounding numbers this season.
After averaging a career-high 13.5 rebounds per game last season, Gobert’s rebounding numbers have plummeted to just 10.6 rebounds per game this season. This downward trend is concerning for the Jazz, who rely heavily on Gobert to control the glass and provide second-chance opportunities for their offense.
There are several factors that may be contributing to Gobert’s struggles on the boards. One possible explanation could be the increased focus on scoring and playmaking from his teammates, which could be taking away some of his opportunities to grab rebounds. Additionally, Gobert’s effort and intensity on the boards have been questioned at times this season, with some critics suggesting that he may not be as engaged as he has been in the past.
Regardless of the reasons behind Gobert’s rebounding struggles, the Jazz will need him to get back on track if they hope to make a deep playoff run this season. Gobert’s ability to control the glass and dominate the paint is crucial to the team’s success, and they will need him to rediscover his rebounding prowess in order to compete with the top teams in the league.
As Gobert continues to navigate this rebounding roller coaster, Jazz fans will be hoping that he can turn things around and get back to his dominant ways on the boards. Only time will tell if Gobert can reverse this trend and once again establish himself as one of the top rebounders in the league.
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