Gobert Credits The Timberwolves' Depth In Series Win Against The Lakers

The Minnesota Timberwolves were undoubtedly the underdogs ahead of their series against the Los Angeles Lakers a few weeks ago. That has not worked out for those who picked the third seed because the sixth-seeded Timberwolves not only pulled off the upset, but they won in a gentleman's sweep.

Most people doubted the Timberwolves because they only saw the team as a one-man show with Anthony Edwards. They did not realize that Chris Finch's team is one of the deepest teams in the league. 

Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The main narrative surrounding the Timberwolves before the series started was that Gobert would struggle against the Lakers' small ball system. He did not impact the game as much as he would have liked, but that opened the door for the other Timberwolves players to stand out. 

Naz Reid, Julius Randle, and Jaden McDaniels stepped in for Rudy. They dominated the boards and exploited the Lakers' struggles with defending quicker players. Even LeBron James struggled in his matchup against Julius Randle, who practically played bully ball against him.

Gobert Knows The Timberwolves' Depth Was Crucial

Many doubted the Timberwolves because they did not know how much the team had grown this season. They had most of the 2024 team intact, but this time, they had Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo instead of Karl-Anthony Towns.

They had a rocky start with the new players, but they grew into their own and became natural fits in Finch's system. Randle himself was a standout in the second half of the season, and that continued in the Playoffs, as he outplayed LeBron for most of the series.

Immediately after Game 5, Gobert spoke about how well the rest of the team played. He might have had a phenomenal 27-point and 24-rebound night, but he ensured the team got credit.

"Feels great. We had a season with ups and downs. To come here and win like this, it means a lot," Gobert said to Allie LaForce on TNT. "I think we just have a bunch of guys that want to win. A lot of guys who went through adversity and life. We love each other. We understand that one night, it might be Naz, it might be me, it might be Julius. We just want to win. All the things we went through this season prepared us."

The Timberwolves Are A Cohesive Unit

Minnesota is one of the most dangerous teams in the Playoffs because the team has a solid eight-man rotation of good players. Anthony Edwards is the superstar, but he had a rough night in Game 5, shooting 0-of-11 from long range.

That was not an issue because he played the game as a playmaker. He had a near triple-double in Game 5 with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. Ant took a backseat because Rudy and Julius were playing so well, which shows that this team is a cohesive unit. 

Coach Chris Finch has a solid team for this Playoff run. This will be another tough series in the second round as they await the winner between the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.