NBA – Ahead of the conference final, Rudy Gobert opens up: “Our goal is not to win 8 games”

Par Guillaume Kagni | Journaliste sportif

Unlike last season, the Timberwolves are in a holding pattern ahead of the conference finals. They don’t yet know the identity of their opponents, and are taking advantage of the break to recharge their batteries. Rudy Gobert spoke on the subject.

A year after Rudy Gobert’s arrival in Minnesota, some observers were calling him “the worst trade in history”, a player incapable of contributing to a playoff campaign, a casting error. Two years later, the French pivot is preparing for a second consecutive conference final, still playing a major role on the defensive side of the ball.

While Anthony Edwards attracts the spotlight thanks to his spectacular actions, and Julius Randle proves that he was an intelligent recruit on the part of management, Gobert knows how to make his presence felt when he needs to. His 27-point, 24-rebound performance to eliminate the Lakers in the first round will remain one of the highlights of the season, that’s for sure.

Rudy Gobert talks about the conference final

But to do better than last season and reach the Finals, Minnesota will have to overcome the Nuggets or the Thunder, two teams built to win the title. The advantage for Chris Finch’s men is that they have time to rest before this Sunday’s Game 7. While waiting for the series to begin, Gobert spoke to reporters.

Last season, we didn’t even have time to digest the semi-final against the Nuggets. We had to prepare immediately for the series against the Mavericks. I don’t know which is better between last season and this season. In any case, our level of maturity is greater than in the past; we’ve learned a lot. The group is going to approach the next few days in the right way. We’re going to prepare ourselves mentally.

We need to rest and take advantage of the calm that this wait offers us, but we also need to take advantage of it to gain the upper hand. We tell ourselves that our objective is not to win 8 playoff games, but double that number to become champions. We know we’re up against the best, so we’re going to have to be mentally tough. We’ll need to have the will to do the little things right to the end, whatever the scenario. If we keep that mentality, we’ll be fine.

Last season, Rudy Gobert and his partners only had a few hours to recover from their emotions after the victory over Denver. Their bodies were tired, and the effects were felt in the conference final against the Mavericks. This season, they will be in the opposite situation, and the pivot hopes his team will achieve a better result.