The Timberwolves were disappointed by Thursday’s loss at Toronto, but an in-game dispute involving their players was even more troubling, writes Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune.
Tensions began to rise in the fourth quarter when Rudy Gobert posted up Scottie Barnes, but Julius Randle failed to throw him the ball to take advantage of the mismatch. According to Hine, Gobert was upset about not getting a chance to score and took too long to leave the lane, which resulted in a three-second violation.
On the next defensive possession, Gobert committed an unnecessary foul on Barnes, Anthony Edwards yelled at Gobert in frustration and a close game began to slip away as the Wolves lost focus.
The team had a “frank discussion” about the incident following the game, Hine adds, and both Gobert and Randle accepted responsibility while talking to the media before today’s practice.
“Like I told the guys, as someone who really is big on leading by example, my reaction was a bad example,” Gobert admitted. “I let my emotions, my frustration get the best of me and that’s not who I am. I was sorry for that. I know these guys know me, know who I am, they know everything I do is for my teammates, everything I do is to win, so when I have one of those moments, we know that it’s just a moment.”
Hine points out that Gobert has been involved in other clashes with teammates since coming to Minnesota, most notably when he threw a punch at Kyle Anderson in the final game of the 2022/23 season. The team responded by suspending Gobert for the first game of the play-in tournament.
When Randle was acquired from New York last month, there were questions about whether he and Gobert could mesh their games together. Although Thursday’s incident might be interpreted as a red flag, Randle insists there’s no “beef” between them.
“Rudy’s been great. I’ve had no problem with Rudy,” Randle said. “He’s been great communicating. I feel like Rudy is a great teammate and he brings a lot to our team and we need Rudy. I’ve been to Rudy’s house, there is no beef or any animosity. It’s basketball. Things happen. Name a perfect family. I have never seen one. There’s always gonna be something. Things happen. You move forward with it. Me and Rudy are great. I’ve got no issue with him.”
Sources tell Hine that Edwards played a large role in Thursday’s post-game discussion. Randle didn’t disclose any details, but he said Edwards isn’t afraid to “speak his mind” and has earned that privilege by consistently being a positive leader.
The team needs to regain its “spirit,” according to coach Chris Finch, who viewed the openness at today’s media session as a step in that direction. The Wolves have stumbled out of the gate after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season, and Finch believes too many players are being affected by their individual performances.
“I don’t think it’s a selfish thing in that regard,” he said. “… I think it’s more they’ve been a little disappointed and had a hard time hiding their emotions, and there’s a maturity and a toughness that comes with that. Mistakes are going to be made, people are going to miss you, coverages are going to be blown, shots are not going to go in, decisions might be right, might be wrong, it’s the reaction to all that stuff that you can control and we have to be better at.”