The arrival of Gobert has made the Timberwolves one of the teams to watch closely once the season starts. Those from Minneapolis did the rest for the Frenchman with the aim that his imposing presence in the paint would help them take a new leap in quality for next season, and the player seems to be aware of this. Far from wanting to lower expectations, Rudy has been ambitious when it comes to discussing his aspirations in his first words as a Minnesota player, setting the bar pretty high.
“The goal is to win a championship,” said the center. “I have come for that. I’m not here to just be a good team. I have come to try to take this team to the Finals and get the ring.
“The window of opportunity to win is not always very wide,” he continued. “In Utah we were able to verify it. There was a feeling in the organization that we had missed the opportunity that we had had in recent years. I think they will continue to be a competitive team, but I do think that, with the assets they received in exchange for me, it was in their best interest to take another path.
Tim Connelly, recently appointed as Wolves president of operations, also spoke about what has been his first big move in the franchise offices. The former Nuggets player assured that he considers that Gobert fits perfectly into the team’s scheme, and trusts that he can help them continue to grow after last year’s good results.
«His arrival does not conflict with anything we have, on the contrary, it makes us better and enhances our virtues. When thinking about how the pieces fit together, you don’t only have to think about the talent, but also about the way the team is going to evolve. And Gobert is going to make us better.”
(Cover photo: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)