The Timberwolves went 13-4 over their final 17 games of the regular season in the spring, with Rudy Gobert serving as a major reason why.

The French center averaged 15.4 points and 12.5 rebounds in that span. Zero in on the final 10 games, and those numbers balloon to 18.8 points and 14.9 rebounds in 36.4 minutes.

Minnesota’s success largely centered on its man in the middle.

Then came the playoffs, and everything changed. With one massive exception — Gobert’s 27 point, 24 rebound performance in Minnesota’s decisive Game 5 victory in Round 1 against the Lakers — the big man was largely an afterthought in the postseason.

He played 30-plus minutes in just two of Minnesota’s 15 playoff games. He scored in double figures just thrice and had double-digit rebounds only four times.

That’s no

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