The prevailing narrative was that Julius Randle is a disappointment in the playoffs. No matter how many Defensive Player of the Year Awards Rudy Gobert won, he remained constant target of criticism from most well-known NBA commentators.

For years now, Gobert has been a safety net for Minnesota when things aren’t going well, particularly against cellar dwellers. His interior dominance creates a high floor. If opponents can’t score at the rim and have to battle for every rebound, Minnesota automatically becomes three times more difficult to beat.