Rudy Gobert says he is ready for Luka Doncic in the first round of the playoffs after facing off with the Slovenian in last year’s Conference Finals.
Timberwolves facing Lakers
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers will go head to head in the first round of the playoffs this season in one of the most anticipated matchups of the early postseason.
Speaking ahead of the series which begins on Saturday, Wolves center and four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert said: “JJ, LeBron, Luka, all these guys are really, really smart.
“They have the ability to adapt to all kinds of situations, and I think every game is gonna be different. I think over the course of the game, you know things are going to happen, and people are going to have to adjust, whether it’s them or us. I think that’s the beauty of the playoffs.”
These teams have faced off four times in the Western Conference already this season, with the series split down the middle at two games each. Both wins for each team came at home, with neither able to win on the road.
“Every game can be completely different in terms of game plan and approach, and that’s when you see the IQ and experience. All these things come into play and become even more important.” Gobert continued.
“There’s gonna be a lot of things that won’t go our way, if we are prepared for that. We can’t let that affect us or distract us from the game plan for what we need to do.”
The Lakers are favored to come out on top in the seven game series, with the best online sportsbooks pricing LA at -200 to advance.
Rudy Gobert faces off with Luka Doncic again
This won’t be the first time that Minnesota and Gobert have faced Luka Doncic in the postseason, and the Timberwolves will be out for revenge after the former Maverick knocked them out in the Conference Finals last year.
“The Conference Finals were a great learning experience. We tried all the different coverages and saw all the different things,” Gobert said. “Same player, different team, different guys around him [Doncic], but they’re gonna run some of the same actions.
“We know that, so it’s gonna be on us to do our best again,” the Frenchman added. “We have to try to limit him as much as we can. It’s gonna be a game of adjustments, and I think as long as we’re all on the same page, we hope that we’re gonna have some success.”
Doncic has averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists since joining the Lakers, but he turns into a different kind of monster during the postseason. The five-time All Star averages 30.9 points per game in the playoffs.
