MINNEAPOLIS — Over his past two games, Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has put together an ugly field goal percentage, shooting a cumulative 0-13 from the field. In an albeit small sample size, Gobert has shot just 37 percent on the season per Basketball Reference, a drastic shift from his historically good marks.

“I don't see a lot of extension,” said Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, when asked about the four-time defensive player of the year’s shooting struggles. “I see a lot of short arms, a lot of flips, a lot of like kind of finesse shots around there. I think he just needs, you know, more extension, more you know, more pat, more — just try to dunk more stuff, honestly. And, you know, trying to, he's trying to play off contact in the wrong way, you know, so, that's, to me, that's it.”

In his 13 NBA seasons leading up to the 2026-2027 campaign, Gobert has boasted a 66 field goal percentage, which ranks second in the history of the association, trailing only De’Andre Jordan, according to Basketball Reference.

“It’s a rough couple days, man,” said Gobert. “A lot of things that I gotta finish that I didn’t finish. Just gotta keep putting in the work. … Gotta keep putting in the work and finishing strong, especially around the rim. That’s been important for our team and I hold myself at the highest standard for that. Definitely gotta be better.”

Jonathan Kuminga and LaMelo Ball frustrated with Rudy Gobert 😬 pic.twitter.com/FR7hzhwtCT

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 29, 2026

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While the veteran center is on the floor primarily for his defensive prowess, a lot was made of the potential combination of newly acquired point guard LaMelo Ball and Gobert, with a new two-man game — the likes of which Gobert has yet to enjoy during his time in Minnesota.

Fans across social media and otherwise have routinely criticized a lack of dunks around the rim — a point echoed by Finch. Gobert agreed that the criticism regarding his lack of slams is well-warranted. “Sometimes I tell myself why didn’t I dunk that, too,” said the Saint-Quentin, France native. “I guess, most importantly, is to react, to be decisive. To be strong and to be decisive. If I’m going to go dunk it, go dunk it. If they foul me and call it, it is how it is, but I gotta be more decisive and more balanced, more poised.”

With superstar Anthony Edwards out for the foreseeable future, after he successfully underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, Gobert will be relied on more within the Wolves offensive structure, as someone who can play around the rim with force and efficiency, while cleaning up the glass at an elite clip. If history is any indicator, Gobert’s shooting splits should stabilize in a larger sample size, as he has not shot below 60 percent from the field in a season since his 2015-16 campaign, where he shot 56 percent.