At Jazz, at the Wolves or elsewhere, Rudy Gobert knows that he will always have a somewhat special observer on his back in the person of Shaquille O’Neal. So obviously, the Big Cactus did not fail to react to the arrival of the Frenchman in Minnesota. But this time, the colossus surprises!
Rudy Gobert somehow got used to it, and he knows it: he will never be unanimous in the United States. For several years now, the Frenchman, who nevertheless stacks the All-Star selections, the titles of defender of the year and the various distinctions, is regularly the target of harsh criticism. Draymond Green, Anthony Edwards or of course Shaquille O’Neal have in turn figured among its detractors, without really knowing why.
In Superman’s case, criticism of Gobert has sometimes bordered on obsession. The virulence of the remarks had ended up pushing the tricolor to respond, which had led to a lull for a few months. But here it is: the Shaq is back.
Shaq speaks out on Wolves and shocks
Following the acquisition of Gobert in a blockbuster trade, Minnesota has revised its ambitions upwards and does not hide: Chris Finch’s men want to play spoilsports and join the fight for the very first places in the ‘West. A project that finds an unexpected fan in the person of… O’Neal! The Hall of Famer has indeed set the web ablaze with the post below:
Scary Hours in Minnesota ⌛⌛⌛ @rudygobert27 x @KarlTowns pic.twitter.com/0GEODksmoz
— wolvesplug (@wolvesplug) July 10, 2022
Shaq: ‘I don’t care what you say, no one beats this team in a best-of-7 series’
Quietly, the Shaq has just announced that the Timberwolves are the big favorites for the title in his eyes now that they have recruited Gobert. A huge disguised compliment for the Frenchman but also a real open debate on the potential and limits of this new group from Minnesota.
And Fred Weis already sees many limits, some believe that the duo composed by our Frenchman and Karl-Anthony Towns, surrounded by the promising Anthony Edwards in particular, can come to sow discord in the hierarchy of the West. However, there remains a big question mark: the case of D’Angelo Russell, who disappointed last year and who could be asked to pack his bags according to several insiders. Will a trade be set up to further modify the roster? It is in any case not excluded.
Shaquille O’Neal has laid down his arms, and the Hall of Famer seems to have punched his ticket on the Minnesota train. A nice sign of confidence for Rudy Gobert & Co, who however have everything to prove on the floor. See you in the fall!
