Rudy Gobert rejoins the Wolves after suspension, but still has lingering back pains ahead of Play-In game

After the Minnesota management imposed a one-game suspension on Rudy Gobert for their first Play-In game against the Lakers, the player is now cleared and back to selection even though he still carries lingering back troubles and isn’t 100% fit for the next match. 

The French big man was punished after he threw a punch at his teammate Kyle Anderson in a courtside argument during a timeout in the Timberwolves’ last game of regular season. Gobert stayed home as Minnesota lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in a 108-102 overtime defeat on Tuesday.

Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson are moving forward 🤝 pic.twitter.com/ekYKpV4x5A

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 14, 2023

This Thursday the Wolves center finally attended the press to address the weekend’s altercation. He started off by saying he’s wants to return this Friday as they host Oklahoma City Thunder for the last chance at making it to the playoffs, but says there’s no guarantee considering he doesn’t feel 100% fit.

“Still pretty sore, still not moving like I would like to be able to move, but small progress every day,” said the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Gobert admitted his faults and mentioned that he already apologized to his teammate and the air has been cleared. “We both apologized to each other and you move on. That’s life,” Gobert said.

“It’s different when you have millions of people all watching videos and have an opinion on things that happened, but that we can’t control. What we can control is the respect that we have for each other and our relationship,” he added.

Right after the incident on Sunday, Anderson shared a similar sentiment to Gobert, as they both admitted to have shown poor judgement.

“I still love Kyle. He’s still my brother. I tell people, ‘Sometimes you fight with your family. Sometimes you fight with people that you have a lot of love and respect for,’” the French player said. “It’s life. No one is perfect. Mistakes happen and then you grow and you move on.”

Here is the full interview with the 30-year-old center:

This has been a frustrating season debut for Gobert wearing the Timberwolves jersey, as he came in after his team paid a big price in both players and first-round picks to acquire him in a trade with Utah last offseason. He hasn’t found himself yet, only producing averages of 13.4 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists.

Minnesota gets ready to host the Thunder this Friday for the last chance at playoffs

At this point, the Wolves have confirmed that they will play tonight without at least one starter, as Jaden McDaniels broke his hand after punching a wall in frustration in the tunnel close to the bench during the same match that Gobert fought with Anderson. Naz Reid, a top reserve, is also out due to a broken wrist.

“Obviously our goal was to be at the top of the West,” Gobert said. “But you have adversity, you have things that doesn’t go how you want them to go, and it’s part of life.”

The French big man has been carrying back pains for some while now, as he was even listed as questionable during last Sunday’s contest. His coach Chris Finch admitted he still looks “a little tight” during practice this week.

“We’ll keep working on it,” Finch said. “I hope so [Gobert plays]. I really can’t say. But we haven’t ruled him out.”