Rudy Gobert, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, saw limited action in France’s surprising victory over Canada in Tuesday’s Olympic quarterfinals, playing only 3:41. Both his matchup and health issues influenced this decision, as explained by Gobert and French head coach Vincent Collet after the game.
Gobert, speaking to reporters like Sam Amick of The Athletic and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, revealed that he injured his left ring finger during practice on Sunday and had surgery on Monday. Despite this, he expressed gratitude for being able to contribute to the win that advanced France to the semifinals. His teammate Evan Fournier also noted Gobert had undergone a “minor surgery” on his finger, according to BasketNews.com.
However, Collet later clarified that Gobert did not have surgery but had undergone an MRI and was dealing with pain before Tuesday’s game. Collet stated that Gobert was ultimately cleared to play but his injury, along with a strategic decision to use a smaller lineup against Canada, limited his minutes. Collet chose to start Victor Wembanyama at center and Guerschon Yabusele at power forward, and also made a lineup change to include Isaia Cordinier instead of Evan Fournier, aiming for a more defensive setup.
Throughout the pool play, Gobert averaged 6.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 72.7% from the field. In the quarterfinals, he failed to score in his brief appearance, collecting only one rebound and committing one turnover.
Despite Gobert’s minimal impact, France performed exceptionally well, with Yabusele, Mathias Lessort, and Wembanyama making significant contributions. Looking ahead, it’s uncertain how much Gobert will play in Thursday’s semifinal against Germany. However, the Timberwolves are likely not too worried about his availability for the NBA season, as he should have ample time to recover before the start of training camp.
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