Doc Rivers on Gobert trade: 'I don't think anyone's laughing' anymore

Bucks coach explains how Timberwolves' size gave his team fits.

The Timberwolves’ two-big lineup gave Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks fits in Thursday night’s 129-105 victory in Milwaukee.

Minnesota held Antetokounmpo to 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting and was able to prevent him from driving into the lane for easy baskets, something he can typically do with regularity on a nightly basis. 

Bucks coach Doc Rivers shed some light on how difficult the Wolves made things.

“(Antetokounmpo) would beat one 7-footer, run into another 7-footer, you beat him and then there’s another 7-footer,” Rivers told reporters.

Rivers said it look them a year to figure out how to utilize their size and mentioned how the Timberwolves’ trade for Rudy Gobert was widely ridiculed last season.

“I don’t think anyone’s laughing at that trade anymore,” Rivers said. 

"They’re just so long, and they play hard, too. Like I was really impressed with that late in the game when they still had their starters off. They were fighting through screens, they were getting frustrated that AJ (Green) was making shots, you know, it’s a team that you can see that thinks they have a chance.”

Some mocked the Wolves when they traded for Gobert in 2022, laughing at team president Tim Connelly for shipping Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, four future first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029) and a 2026 pick swap just for Gobert. 

Now in his second season in Minnesota, Gobert is one of the favorites to be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, which would be the fourth of his career.