Rudy Gobert

Rudy Gobert shared a locker room with Karl-Anthony Towns. They got to know each other well, and now they'll face off on Thursday night.

Gobert notched his second 17-point double-double in three games on Friday, and he's had at least one steal in four straight. While he's only averaging 0.3 blocks per game, the increased steals production is why the "Stifle Tower" has been a top-25 player over the last week. Gobert remains ranked outside the top 50, but he's trending in the right direction.

Known for his shot-blocking ability, Gobert was basketball's version of the Hamburglar on Wednesday. He matched his career high with five steals and recorded nine rebounds and one blocked shot in 29 minutes of action. Shooting 73.5% from the field and 76.9% from the foul line, Gobert has been a top-40 player over the last two weeks.

As expected, AD will play after initially being listed as probable for this game. He'll continue to put up dominant numbers, though he does have a tough matchup in Rudy Gobert, and they're on the second night of a back-to-back.