On Tuesday, Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was announced as the winner of the 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year Award.
It’s Gobert’s fourth time winning the award, a feat only matched by Hall of Fame centers Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace. With that said, Gobert has also cemented his status as a future Hall of Fame inductee.
Rudy Gobert’s Fourth DPOY Award Gives Him HOF Status
Over the past few years, questions about whether Gobert is worthy of the Hall of Fame have grown.
(Probably) Already a HOFer
On the one hand, these debates have little merit.
To start, Gobert’s a defensive specialist and it’s easier for fans and analysts to assess the impacts of players that excel offensively rather than just defensively.
Furthermore, Gobert’s lack of popularity plays at least some part in these conversations. Many fans still resent the Frenchman for his carelessness at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Lastly, even as a three-time Defensive Player of the Year Award winner, Gobert was in rare company as he joined Dwight Howard. Howard was also an eight-time All-Star and five-time MVP candidate. However, he too appears bound for a Hall of Fame induction down the line, despite his own unpopularity.
That said, when looking at Gobert’s trophy case, it’s not hard to make his Hall of Fame case. Aside from his four Defensive Player of the Year Awards, Gobert is also a six-time All-Defensive selection, four-time All-NBA selection, and three-time All-Star. Though Gobert has fewer All-Star selections than many NBA alumni elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, those players also weren’t tied for the all-time lead as an NBA Award-winner.
A New Age
However, as the league continues to reshape itself, perceptions of Gobert’s defense have contorted. Just last month, his peers voted him as the most overrated player in the NBA. Similar refrains have even recited by Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal.
The crux of the criticism levied towards Gobert in this instance is based on his poor perimeter defense. Prior to this season, Gobert could get played off the court if his opponent had the right personnel. In an era where versatility is the most valued skill, defenders with the size and athleticism to guard multiple players are the cream of the crop. If so, despite Gobert’s ability to anchor a defense with his shot-blocking and basketball IQ, he was becoming a dinosaur.
Rather than go extinct, Gobert worked hard to become better at guarding players in space. He chops and slides with more grace and agility than before. Due to his intensity and physical conditioning, he’ll even guard multiple defenders in space on the same play.
Now that he’s improved in that area and the Timberwolves are able to trust him in any situation, Minnesota has the No. 1 defense in the league. This is the first season they’ve had a top-10 defense since 2005-06.
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