Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert looks to be on track to win the Defensive Player of the Year award for the 2023-24 NBA season. That would be the fourth time in his career that he took home the award, as he is one of the most impactful defenders in the league.
This season, he averaged 12.9 rebounds per game, which was second in the NBA and 2.1 blocks, which was sixth. His peers acknowledge what he is capable of on that end of the court, as he came in at No. 6 in the anonymous player poll for who the best defender in the league is.
He earned six percent of the 132 votes that were cast, finishing behind Victor Wembanyama, Jrue Holiday, Lu Dort, Herb Jones and his teammate, Jaden McDaniels. While players in the NBA admit that Gobert gets the job done on defense, he received one dubious mark in this year’s poll.
According to his peers, Gobert is the most overrated player in the NBA as well. He received 13.6 percent of the 81 votes cast in that category, with Jordan Poole of the Washington Wizards coming in at second and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks being third.
That certainly isn’t a distinction any player wants and it is hard to pinpoint why exactly Gobert has landed on the top spot. The lack of success in the NBA Playoffs by teams which he has played on certainly could play a part, as he has never advanced beyond the second round.
Gobert is also limited offensively, which has raised questions about how effective he can be in the postseason. Everyone remembers the Los Angeles Clippers torrid comeback in the 2020 NBA Playoffs in the Orlando Bubble when Terance Mann was knocking down 3-pointer after 3-pointer.
His being labeled as patient zero in the NBA for the COVID-19 pandemic likely does him no favors either. Gobert infamously touched all of the recorders of the reports on the table during a press conference and then it was announced that he had tested positive before the league shutdown.
Whatever the reason may be, Gobert and the Timberwolves will be looking to put an end to it this year in the NBA Playoffs. Minnesota earned the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and is up 1-0 in their series over the Phoenix Suns.
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