Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert Called Out by Former 4-Time NBA All-Star for Being ‘Not That Great Defensively’ in Bold Take

The latest to question Rudy Gobert’s credentials is DeMarcus Cousins, who shared his thoughts during his recent appearance on the Bully Ball podcast with Rachel Nichols. The four-time NBA All-Star argued that Rudy Gobert cannot be the league’s best defensive player if he doesn’t even close out games for his team.

“You can’t have a potential four-time Defensive Player of the Year that doesn’t finish games. I’m never going to be okay with this,” Cousins said about Gobert. 

“If you’re the best defender on the best defensive team, you should never be off the floor. There should never be a scenario where you’re not able to fit into the scheme. That doesn’t make sense. So how do we keep awarding this guy who can’t even stay on the floor in the playoffs? We’ve seen it time and time again,” he added.

DeMarcus Cousins chooses his DPOY candidate over Rudy Gobert

When asked who deserves to win the Defensive Player of the Year award this season, DeMarcus Cousins revealed that Victor Wembanyama is his pick since it is easier for him to make a case for the San Antonio Spurs rookie star.

“We can sit here and say he’s on one of the worst defensive teams in the league. I think that’s more credit to Wemby because now you really stick out as a defender,” Cousins said about Wembanyama.

“If you got a bunch of above-average defenders around you, it can make you do things at a higher level. When you’re sticking out as the only guy defending, and you’re still exceeding the guys who are the so-called favorites, it doesn’t add up,” he concluded.

Victor Wembanyama leads the league in blocks per game at 3.6 and is eighth in rebounds at 10.6 per contest, to his credit. However, he might not win the award over Rudy Gobert because the San Antonio Spurs are one of the worst teams in the league.