NBA: Shaquille O’Neal Claims 3X DPOY Winner Is an ‘Overrated’ Defender

O’Neal had former Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers as a guest in his podcast, and in it, the two-time NBA champion shared his belief that Gobert is largely overrated as a defender.

Shaq couldn’t help but agree, saying that he “definitely” feels the same.

“I never thought he was a great defensive player either. See, what it is, there’s not a lot of centers that are making him play defense. Like, he’s not doing that s**t against [Nikola Jokic] because he has to be engaged,” O’Neal claimed, as transcribed by The Spun.

O’Neal mistakenly added that Gobert is 7’6″–although the Timberwolves center is actually 7’1″–but the NBA legend emphasized his point that it’s easy for Gobert to block any shot because of his height

“If you lay it up, he’s going to block it. But defense to me is guard that guy and shut him down. You want to impress me? Hold Joker under 15 points.”

O’Neal’s criticism of Gobert didn’t stop there. Later in the podcast, the Los Angeles Lakers icon expressed his surprise by how much money Gobert is making while being an overrated defender. The Frenchman is under a five-year, $205 million contract, via Spotrac.

“If I were 42, I’d be making Rudy Gobert money. Twelve points and eight rebounds? I could do that s**t right now. It’s not a diss. It’s a fact. Making $250 [million]. God d**n,” Shaq argued.

Is Shaquille O’Neal Right About Rudy Gobert?

Shaquille O’Neal made a sound argument when it comes to his perspective that Rudy Gobert is not really a shutdown defender, nor a versatile one that can guard multiple positions. He also does struggle against other elite offensive big men, especially those with deep skillsets like Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis

However, what Shaq failed to realize that defense in the NBA is not just about one-on-one battles. Because of Gobert’s presence alone, opponents are forced to take tough shots knowing for a fact that the Stifle Tower can get to them quickly.

Gobert is a big reason why the Timberwolves have the best defensive rating in the NBA. He is also the league leader in Defensive Win Shares at 4.9. Defensive Win Shares is a “calculation of a player’s marginal defensive value, or the quantifiable amount that the team’s defensive ability increases while the player is on the court,” according to Bleacher Report.

While Shaq and others see Gobert as being overrated, the numbers say otherwise. And sure enough, while people have their own biases, numbers don’t. With that being said, Gobert appears to be unfairly criticized.