Rudy Gobert has widely been considered one of the best defensive players in the NBA in recent memory. The 7-foot, 1-inch center was recently rewarded for another season of his efforts, as he was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second time since 2021, and the fourth time overall. His collection of DPOY trophies is second to none, and tied with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most all-time.
NBA Voters Regret Selecting Gobert For DPOY
Rudy Gobert has won like 4 DPOY awards and every time I look up at my tv he’s getting cooked by someone. The NBA is gaslighting us.
— Sweep The Leg (@SweepTheLeg337) May 27, 2024
But given how Gobert’s capabilities have been exploited during the Timberwolves’ current playoff run, his 4th DPOY trophy could very well be his last.
It isn’t that Rudy Gobert has struggled on defense, it is that he has somehow become a liability in spots. During the Western Conference Finals, the Dallas Mavericks have chosen to attack him in certain spots, most notably on Luka Dončić’s game winning shot in Game 2 of the series. Dončić got the mismatch that he was looking for, and put Gobert on skates as he tried to defend out on the perimeter.
A player becoming a liability in the category in which they were just crowned the best in the NBA is certainly a revelation. But Gobert has plenty of people re-thinking their notion of him as a lock-down defender, including some of the ones that voted for him to win the award this year.
Perkins Says He Has Done A Disservice
Kendrick Perkins regrets voting for Rudy Gobert
“He has tarnished the Defensive Player of the Year award. He has. He’s not respected by his peers.”
(h/t @awfulannouncing )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 28, 2024
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins says he might have to retire from awards voting altogether after being one of the ones that voted for Gobert this year:
I have the biggest regret in the media career…I have done a disservice…Me voting this season for Rudy Gobert is an embarrassment for me…He (Rudy) has tarnished the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
It is a strong sentiment coming from a former NBA player and someone who had just voted for Gobert within the last few weeks. But it seems to be a general sentiment around the league and its fans, as many are left to wonder how an award winner can turn into a liability so quickly.
Gobert and the Timberwolves will have to figure things out quickly. Minnesota is down 3-0 to Dallas entering Tuesday’s contest, and the Mavericks will be looking to close out a series sweep at home in Game 4.
