You could even argue Al Horford is the defensive leader of the team in Williams’ absence.
Williams was once a strong contender for the award, but after his injury Smart took the mantle. There’s an argument teammate Robert Williams III has a bigger defensive impact. While we’ve discussed the impact of perimeter versus interior defense, the biggest factor in Smart’s case is that he’s on the league’s best defensive team. Smart is an incredible perimeter defender, who is both quick and strong. But I maintain the award should go to the player with the biggest defensive impact, and that is still Rudy Gobert. In a breath of fresh air, Rudy himself acknowledged the strengths of other candidates. Rudy Gobert with the lockdown defense on Luka 👀 /8KzWU2IiW0- NBA on ESPN FebruA quick word about the other candidatesĪll of Smart, Adebayo, Bridges, and Antetokounmpo are excellent defenders. The Jazz system tries to keep him in the middle because that’s where he’s the most impactful, but he lockdown defense on Luka over multiple possessions was a good example of what he can do: If you watch the Jazz, you know he can guard any position. Of course there are other factors in defensive versatility beyond 3-point defense. Not only does he contest more 3 pointers than any of his competitors, he allows one of the lowest field goal percentages. This is simply not true.Īccording to NBA.com’s defensive dashboard, Gobert contests 5.2 3-pointers per game, holding opponents to 33.3% accuracy. Other candidates have campaigned on this platform, and many try to detract from the French center’s case by claiming he’s not a versatile defender. Much ado has been made about defensive versatility and how many positions a player can guard.
#RUDY GOBERT STATS THIS SEASON FREE#
He’s having the most efficient season of all-time while scoring 15.5 points per game and improving his free throw shooting to a career high 69%. 36.4 Defensive rebounding percentage (1st)Īnd while they aren’t defensive numbers, Gobert is also ranked 1st in Field Goal Percentage, True Shooting Percentage, and Effective Field Goal Percentage.March 29, 2022Ī few of Gobert’s applicable season rankings are: Gobert guards 20.7 shots per game, 2nd in the NBA (to Jokic) and holds opponents to 0.93 points per shot, 2nd in the NBA (to Time Lord). Only MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic is close to that. This is comparable to an offensive star shooting the second most shots at the second best efficiency. This season Rudy’s guarded the second most shots in the league, while also holding opponents to the second closest field goal percentage. Perhaps no stat encapsulates Gobert’s imapct more than this one. While this should be an argument benefiting Rudy, the truth is that Gobert would probably still be the frontrunner if Jazz’s overall defense or team record was better. If you’ve watched the Jazz this season, you probably already know that too. One stark number is the impact on the scoreboard when Rudy plays and Rudy sits. Rudy Gobert is the best defender in the nba and it’s not particularly close /XtKD2IKno6- Felix Kopyto April 1, 2022 Charts like this for numerous stats show Gobert as an outlier. If you’re reading this, you probably already know that. If you’re judging defensive impact by any sort of reputable statistics, Rudy is the clear leader. Rather than bemoan the woes of voter fatigue and narratives surrounding guarding 1–5, let’s take this opportunity to appreciate Gobert and his impact, and in so doing make the case for why he still belongs in the conversation. It’s disappointing, but many of the reasons Gobert now finds himself as a long shot were issues we examined as obstacles last week, including voter fatigue, team success, and narratives about Gobert’s playoff and perimeter defense. With the regular season nearly over, Gobert’s chances of nabbing his fourth DPOY trophy are now slim. Marcus Smart is the favorite, with Bam Adebayo and Mikal Bridges close behind. The Jazz had a pair of miserable fall-from-ahead losses, and Gobert has slid outside the top three in most Vegas odds.
The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year race has shifted since we started our look at Rudy Gobert’s chances of a fourth award. Gobert remains an absolute defensive force for the Utah Jazz (NBAE via )
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