Rudy Gobert is a 3-time DPOY award winner, and one of the best rim protectors in the league. It is clear that the Utah Jazz’s defense would be nowhere close to as good without Gobert, and his shot-blocking prowess often bails the team out of tough situations.
In a recent interview with Holly Rowe of Sirius XM NBA Radio, Rudy Gobert shared his thoughts on defense. Gobert mentions that defense is a “huge part” of basketball, and shared his belief that “being consistent” on that end is the toughest part of playing good defense.
"Defense is a huge part of our game."
Rudy Gobert tells Holly Rowe how he takes pride in helping his team be the best they can be
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I think defense is a huge part of our game. I try to help my team be the best defensive team we can be, and I try to get better year after year.
You gotta be relentless. The hardest thing is some guys do it one night, or two nights, or maybe a stretch of 10 games. To do that for the whole season, and being consistent night in and night out is the toughest part of it. I take a lot of pride in this, and I know that my team needs me to be the best I can be for us to be great.
There is no doubt that Rudy Gobert’s defense has had a huge impact for the Utah Jazz. Even with him being one of the best defensive players in the league, there are some players such as Ben Simmons, that have criticized him for not being able to guard one through five. However, there is certainly value in having a stout rim protector and rebounder, and it’s clear that Rudy Gobert absolutely dominates on the defensive end.
It remains to be seen whether the Utah Jazz will be able to shed the “regular season team” label, and potentially make the NBA Finals in the future. If that does happen, Rudy Gobert will certainly be a key part of it, and perhaps this is the year that the Utah Jazz break through and make it to the highest stage.
