The Minnesota Timberwolves were criticized for adding Rudy Gobert to the franchise with a controversial trade to acquire him in the summer of 2022. After making only the second Conference Finals run in franchise history and Gobert winning DPOY last season, Team President Tim Connely made it clear to KSTP Sports Minnesota that they want Rudy on the team for years to come, possibly until the French center’s retirement.
“We would like Rudy to be here for a really long time. We love his agent, he’s been our friend for a long time and one of the best guys in the league.
“Certainly, our goal with most of these guys is keeping them as long as they want to be here and everyone’s very happy. So ideally, continuity is one of the better strengths we’re gonna have going into this season, and we really like our core group.”
Gobert averaged 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds. and 2.1 blocks last season, winning the Defensive Player of the Year trophy after playing an instrumental role in leading the Timberwolves to the best defense in the NBA. His defensive impact also translated into wins for the franchise, helping him impact the Wolves in the same way he impacted the Utah Jazz for years.
Rudy is a proven floor-raiser in the NBA, with his defense in the regular-season ranking among the all-time greats. However, his inability to guard the perimeter makes him a target for opposing ball-handlers who love to switch onto Gobert and attack him from the three-point line.
Gobert’s defense has become divisive, with many openly discussing whether Gobert even deserves all the defensive accolades he’s won over his career. From an unbiased statistical point of view, Gobert’s defensive impact is undeniable. But watching him be unplayable against fast-paced offenses or in a five-out system tells me he is a limited defender who excels at rim protection and shot deterrence, unlike any center we have seen before him.
Dwight Howard Doesn’t Think Rudy Gobert Deserves All His DPOY Honors
The two best defensive centers of the last 15 years are Gobert and Dwight Howard. Gobert surpassed Howard in DPOY’s won last season when Gobert picked up his fourth to tie Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo for the most all-time.
Howard took issue with this, saying that Gobert probably deserved the one he won last year but was handed the award in years past just because of team defense.
“I don’t think he deserved those Defensive Player of the Years like he got them. I feel like he’s a great team defender but for what he did to get those Defensive Player of the Years, I don’t see it. I don’t see him being an elite defender, I see him as somebody who has the size.”
“This year, he was actually up in the pick and rolls. He was moving his feet. He was talking more and he was actually being aggressive. The years before that, I think they just gave it to him because of his team defense.”
Gobert is one of the biggest difference-makers on a team’s defense in the NBA, with his time on the Jazz and the Wolves proving that. Gobert’s defensive excellence in the regular season or the paint cannot be questioned, it’s just a question of whether he can carry that through to the Playoff or the perimeter if required.
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