- Rudy Gobert is one of the more heavily criticized players in the NBA today
- Gobert says he loves it when he gets criticism
- The Frenchman also admitted he didn’t play as well as he could have in 2022-23
Rudy Gobert has had to face a whole lot of criticism in recent years, and he claims he actually likes it. Gobert recently sat down for an interview with Eurohoops where he was asked about the criticism that he tends to get from all corners.
“I love it,” Gobert said. “I think it comes with accomplishing big things, people hold you to high standards. I hold myself to higher standards than they do. It’s a blessing for me. As I said, I’m excited coming back next year and be the best player I can be.”
It’s true that it’s only the good players who get criticized, and Gobert is coping with it by looking at it that way. A lot of the criticism really does come for two reasons.
The first is that he won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and the other is the huge five-year, $205 million deal he signed in 2020. The expectations are very high considering those accolades and the contract and Gobert hasn’t really matched them, especially in the postseason.
Rudy Gobert Admitted He Didn’t Play As Well As He’d Have Wanted In 2022-23
Gobert was acquired by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster trade last year from the Utah Jazz, and almost no one on the outside was a fan of the move.
The critics were proven right too, as the 31-year-old didn’t really have the kind of impact that the Timberwolves might have been hoping. Gobert acknowledges it too and is backing himself to be better this upcoming season.
“It was definitely a year where I didn’t play as good as I could,” Gobert said. “But I kept fighting. I kept working. I kept being a good teammate and being a good leader. Now, I’m feeling better physically, feeling better mentally. Now I’m not in the process of adjusting to a new system and a new team. So it’s going to be different year.”
The Frenchman averaged 13.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game in the 2022-23 campaign. His defense wasn’t particularly great either and he wasn’t able to do much, as Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs.
Rudy Gobert Thinks The Timberwolves Can Be Special On Defense In 2023-24
Defense was the main reason why the Timberwolves made the decision to acquire Gobert. They had a defensive rating of 113.1 last season, good enough for 10th-best in the league, as per the NBA. The three-time All-Star stated they have the potential to be far better than that when discussing the team’s prospects for the upcoming season.
“I think we have the potential to be really really good,” Gobert said. “I think we’re going to have a good training camp. Build good habits. I think we have the potential to be a top-two defensive team.”
If that does happen, then it might just change the sentiments surrounding this trade. Charles Barkley said the Timberwolves acquiring Gobert was the worst trade in NBA history earlier this year and at this point, there would be many who’d agree.
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