Despite taking home last season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, many have criticized Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert. Recently, basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal called Gobert the worst NBA player of all time. Furthermore, current Dallas Mavericks big man Dereck Lively II recently poked fun at Gobert’s disappointing performance during the Western Conference Finals. And now, another notable NBA figure has thrown shade at the French native.
In a recent appearance on the Knuckleheads Podcast (YouTube link), 13-year NBA veteran Josh Smith spoke about Gobert. Smith, who finished as the runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award for the 2009-10 season, believes Gobert did not deserve to win the award this year. Instead, he thinks the award should have gone to San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama. Additionally, Smith took it a step further, saying he thinks the NBA is “making people not respect the award.”
“I feel like they’re making people not respect the award. Like, come on, who’s doing the votes, you know what I’m saying? No disrespect to Rudy Gobert, but he shouldn’t have won this year. Come on, man, you know what I’m saying? You only got half of [Wembanyama’s] blocks, and it’s like, what are the criteria?”
Former NBA DPOY Candidate Disses Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert
The Rudy Gobert vs. Victor Wembanyama Debate
There were a lot of conversations last season about which big man deserved to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Ultimately, it went to Gobert for the fourth time in his career. This, in large part, was because of the Timberwolves’ defense as a whole. Minnesota finished last season with a 109.0 Defensive Rating and allowed just 106.5 points per game. Both of these stats were the best in the league. Additionally, as the team’s defensive anchor, Gobert also averaged 2.1 blocks per game himself. However, many feel that Wembanyama deserved the award over him.
The then-rookie led the NBA in blocks per game, averaging a whopping 3.6. Additionally, he averaged 1.2 steals per game as well. A lot of fans believed Wembanyama also passed the eye test more than Gobert did, too. While Gobert is an elite rim protector, he is not as versatile of a defender as Wembanyama. Additionally, he suffers from defensive mismatches a lot more frequently than Wembanyama does.
All of this led to a genuine debate over who deserved the award more. In the end, it went to Gobert. However, it is fair to assume Wembanyama will earn the award at least once during his career.
The Last Word
It is fair to say Wembanyama deserved the award over Gobert. However, the Timberwolves center remains arguably the best paint defender in the NBA. Furthermore, without his presence, it is safe to assume the Timberwolves would not have finished as the NBA’s best defensive team last season. Nonetheless, as we approach the 2024-25 season, the Gobert-Wembanyama debate will likely continue to live on and potentially even develop into something bigger. It will be fun to check back at this time next year and see which center, if either of them, wins the Defensive Player of the Year award.
