NBA players expressed their opinions on various subjects in The Athletic's anonymous poll. Among them was the league's most overrated player, with Tyrese Haliburton earning the title. However, former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins feels Minnesota Timberwolves star Rudy Gobert is the clear choice.

“I disagree with Haliburton being the most overrated… It's Rudy [Gobert], man. It's pretty clear,” Cousins said on FanDuel TV's Run It Back. “You can't be a four-time Defensive Player of the Year and get played off the floor [against the Lakers]… The thing is, when he won the award, the same thing was happening, in the same year.”

While Cousins feels Gobert's defensive impact has been mitigated in the Timberwolves' first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, the numbers tell a different story.

DeMarcus Cousins calls Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert NBA's most overrated player

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) shoots the ball over Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) during the third quarter of game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Defense has not been an issue for the Timberwolves vs. the Lakers. They've allowed an average of 94.5 points on their way to a 1-1 split heading back to Minnesota.

Rudy Gobert has continued to be a resounding positive for the Timberwolves defensively. Through two games, they've posted a 102.13 defensive rating in 53 minutes with the three-time All-Star on the court, compared to 116.25 in 43 minutes with him off, per PBP Stats.

While Luka Doncic repeatedly attempted to generate highlight plays against Gobert in Game 2, he and his teammates had little success. The Lakers shot 5-of-17 (29.4 percent) on shots defended by Gobert, per NBA.com.

Related Minnesota Timberwolves NewsArticle continues below
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) raises his arm to pump up the crowd after making a shot against the Golden State Warriors in the first half during game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.
Timberwolves fans blast Warriors with 3-word chant
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) dribbles the ball past Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) in the first half during game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs
Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards joins LeBron, Kobe in NBA Playoff lore

“I think some of the time they score, I think some of the time I did a pretty good job,” Gobert said of his isolation possessions after Game 2. “There's always things that I gotta do better, we gotta do better. But overall, as a defender, that's what I enjoy. I enjoy guarding the best players in the world, and I always embrace that challenge.

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch was pleased with Gobert's performance.

“I mean, Rudy's a minus-2. So his impact on the floor remains pretty strong,” he said.

Gobert's long list of accolades has long been called into question by NBA players, fans and some media members. However, his defensive impact remained elite this season.

The Frenchman anchored a Timberwolves defense that ranked sixth during the regular season. Opponents scored 7.8 fewer points per 100 possessions with Gobert on the floor, the third-highest mark among all players to play over 1,500 minutes, per CleaningTheGlass. Only Pascal Siakam (-11.0) and Victor Wembanyama (-9.2) posted higher defensive ratings.

If the Timberwolves are going to make another deep playoff run, they'll do so with a defensive identity, and Gobert will lead the way.