Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz has been making a strong case for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award. Though he has missed out on a handful of games due to injuries, his coach in Quin Snyder believes that he is qualified and should win the award.

Kyle Goon of the Salt Lake Tribune recently reported:

Gobert has only played 45 games so far. He's been averaging 14.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and an impressive 2.3 blocks per contest. His performance has powered the Jazz to a decent 40-31 record which is good for eighth place in the Western Conference. This is an impressive feat for the team, given that their superstar for the past several years in Gordon Hayward decided to join the Boston Celtics last summer.

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Asked about Hayward leaving, Gobert said, per Sam Amick of USA Sports Today:

“We're past that point. It doesn't matter who's with me, or who's not with me. I'm just trying to win. I'm not worried about that.”

After the Hayward trade, many felt that the Jazz would go on to tank for the rest of the season for better odds at the NBA draft. They were surprised to see that the Jazz were winning games in convincing fashion. For Gobert, winning can only be learned thru winning itself, and most definitely not by losing on purpose.

“But if you want to win, you have to teach a player how to win. That's why I don't believe in tanking, all that stuff. I believe you learn how to win by winning. You don't learn how to win by losing on purpose to get a 19-year-old who you've never seen.”