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Rudy Gobert's defense has been a surprisingly polarizing topic amongst NBA circles. There's a certain segment of the fanbase that believes that the Utah Jazz star isn't deserving of his Defensive Player of the Year awards. For every Gobert slander, though, there will be analytics fans that believe he's the real deal.
One of the biggest arguments against Gobert's defense is his apparent inability to defend guards in the perimeter. However, the Jazz star believes this isn't the case, and points towards Bleacher Report as the culprits behind spreading this claim. (via Eric Walden)
“The numbers have been in my favor, but for some reason … I blame Bleacher Report for that. The perception has never matched the numbers. I hope they can do a better job in the future to show the good plays.”
Rudy Gobert, on the perception he can't guard perimeter players: "The numbers have been in my favor, but for some reason … I blame Bleacher Report for that. The perception has never matched the numbers. I hope they can do a better job in the future to show the good plays."
— tribjazz (@tribjazz) February 26, 2022
In this era of switch-heavy defense and small-ball lineups, big men who can defend against quicker guards are in high demand. This is why guys like Draymond Green (another of the Jazz star's vocal critics) have been favored by modern fans over Gobert. For these fans, Gobert's “one-dimensional” defense is worse than Green's do-it-all style.
However, despite most criticisms, Gobert and the Jazz have consistently fielded top-ranked defenses every year. While they do regress heavily in the playoffs, most of the blame does not lie on Gobert. In fact, the Stifle Tower can hang with most guards on defense, as well as slower forwards.
As with most things, though, the Jazz star has learned to shrug off the criticism. In the end, it will be his performance that will finally shut down these complaints about him.
