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On opening night, Rudy Gobert was once again the subject of mockery among fans. During the same night in which Gobert's camp finalized a three-year, $110 million extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Lakers dominated the paint en route to a 110-103 defeat for the Timberwolves — with Anthony Davis popping off for 36 points and 16 rebounds, playing like he had something to prove against the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
It did sound as though Davis was throwing some shade towards Gobert in the aftermath of the Lakers' victory. He said that his contributions on the defensive end on Tuesday night made him very deserving of the Defensive Player of the Year award — an accolade that has eluded him throughout his career despite being very deserving of it.
Gobert, however, isn't about to take this shade lying down. The Timberwolves center defended himself from the implication that he somehow robbed Davis of a DPOY trophy, saying that it's a bit confusing if voters opt to give the acclaim to him even though he's being criticized as one of the most boring players in the association. Moreover, Rudy Gobert wondered why there would be bias in favor of him when he's not the one playing for a big market team.
“People love to discredit those awards. But you’ve got to ask yourself the question: ‘Is Rudy Gobert, who played for the Utah Jazz and the Timberwolves, really that exciting? Are the voters really excited to vote for me, or are they just people who watch basketball from morning to evening … and really try to vote based on the impact? If it was based on excitement, I don’t think I would have any DPOYs,” Gobert said, per Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Rudy Gobert continues to be the most disrespected player in the NBA
The main criticism against Rudy Gobert is that his defensive contributions aren't as matchup-proof as Davis' or even Bam Adebayo's or Giannis Antetokounmpo's. In the playoffs, teams can drag Gobert out to the perimeter to negate his elite rim protection, explaining why the Timberwolves center is the subject of this kind of treatment.
But the DPOY award is a regular-season trophy awarded to the best defensive player across the entire 82-game slate. Gobert has proven in the past how he can be a one-man defensive system, transforming the Timberwolves and Jazz into elite defensive units, and it's hard to argue that he hasn't been deserving of the four DPOYs he has earned.
“This is not something that I’ve (earned) over one game. It’s something that happens over the course of the season. Consistency is boring. So I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s hard for some people to understand what I do,” Gobert said.
Nonetheless, Gobert isn't content with what he has already accomplished in what will be a Hall of Fame career when all is said and done. He is still intent on doing whatever he can to lead the Timberwolves over the hump and into the promised land.
“My goal is to be the best defender ever. And now my only focus is to win a championship and to keep impacting my team, keep trying to make my team the top defense in this league. I think that’s the best measure of an all-time defender,” Gobert added.
