Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves often is the NBA’s reigning Defensive Participant of the 12 months, however he didn’t win the award with out some controversy.
Critics declare he didn’t actually deserve it, saying that aside from blocking photographs, he doesn’t excel sufficient on the defensive finish.
There have been instances through the years when Gobert has grow to be a little bit of a legal responsibility come playoff time due to his limitations, to the purpose the place his coach has needed to pull him off the court docket.
It’s a downside former NBA star and present Portland Path Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups identified whereas on “The Sheed x Tyler Show.”
“He’s great at the rim, he plays hard, he can block shots and stuff, but like in space is trouble,” Billups stated.
Chauncey Billups says he struggles with the truth that Rudy Gobert is a Defensive Participant of the 12 months, but groups are nonetheless in a position to assault him within the playoffs
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Billups stated that when his groups had the ball they’d assault Gobert defensively, which is one thing that isn’t sometimes performed to nice defensive gamers.
The middle, as Billups identified, has hassle guarding gamers out on the ground and adequately guarding the pick-and-roll.
Gobert averaged 14.0 factors, 12.9 rebounds and a pair of.1 blocked photographs per sport final season, however within the Timberwolves’ five-game loss to the Dallas Mavericks within the Western Convention Finals, his numbers went down considerably.
He mustered 11.8 factors, 7.6 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per sport regardless of no discount in his enjoying time.
Although his Timberwolves took a giant step ahead general in the course of the 2023-24 season, it isn’t simple to foretell simply how a lot room for progress they’ve as a group, and one motive is Gobert’s limitations.
Not solely does he have his points defensively, however he’s much more restricted on offense, which is one other factor opponents can expose.
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