Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes debate the DPOY between Gobert and Wembanyama: "Some people around us don't like that"
Rudy Gobert is one of the NBA’s best defenders and has been the most effective player on that side of the court this season. However, some people are minimizing his impact on the Minnesota Timberwolves ascent into the upper echelon of the Western Conference.
People in the NBA sphere have been talking about the Defensive Player of the Year award, and even Draymond Green has argued for rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama to win it.
That is a surprising opinion that Stephen Jackson agrees with. However, co-host Matt Barnes is more accepting that Gobert deserves the nod this year.
“Wemby’s numbers are across the board better, it’s just different styles of teams. If Gobert does win this, it puts him in elite defensive standings, it would be his fourth Defensive Player of the Year,” Barnes said on All The Smoke Unplugged.
“The only players in that category are Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo. If he wins one more, you gotta talk about him as one of the greatest defensive centers of all time, and some people around us don’t like that.”
Gobert is a special defender
Most people won’t recognize how much Gobert changes the dynamic of a game when he protects the paint. He dominates the paint with his length, blocking shots away. However, the Frenchman’s ability to alter shots by contesting the offensive player or being an imposing presence is an effective way to defend.
While some players won’t admit it, having Rudy in the paint makes scoring more challenging. Some players welcome the challenge, but doing it over 48 minutes is difficult, given Gobert’s reliability with his paint defense.
The only downside to his defensive game is popping out in switch defense. That’s understandable, considering Gobert is more of a flat-footed center who loves to sit in the paint and dominate that area. His defensive prowess has led the Timberwolves to become a surprise contender, cementing the “lopsided” trade was a good move.
Wemby will have this time
Victor is only in his first year, and he’s already getting involved in Defensive Player of the Year debates. That is why he’s anointed as the newest superstar because he can do everything. It is also Jack’s argument to give Wemby his flowers.
“If Wemby’s playing for a better team, I think he would be up for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. He’s DPOY for the way he’s playing, carrying the team offensively and being able to do that defensively,” Jackson said about his case for Wemby this year. “I’m going with the young fella, man. Being able to do that at a young age, his first year, I think hands down, he should get it.”
There will come a time when Wembanyama wins DPOY and even MVP. It is only his rookie year, which means this is likely the "worst" year of his career. That’s an absurd notion to think about, but Wemby will keep improving. In the meantime, the DPOY will likely go to his compatriot, but the San Antonio Spurs big man will inevitably win it one day.
