For a while, it’s been known that the Utah Jazz have a crowded frontcourt but they’ve been moving around pieces to find the best fit. A couple of years ago they were loaded with DeMarre Carroll, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and Paul Millsap. Millsap and Carroll moved on to the Atlanta Hawks on to pave a way for playing time for Kanter and Favors.
Then Kanter was moved at this year’s trade deadline to pave the way for second-year center Rudy Gobert. The Frenchman, often referred to as the Stifle Tower, has been an absolute beast on the defensive end. He’s played so well that even after only 18 starters, he’s considered one of the frontrunners for the NBA’s Defense Player of the Year award.
Here’s why that’s the case as well as a look at who he’s up against:
From Paris With Love
The ascendance of Gobert has been something to watch. The stats will tell you that he blocked five shots against LaMarcus Aldridge and the rest of the Portland Trail Blazers on February 20th, six in a game against Denver a week later and seven shots in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in January. Gobert, going up against Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph of the powerful Memphis Grizzlies in a recent game played on March 3, pulled down 24 rebounds and controlled the flow of the game from his spot in the paint. Those are just a few examples of how dominant this man has been. He’s only made 19 starts as a pro (wasn’t starting before the Kanter trade), so it’s possible someone in your fantasy league scooped him up off the waiver-wire and is earning 7.3 points per game, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. He continues to improve on a weekly basis as he’s averaged 14.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks over his last nine games.
The reason he’s in the running for Defensive Player of the Year is because he has collected 145 blocks in just 1493.1 minutes this season. In comparison, Anthony Davis has just four more blocks but has played nearly 400 more minutes while Serge Ibaka, who leads the league in that category, has just 10 more blocks than Gobert while playing 625 more minutes. What Gobert has accomplished in such a short period of time is phenomenal. And his impact can be seen on the team as no team in the NBA has allowed fewer points than the Jazz’ 83.4 in the 10 games since the All-Star Break
Gobert’s Competition
DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers has been more productive game-to-game than Gobert has on the glass. Jordan is averaging 14.5 rebounds per game, more than six above Gobert’s average of 8.2 per game. Jordan averages 2.3 blocked shots per game and has been able to carry the Clippers in the absence of Blake Griffin. Jordan is a nasty low-post defender and rim protector and to be honest, he is probably the inside-track favorite for the award when you think about it. Jordan also averages well over 30 minutes per game, at roughly 34, while Gobert averages under 30 minutes. That’s something which has to be taken into account. Jordan is a more regular player and Gobert has not been playing massive minutes the whole season.
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors is a guy who is going to get consideration for this award because he can guard so many different kinds of players – in the post, on the wings, widebodies, leaner offensive players. Green averages 8.3 rebounds per game but his skill in playing defense is the number of people he guards, which takes so much pressure off Golden State’s perimeter players. Versatility more than raw numbers make Green such a compelling candidate. The one number which matters is that Golden State has the most wins of anyone in the Western Conference.
Anthony Davis also has to be on this list too. He averages 2.8 blocks per game and is generally thought of as the best shot-blocker in the whole league. He averages 10.4 rebounds per game and is sturdy in the paint as someone who can defend opposing big men who try to back him down. Davis is an elegant mix of length and size, and he uses both to great effect. That’s going to get noticed, along with his shot-blocking skill.
