Rudy Gobert was announced by the NBA as the Defensive Player of the Year for his performances during the 2023-24 regular season. This is the fourth time that Rudy has achieved this honour, making him only the third NBA player to win the award four times. Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace were the other players who won the award four times during their successful NBA careers.
The French big anchored the defense for the league’s number one defense – Minnesota Timberwolves. He averaged 2.1 BPG, which ranked him fourth in the league behind Victor Wembanyama, Walker Kessler and Anthony Davis. However, it was Gobert’s leadership on the defensive end that helped him get to the fourth DPOY award. His defensive rating of 104.5 was the best for any player in the league who averaged 25.5 minutes per game, according to Minnesota’s analytical department.
Rudy Gobert has been a key part of the T-Wolves’ road to the Conference Semis this season. His presence in the paint has forced the opponents to 49% shooting when he contests the shot, while anywhere else opponents shot at just 43% when Gobert was the closest defender.
Rudy Gobert toppled his fellow countryman Victor Wembanyama
Rudy Gobert won the DPOY award after receiving 72 first-place votes. He finished ahead of Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat. While Bam has been battling for years to win the DPOY, Wembenyama came close to winning it in his rookie season. The San Antonio Spurs big man had a sensational year, but his team’s failure to make it to the playoffs might have affected his chances of winning the award.
Victor Wembenyama‘s defensive rating of 105.8 was only second behind Rudy Gobert. However, his team had only the 20th-best defense in the NBA and struggled to perform without him on the court. Despite the disappointment of missing out on the DPOY, Victor could be proud of what he has achieved this season. He became only the second rookie since Manute Bol to finish with the most blocks in the season.
His future is certainly bright and even he is confident of winning the award in the future. Speaking about missing out on the DPOY, Wemby said, “Let him win it now, because after that, it’s no longer his turn.”
