Wolves center Rudy Gobert wins record-tying 4th NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, center, reacts with center Naz Reid after drawing an and-one call during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Rudy Gobert, the anchor of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ NBA-leading defense, is officially the league’s 2024 Defensive Player of the Year.
The announcement gives Gobert his fourth Defensive Player of the Year Award, matching Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo for the most all-time. Miami’s Bam Adebayo and San Antonio rookie Victor Wembanyama were the other two finalists.
Like the Sixth Man Award before Naz Reid’s win, the Timberwolves had never had a player win Defensive Player of the Year until now.
The three-time All-Star who is likely to be named to his seventh All-Defense Team in the near future, Gobert has long been belittled by many players and fans. However, he rebounded from a tough first season with the Timberwolves after the massive trade that brought him to Minnesota to lead the club’s defensive efforts this season.
He averaged 2.1 blocks per game, totaling the fifth most blocks in the league, contributed 0.7 steals per game and grabbed 12.9 rebounds per game, the second most in the NBA. Additionally, Basketball-Reference has him atop its defensive rating list (104.5) this season and with the most defensive win shares (5.8) in the entire league by a wide margin.
His play has also gained more attention and appreciation amid Minnesota’s playoff success, making several key plays that’ve helped the Timberwolves get to where they are. Even though he missed the team’s win Monday night over Denver following the birth of his child, Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch still credited him with helping instill the defensive culture that the team is now getting more attention for.
The 31-year-old, his teammates and fans are hoping that defensive excellence will continue and help the Timberwolves continue their run deep in the postseason and further quiet his critics.
He joins Reid and Mike Conley, who was named the best teammate in the NBA, as Wolves players who’ve won major awards this season. Finch finished third in Coach of the Year voting.