… In fact, Gobert’s defensive on-off split is one of the largest of any high-volume player over the past 15 years.” “The data suggest that not only is running away with this year’s award, he’s having one of the best defensive seasons in modern NBA history. Hyperbole was not a concern, either, when they wrote: Rudy Gobert, Utah JazzĮven the statistical and political Web site chimed in on Gobert’s defensive impact this season. (All stats through the end of the regular season) 1. Here are the Top 5 of the final 2020-21 Defensive Player Ladder: Two different sorts of defenders, two sets of numbers, only one top rung. A 106.0 defensive rating, a 328 plus/minus and 0.140 defensive win shares. Here are the Philadelphia player’s respective stats by category: minus-0.4 net defensive rating, a 5.2% impact on shooters in the 9.9 shots he faces nightly. His defensive rating is 100.9, his plus/minus for the season was plus-728 and his defensive win shares was 0.181, all per NBA.com/Stats.Ĭompare those numbers to Simmons, widely is regarded as the league’s top on-ball defender with his capability of guarding all five positions. Shooters fare 7.7% worse when he’s the one contesting their shots, and he tops the NBA in defensive field-goal attempts (19.1).
Utah’s defense when Gobert is on the floor is 11.9 points better than when he’s off. Rudy Gobert recorded a season-best nine blocks against the Bulls on March 22.Īs for Gobert specifically, his statistical edges over the competition are on par with his wingspan. The Jazz ranked third in points allowed per 100 possessions (107.5), fourth in points scored per 100 (116.5) and tops in the gap between them (9.0). And that defensive scheme is essential to Utah’s 52-20 record, the NBA’s best this season. Whether you prefer analytics or eye tests, his play at that end of the floor is essential to the Jazz’s defensive scheme beyond any rivals’. So it was 1) Gobert, 2) the Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons and 3) the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo, with 99 other voters determining how that order holds up come trophy time. More specifically, the top three rungs mirror the three-spot ballot that I cast with the league by Monday night’s deadline. Because it’s a ladder - the Defensive Player Ladder, our weekly ranking of the NBA’s most effective and stifling defenders - that makes him top dog of the top rung.Īnd since this week’s edition is the final one for the 2020-21 regular season, it carries with it a prize: One first-place vote for the NBA’s Kia Defensive Player of the Year Award. If this were a hill, the Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert would be declared king of it. Want to stay informed on the latest Memphis sports news? A Commercial Appeal subscription gets you unlimited access to the best inside information and updates on local sports, and the ability to tap into sports news from throughout the USA TODAY Network's 109 local sites.Rudy Gobert’s patrolling of the paint keyed the Jazz as they ran up an NBA-best 52-20 mark in 2020-21. Two of the three games were close, including the Grizzlies' 103-102 loss at FedExForum. The Nuggets, led by reigning Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, won all three meetings last season. The teams also meet Wednesday at FedExForum
The Grizzlies face the Denver Nuggets on Monday (7 p.m., Bally Sports Southeast). Yet it won't solve the Grizzlies' other issues of team defense and Jackson finding his way through this shooting slump. If Brooks returns during that stretch, he'll provide a lift with his scoring and defense. That's followed by a homestand against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns. They play the Denver Nuggets twice, then travel to face the Washington Wizards Friday, who have the best record in the Eastern Conference. Their next five opponents have records above. The Grizzlies play five of their next six games at home but they're in for a fight. Kyle Lowry had four 3-pointers to finish a 15-point, eight-assist night. Herro finished with 22 points and Duncan Robinson added 15 points on five 3-pointers.
But neither Melton nor Desmond Bane (five 3-pointers) could counter the Heat's firepower. He was also the rare Grizzlies player that shined on defense with three steals to go with five assists.
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