After receiving the most votes for the NBA All-Defensive First Team, Rudy Gobert’s next prize could very well be Defensive Player of the Year.
The NBA released the 2017-18 All-Defensive teams on Wednesday and unsurprisingly, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert found himself on the First Team. Although Gobert missed 26 games this season, his defensive impact was nothing less than staggering, particularly in the latter half of the year.
Following Gobert’s return from injury in late January, the Utah Jazz finished the year 30-8 to claw their way into the playoffs. During that stretch, the team also had the best defensive rating (97.5), the best net rating (10.8), the lowest opponent scoring average (97.4) and the lowest opponent field goal percentage (43.1 percent) in the league.
After Rudy Gobert’s late January return from injury, the Utah Jazz posted the NBA's second best record (30-8), best defensive rating (97.5), best net rating (10.8), lowest opponent scoring average (97.4) and tied for lowest opponent FG% during that stretch (.431). #utahjazz #NBA
— John Coon (@johncoonsports) May 23, 2018
Rudy Gobert’s individual numbers from that time forward were unbelievable as well. He put up 2.3 blocks per game, a defensive rating of 96.2 and a net rating of 13.8. His undeniable impact on defense, particularly at the rim, helped spark the Jazz from lottery-bound to a conference semifinalist.
He is joined on the 2017-18 All-NBA Defensive First Team by New Orleans Pelicans forward/center Anthony Davis, Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo, Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday and Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington.
The All-NBA Defensive Second Team included 76ers center Joel Embiid, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, Boston Celtics forward/center Al Horford, San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray and Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Jimmy Butler.
The complete voting results can be seen below:
Rudy Gobert makes the All-Defensive first team, but not unanimously. The full voting: pic.twitter.com/y7cjmPwjdZ
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) May 23, 2018
It’s interesting to note that while there were no unanimous selections for the NBA All-Defensive First Team, Rudy Gobert did lead the way with 94 First Team votes, for a total of 192 “total points” in the voting. Gobert found himself on the All-Defensive First Team for the second year in a row, but his selection comes as little surprise considering the defensive prowess that he has established.
However, the fact that he led all First-Teamers in voting is an encouraging sign that he could be the frontrunner for the more coveted recognition – the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
There was some concern that Rudy didn’t appear in enough games this season to be considered for the prestigious award. However, his impact in the games he did play was obviously notable enough for him to receive the most All-Defensive First Team votes, and I believe it will be enough for him to receive Defensive Player of the Year as well.
Next: Donovan Mitchell SHOCKINGLY gets All-Rookie nod
The winner of the DPOY award will be announced at this year’s NBA Awards Show held on June 25th. It was previously announced that Donovan Mitchell and Quin Snyder were finalists for the Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year awards, respectively, meaning that it will certainly be a highly anticipated night for Utah Jazz fans.