Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert’s quest for his fourth DPOY
Competition for Utah Jazz center: Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo, aka “The Greek Freak”, is one of the few active players whose defensive resumé can be stacked up next to Rudy Gobert’s. The Bucks superstar has already won one DPOY award in 2020 and has been named to an NBA All-Defensive team four times. Vegas odds currently have him in third in the DPOY race, one spot behind the Jazz center.
Antetokounmpo’s situation is very similar to Adebayo’s. His almost superhuman athleticism at 6-foot-11 gives him the ability to guard any player in the entire league regardless of position. With 11.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, his defensive numbers are as good as ever.
There’s no doubt Antetokounmpo should be in consideration for the award. But like Adebayo, he has plenty of help. There are currently three other players on the team who have been earned All-Defensive honors throughout their careers. Outside of Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have exceptional perimeter defenders in Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, along with bigs who can hold down the paint in Serge Ibaka and Brook Lopez.
The DPOY race will be close this year, but at the level that Rudy Gobert has been defending with the lack of help on that side of the ball, we should see the Jazzman take home this award for the fourth time.
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absurd numbers</a> he is putting up, Gobert should win the 2021-22 Defensive Player of Year Award, but it won’t be without competition. Here are his top two competitors for the award this season…Spoiler: neither is Draymond Green.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/03/25/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-quest-fourth-dpoy/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Bam Adebayo </a>
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<h2>Competition for Utah Jazz center: Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo</h2>
<p>Vegas currently has one player listed with better odds to win DPOY than Rudy Gobert, and that is Miami Heat center <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/03/25/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-quest-fourth-dpoy/3/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/adebaba01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Bam Adebayo</a>.</p>
<p>The argument for Adebayo as DPOY is a strong one. He is one of the main pieces on a Heat team that is currently on top of the Eastern Conference and is top five in defensive rating in the entire league. The former Kentucky Wildcat not only holds down the paint for the Heat, but at 6-foot-9, he is also capable of switching onto most players at positions 3 through 5.</p>
<p>That versatility is extremely important in today’s NBA, where most teams without a star center run “small ball” lineups. While Adebayo doesn’t get near Gobert’s block numbers this season, he is averaging more than double the amount of steals at 1.5 per game, which is a testament to his versatility.</p>
<p>The biggest difference between the two big men, however, is the amount of help they have on the defensive side of the ball. The Miami Heat roster is riddled with defensive stoppers, including Jimmy Butler and P.J. Tucker, who are often regarded as two of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. The weight Adebayo and Gobert have to carry on defense is simply not the same.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/03/25/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-quest-fourth-dpoy/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Giannis Antetokounmpo </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div class="embed "><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src=https://thejnotes.com/2022/03/25/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-quest-fourth-dpoy/3/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/kWYLkBD6rh8?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<h2>Competition for Utah Jazz center: Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo</h2>
<p><a href=https://thejnotes.com/2022/03/25/utah-jazz-rudy-gobert-quest-fourth-dpoy/3/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/antetgi01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Giannis Antetokounmpo</a>, aka “The Greek Freak”, is one of the few active players whose defensive resumé can be stacked up next to Rudy Gobert’s. The Bucks superstar has already won one DPOY award in 2020 and has been named to an NBA All-Defensive team four times. Vegas odds currently have him in third in the DPOY race, one spot behind the Jazz center.</p>
<p>Antetokounmpo’s situation is very similar to Adebayo’s. His almost superhuman athleticism at 6-foot-11 gives him the ability to guard any player in the entire league regardless of position. With 11.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, his defensive numbers are as good as ever.</p>
<p>There’s no doubt Antetokounmpo should be in consideration for the award. But like Adebayo, he has plenty of help. There are currently three other players on the team who have been earned All-Defensive honors throughout their careers. Outside of Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have exceptional perimeter defenders in Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, along with bigs who can hold down the paint in Serge Ibaka and Brook Lopez.</p>
<p>The DPOY race will be close this year, but at the level that Rudy Gobert has been defending with the lack of help on that side of the ball, we should see the Jazzman take home this award for the fourth time.</p>
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