Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Rudy Gobert may not be at the tops of many fan’s list when it comes to NBA centers, but I believe that is due, in part, to the fact that he plays in a fairly small and remote Utah market. The reason that Gobert must be on this list is fairly simple. He has won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) or finished in the top five in voting three times in his young career, while being named to the league’s All-Defensive first team in back-to-back seasons. Gobert is the heart and soul of a very underrated Utah Jazz defense.
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In a league where offensive stats rule the day, there are very few reliable defensive stats to show a player’s true impact. Since entering the league, Gobert has finished in the top-eight in Defensive Rating, finishing in the top-three in the last three seasons. He has had two seasons in which he led the league in block percentage, while never finishing worse than third. While these numbers do not paint the whole picture, as much of defense involves the eye test, it is clear that in categories where defensive stats are recorded, you will find Gobert at the top of the list.
For his career, he is not an offensive machine, but he can dominate you in the post if given the chance. In his last three seasons Gobert is averaging a double-double while shooting 65 percent from the field. As previously stated, Rudy Gobert prefers to jumpstart the Jazz on the defensive end, where he averages 2.2 blocks per game.
When matched up against Joel Embiid, Gobert does not play his best basketball. In his defense, Embiid makes every NBA center not named Al Horford look silly most of the time. In their three career meetings, Embiid is averaging 20/10.3/2.7 on 45 percent shooting. Joel has been able to hold Gobert to 12.3/10.3/2, although he is shooting a higher 56.5 percent from the field. The 76ers have also enjoyed a 2-1 record in these matchups, with many surely to come down the road of these two big men’s careers.
For arguments purpose, I don’t think any rational NBA (non-Jazz) fan would rather have Gobert on their team instead of Joel Embiid. Though Gobert definitely belongs on the list of the league’s top centers, there is no strong argument for him being placed over our lovable 7-foot-2 freak of nature.
Advantage: Joel Embiid