By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, including the most recent nod for the award, Rudy Gobert constantly facing doubts about his defensive abilities forms a paradox.
The latest comments against the French center’s defense were delivered by the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Chauncey Billups, in a recent visit to Sheed and Tyler.
“He is a great defensive player, do not get me wrong, but you do not just attack great defensive players. You going away from them,” he told Rasheed Wallace and Trill Withers.
During his playing career, Billups was named in the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2005 and 2006, besides many more highlights, including winning the NBA championship and earning the NBA Finals MVP award in 2004.
“He is great at the rim, he plays hard, he can block shots and stuff, but like space is trouble, and pick-and-rolls you just attack,” added the 47-year-old coach during the conversation on the YouTube show, “You can just go after him.”
Gobert, 32, helped the Timberwolves reach the Western Conference Finals of the 2024 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. He tallied 12.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.9 steals per contest over 15 appearances in the postseason, after putting up 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.3 assists, and 0.7 steals per game in the 2023-24 Regular Season.
“Regular season, I can understand why he’d be Defensive Player of the Year,” mentioned Billups, “Get deeper in them playoffs, it’s tricky.”