Dwight Howard has raised doubts about Rudy Gobert’s four Defensive Player of the Year awards, suggesting they are not fully justified. Howard argues that Gobert's defensive contributions do not make him an elite defender.
During Gilbert Arenas's podcast, Dwight Howard expressed skepticism about Rudy Gobert’s four Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) awards, questioning the legitimacy of these accolades.
In recent statements, Howard suggested that Gobert, while a solid team defender, does not deserve such a high number of awards for defensive prowess.
“I don’t want to speak negatively about anyone, but I don’t think he deserved that many DPOY awards, I consider him good defensively as a team player, but what he has done does not justify so many awards. I don’t view him as an elite defender.” he said.
Howard elaborated on his perspective by highlighting the advantages Gobert has had in his defensive role.
“When you are 2.16 meters tall and play with athletic teammates, you don’t need to do much beyond correcting their mistakes and being present in the paint,” Howard noted.
He further criticized Gobert’s defensive abilities by pointing out that it is challenging to see him as an elite defender despite his four DPOY awards.
Howard suggested that previous awards may have been given due to Gobert’s team defense and his role within the team rather than individual defensive excellence.
"I feel like he's a great team defender, but for what he did to get those Defensive Player of the Years, I don't see it. I don't see him being an elite defender." Dwight concluded.
