Rudy Gobert named 2023-2024 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year

Minnesota Timberwolves centerRudy Gobert has been named the 2023-2024 Kia NBA Defensive Playerof the Year, the league announced Tuesday night.

Gobert, 31, won the award overfellow Frenchman and Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama. He had72 1st place votes (equivalent to 5 points), 24 2nd place points(equivalent to 3 points), and 1 3rd place point (equivalent to 1point) to finish with a total of 433 points. Wembanyama got 2ndplace with a total of 245 points while Bam Adebayo of the MiamiHeat finished a distant third place with 91 points. Gobert is thefirst player in Minnesota Timberwolves history to win theaward.

Gobert is the third playerall-time to win the Defensive Player of the Year, joining DikembeMutombo and Ben Wallace.

Anchored by Gobert’s topdefensive rating in the NBA of 106.6 (min. 25 minutes per game),the Timberwolves finished the 2023-24 campaign with the top-rankeddefense in the NBA (108.4) after ending last season 10th with adefensive rating of 113.1. The gap between the Wolves’ defense andthe second-ranked Boston Celtics is equivalent to the gap betweenthe second-ranked and the 10th-ranked Houston Rockets. Minnesotafinished this season with a net rating of 6.3, good for third inthe NBA and the best net rating in franchise history. Teams took6.4% less shots at the rim when Gobert was on the floor this season(94th percentile) and shot 6.6% worse at the rim when he played(92nd percentile).

The 7-1 center wrapped up his11th season in the NBA and second with the Timberwolves, playingand starting in 76 games this season, the fourth-most appearancesin his career and the most games played since he appeared in 81games in the 2018-19 season. This season, Gobert averaged 14.0points on 66.1% shooting, a team-best 12.9 rebounds, and ateam-high 2.13 blocks per contest. His 2.13 blocks were his mostblocks per game since 2020-21 (2.68 bpg). He ranked second in theNBA in rebounding (12.9 rpg), second in field goal percentage(.661), second in offensive rebounds (3.8 rpg), fourth in defensiverebounds (9.2 rpg), sixth in blocks (2.13 bpg) and fifth indouble-doubles (54).