T-Wolves' Gobert wins DPOY for record-tying 4th time
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday for a joint-record fourth time.
The 31-year-old was selected ahead of San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama and Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo.
| Player | Team | 1st-place votes (5 points) | Total points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rudy Gobert | Timberwolves | 72 | 433 |
| Victor Wembanyama | Spurs | 19 | 245 |
| Bam Adebayo | Heat | 3 | 91 |
| Anthony Davis | Lakers | 4 | 83 |
| Herbert Jones | Pelicans | 0 | 14 |
| Jrue Holiday | Celtics | 1 | 7 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Thunder | 0 | 6 |
| Derrick White | Celtics | 0 | 5 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Bucks | 0 | 3 |
| Jarrett Allen | Cavs | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Caruso | Bulls | 0 | 1 |
| Domantas Sabonis | Kings | 0 | 1 |
| Jalen Suggs | Magic | 0 | 1 |
The French rim-protector was immense throughout the Timberwolves' 56-win campaign, the franchise's best regular-season mark since finishing 58-24 in 2003-04. Along with averaging 2.1 blocks and 9.2 defensive rebounds, Gobert frequently organized and anchored Minnesota's defense, helping the team limit opponents to 108.4 points per 100 possessions, the best mark in the NBA.
Within the paint, Gobert was a menace for opposing would-be scorers. He restricted inside threats to just 49.2% shooting on attempts within 6 feet of the basket. That's the lowest defended field-goal percentage among players who defended at least seven attempts within 6 feet per game.
Gobert joins other frontcourt rim-protectors Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace as the only players to receive the award on four occasions.