Rudy Gobert is clearly one of the favorite targets in the NBA. With the Jazz going through a tough time, the All-Star center has once again come under attack from a league big name. Geez, nobody wants to see him raise a new title Defender of the Year.
The Jazz are going through a complicated period, which is far from ideal to prepare for the playoffs… They are on a series of 5 consecutive defeats, find themselves in 6th place in the Western Conference, and if the setbacks continue to rain, Rudy Gobert and his teammates could even find themselves playing the play-in in a few days. A situation that would be dramatic for this ambitious franchise.
And after the humiliation suffered against the Clippers, the nerves began to let go in the locker room. Donovan Mitchell, for example, was totally distraught in a press conference, while Rudy Gobert made some criticisms of his teammates, especially in the collective attitude. And what better time for other NBA players to once again criticize the French pivot?
Marcus Smart criticizes Rudy Gobert and his lack of versatility
In an interview with Tim Bontemps fromESPN, Marcus Smart attacked the pillar of the France team and his defense. According to the Celtics player, he does not deserve his Defender of the Year titles due to a supposed lack of versatility. Decidedly, no player is as targeted by his friends as the interior of the Jazz, it is up to him to prove all his detractors wrong in the playoffs:
As a fullback, in a team that changes on all screens and has the best defensive rating, you have to worry about all the players on the pitch. And that’s the thing. When you see the title of Defender of the Year, you say to yourself that the elected player must be able to defend in all positions. I have nothing against Rudy Gobert, but he can’t defend on all players. I can, and I do it well.
Once again, Rudy Gobert was attacked by a league star who considers himself better than him in defense. Marcus Smart’s statement joins those of Draymond Green and Patrick Beverley, and it should not move the French pivot more than that, he who is starting to get used to it. But these words reflect the look that NBA players have on defense.
According to everyone who speaks on this subject, the best defenders are those who are versatile and able to defend in several positions. And it must be recognized that Rudy is not necessarily the most comfortable in the field, he who has rather difficulty off against the leaders and rears more lively than him. But he brings so much into protecting the circle and helping out that it’s dishonest to focus on that aspect of his game.
According to Marcus Smart, Rudy Gobert should be sanctioned in the race for the title of Defender of the Year for his lack of versatility and his difficulties against the little ones. A sound of bell more and more widespread in the NBA, and who could have an influence on the votes.
