Ranking the Top 10 players in the Nuggets-Timberwolves series

4) Rudy Gobert

This season, Rudy Gobert cemented his status as one of the greatest defenders in basketball history. He anchored the league’s best defense and held the best individual defensive rating among players with at least 2,000 minutes of action.

The Stifle Tower’s lack of a flashy offensive repertoire has subjected him to unnecessary disrespect from many NBA fans over the years. In fact, Gobert’s peers have even disrespected him in certain instances. A recent poll from The Athletic saw a sample size of 81 players vote Gobert as the most overrated player in the league.

Despite his undeserved hate, Gobert is heavily favored to win his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. He would tie Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most DPOY awards ever.

Gobert’s overall impact cannot be understated. The Timberwolves scored 3.8 more points per 100 possessions with Gobert on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass. He also increased Minnesota’s effective field goal percentage as a team by two percentage points when he was on the court.

Gobert will have his hands full as he attempts to slow down one of the most talented offensive players the league has ever seen. Jokic has defeated Gobert in both of their playoff matchups, so the French rim protector could have extra motivation in one of the most enticing big-man matchups out there.