A former NBA player has defended Rudy Gobert after too many shots were thrown at him recently. During an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Jaren Jackson Sr., the father of Memphis Grizzlies player Jaren Jackson Jr., expressed sympathy for Gobert’s situation.
Jackson, who spent 12 years in the NBA, thinks Gobert should have advanced in other areas of his game by now. But he also feels that much of the criticism is unjustified. He further pointed out that how the game is played has changed, and the bigs haven’t liked this development.
Jackson said, “I feel for him. He’s another one that plays defense. It’s not the prettiest part of the game, it’s not the most entertaining, not gonna be on ESPN about his blocks. All of these big guys today, the game has changed. You no longer just sit in the paint… Now these guys gotta move.”
He added, “I think Rudy is just trying to be the best help side defender he can be. It’s just not appreciated… There are other areas of his game, he probably needs to be better at. As a veteran player, he should be better at other areas of his game, but he’s found his niche, to play defense… I don’t care what people say about him.”
Rudy Gobert could have had the best season of his career. But it all went in vain after they failed to qualify for the finals. Although he had trouble in the postseason last year, he deserves credit for doing much better in that area during the 2024 playoffs.
Is Rudy Gobert Really That Bad? Explaining The Truth Behind His Criticism
Regretfully, Gobert’s excellent play throughout the first two postseason rounds was overshadowed by his occasional struggles protecting Luka Doncic during the Western Conference Finals. Because of that series, hatred has been exposed once more.
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Dereck Lively II, a big man with the Dallas Mavericks, aimed Gobert for his play during the Western Conference Finals. In Lively’s opinion, the Minnesota Timberwolves should not have used him as much as they did in that game.
Before that, Dwight Howard disparaged Rudy Gobert, saying he didn’t deserve all four of his DPOY victories. Although Howard gave him credit for improving his defense this past season, he still doesn’t think he’s a great player.
Even though there were some harsh remarks, Shaquille O’Neal had the harshest of them all. O’Neal dubbed Gobert the worst player in NBA history, saying that guys like him ruin the system for other players. That said, there’s much for him to prove this year, as the Wolves will look forward to a better season.
