During a recent episode of the show ‘Get Up on ESPN’, former NBA player and sports analyst Kendrick Perkins criticized Rudy Gobert’s performance after the Minnesota Timberwolves’s loss in Game 4. The side suffered a disappointing 107-115 defeat against the Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals of the playoffs. Perkins boldly said that Gobert is the Defensive Player of the Year, but his defensive liability fell short during the last game against the Nuggets.
“Isn’t Rudy Gobert the Defensive Player of the Year? Why is it all the time he’s the DPOY in the regular season but a defensive liability come playoff time? I’m tired of the man playing sass?”, Kendrik said during the show.
Perkins believes Gobert needs to step up his game and demonstrate greater physical presence to win the series. Notably, the 31-year-old is widely recognized for his exceptional defensive skills and has won multiple DPOY awards, establishing himself as one of the best defenders in the league.
“It’s a level of physicality he needs to play with. A level of expectations that he has to uphold. When it gets down to not protecting the basket and not finishing around the basket, they have to figure this out. It starts with him. He’s not going to show up and dominate and have a physical presence, especially going against Jokic, all when he’s matched up against Aaron Gordon; this is definitely going to be a loss series for Minnesota Timberwolves.” Perkins further added.
Nuggets Coach Malone Issues Warning to Timberwolves Ahead of Game 5
Meanwhile, Nuggets’ head coach, Michael Malone, praised his team’s performance and warned the Timberwolves not to underestimate the champions. He revealed that the side feels confident ahead of game 5.
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In the regular season, Gobert averaged 14.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 76 games. He will be next seen in action in Game 5 of the NBA conference semifinals against the Nuggets on Wednesday at Ball Arena.
Also Read: Kendrick Perkins Calls for LeBron James to Retire, Says Continuing to Play Will Hurt His Legacy
