Kendrick Perkins was still critiquing Rudy Gobert. During a watch-along of the Timberwolves’ 117-115 victory against the Kings, Perkins criticized Gobert for a few poor plays and reiterated that Kobe Bryant had referred to him as the NBA’s finest post-defender and that his defensive stats in the playoffs were superior to Gobert’s.
However, fans on Reddit were quick enough to address his false claims. The NBA’s different playing styles may also explain why Perkins’ stats aren’t noticeably superior to Gobert’s. Dwight Howard also took shots at Rudy for undeserving DPOY awards.
Prekins stated, “That’s the problem with Rudy, that’s what I’ve been talking about. That’s the f**king problem. He does it so gingerly… One thing I do know is; my numbers, in less games, are better than Rudy (Gobert) in the post-season, defensively. I know that much. Pull that up… Go pull up when Kobe [Bryant] said (that) Perk is the best post-defender in the league right now.”
Fans shared Perkins’ defensive statistics to see if this claim was valid. Kendrick Perkins averaged 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 0.3 steals over his postseason career while recording an average defensive rating of 104.2. Perkins had a defensive rating of 102.4, averaging 11.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 0.4 steals during his finest postseason performance in 2009.
Conversely, Rudy Gobert’s average defensive rating of 110.6 over his postseason career is lower than Perkins’ career average. He averages 11.0 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 0.7 steals per game. Despite his superior numbers, Gobert’s defensive rating is lower than Perkins’ career average.
Kendrick Perkins Once Claimed That He Was A Better Defender Than Rudy Gobert
In a previous interview with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson, Kendrick Perkins slams Rudy Gobert. Perk says Gobert must be held to a high level since he is an exceptional defensive player. Perkins claimed Gobert has seldom been the difference between his teams’ postseason victories.
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Perk said, “People thought I was capping. I had a better postseason defensively than Rudy… I’m talking about career-wise… Three times he had 7 blocks or more? I had four times when I had 7 blocks. Even when you go to 5 blocks, he had 3, I had 3. At this point, what are we really talking about? If you go back and watch a film, I showed up in big moments. And I was a role player, I didn’t have a Defensive Player of the Year award. I showed up in big moments. He didn’t and it’s unacceptable.”
The NBA’s different playing styles may also be why Perkins’ stats aren’t noticeably superior to Gobert’s. By no means is Rudy Gobert impervious to criticism. His postseason failures and performances over the past three years have been awful. This season, he’ll have to prove himself much as a defender.
Also Read: Anthony Davis Throws Shade At Rudy Gobert With A Blunt “Defensive Player Of The Year” Remark
