Rudy Gobert is quietly disproving a long-standing myth about his game

Say what you will about Rudy Gobert, but there is no denying that he is historically a great defender. Gobert’s four Defensive Player of the Year awards are tied for the most in league history. Still some people argue that Gobert struggles to guard smaller players on switches and is not a good isolation defender.

Is Gobert one of the league’s most versatile defenders who can guard any position, like Bam Adebayo or Victor Wembanyama? No, he isn’t. Can it be occasionally exposed to insulation or switches? Yes, but so can anyone.

But to say Gobert is a poor isolated defender who can’t guard smaller players at all is factually incorrect, and this year is proof of that. The 33-year-old Gobert is holding opponents to 25 percent shooting on isolation shots, which ranks in the 93rd percentile.

Notably, this is the fifth time Gobert has ranked in the 80th percentile or higher in isolation defense. During the last playoffs, Gobert held opposing perimeter players to 6-for-19 shooting during isolation plays. These statistics undoubtedly prove that this year is no coincidence and that Gobert is a high-level isolation defender.

Gobert’s isolation defense is a perfect complement to his rim protection

Gobert’s biggest strength as a defender is obviously his elite rim protection. Gobert has averaged 2.1 blocks per game over his career. He both erases mistakes from his teammates and changes the mentality of opponents on the perimeter. Impressively, opponents shoot just 39.4 percent within six feet of the hoop when defended by Gobert; the league average is 59.7 percent.

Gobert’s elite rim protection, combined with Jaden McDaniels’ elite perimeter defense, makes the Wolves a formidable defensive unit. Since trading for Gobert, the Wolves have had a top-10 defense every year, including the highest-ranked defense from two seasons ago.

The only defensive issue with Gobert is maintaining defense without him. Gobert’s minus-22.9 on/off defensive swing ranks in the 99th percentile according to Cleaning the Glass. To put this absurd on/off swing into perspective, the Wolves have a defensive rating of 105.8 with Rudy on the field, which translates to the second-best defensive rating in the league, but when he is off the field, Minnesota has a DRTG of 128.8, which translates to the worst defense in the league.

As previously mentioned, Gobert’s rim protection makes the Wolves’ defensive plan work. Gobert is often used in trap coverage, so he doesn’t switch to the perimeter much. Still, it’s certainly nice that Gobert can defend in isolation when necessary.

It’s a remarkable achievement that Gobert can maintain his stellar defense into his 30s.

There’s no denying that Gobert’s elite rim protection, combined with his on/off numbers and underrated switchability, make him one of the league’s best defenders. Victor Wembanyama’s eligibility is in jeopardy due to the matches played, so Gobert could well be on track to win a record fifth DPOY.