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SALT LAKE CITY — Rudy Gobert may not have won his third straight Defensive Player of the Year this season, but make no mistake: He’s still among the elite defenders in the game.
On Tuesday, the Utah Jazz center was named to All-NBA Defensive First Team. It‘s the fourth straight season Gobert has earned the recognition.
Gobert is the only Jazz player ever to be named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team four times. Karl Malone and Mark Eaton both were selected to the team three times in their respective careers.
During the 2019-20 campaign, Gobert ranked third in defensive win shares (4.2) and fifth in total win shares (10.7). He contested 16.4 shots per contest — the second most in the league.
Gobert joined 2020 Defensive Player of the Year, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, and L.A. Lakers’ Anthony Davis, Boston’s Marcus Smart, and Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons on the team.
Gobert received the fourth most votes (180) behind Antetokounmpo (195), Davis (187), and Simmons (195).
Gobert was named an All-Star for the first time in his career this season. He averaged 15.1 points, 13.5 rebounds (a career-high), and 2.0 blocks (sixth in NBA). His 13.5 rebounds per game was the second-best rebounding average in Jazz franchise history and the most since the 1977-78 season.
