Rudy Gobert Predicted to Achieve Record-Tying Feat
By Peter Dewey
Rudy Gobert is projected to make history in the 2021-22 NBA season.
Gobert, who’s won three of the NBA’s last four Defensive Player of the Year awards, is the betting favorite at WynnBET to capture the award next season at +225 odds.
If Gobert takes home his fourth Defensive Player of the Year, he would tie Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace for the most in NBA history.
Odds to Win NBA Defensive Player of the Year
- Rudy Gobert: +225
- Ben Simmons: +350
- Anthony Davis: +400
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: +500
- Myles Turner: +700
- Joel Embiid: +800
- Bam Adebayo: +1200
- Draymond Green: +1700
- Jrue Holiday: +2000
- Matisse Thybulle: +2000
- Deandre Ayton: +3000
- Clint Capela: +3000
- Paul George: +3000
- Mitchell Robinson: +3000
- Jarrett Allen: +4000
- Jimmy Butler: +4000
- Marcus Smart: +4000
Gobert is one of the NBA’s best shot blockers, and he led the league in total blocks last season with 190. Gobert also led the NBA in defensive win shares last season (5.2) while posting an impressive 2.5 defensive box plus/minus and a 100.9 defensive rating.
The Defensive Player of the Year award has been dominated by big men in the past few decades, as every winner since the 1996-97 season (when Mutombo won the award) has either been a forward or a center.
Kawhi Leonard and Metta World Peace (also known as Ron Artest) were the only wings to win the award in the past 25 years, but both players primarily play the small forward position.
Gary Payton was the last guard to take home the honors, and while Simmons is considered a guard, his size resembles that of many of the game’s forwards. Simmons had a chance to break the trend this past season, but he was unable to beat out Gobert, and oddsmakers think that’s likely to happen again.
Gobert was exposed in the playoffs by the Los Angeles Clippers last season when they went to a smaller lineup, but the Utah Jazz have a strong game plan that they can usually follow with Gobert playing rim-protector extraordinaire.
Unless teams are better at disrupting the Jazz’s defensive strategy and forcing Gobert to play more on the perimeter, he’s likely in line to average over two blocks per game for the eighth consecutive season.
Can Rudy Gobert make history? Get in on the action with the WynnBET app.