Post by Rog on Apr 30, 2018 11:21:34 GMT
The 120th nominee for the NBN Hall of Fame, Rudy Gobert, was a defensive and rebounding monster. The league has a shoddy history with these type of bigs and the Hall of Fame, but Gobert was historically good, similar to Drummond. Does Gobert follow Drummond's footsteps into the NBN Hall of Fame, or does he fall just short? Lets take a look.
Career Stats
31.8 MPG, 11.5 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 3.0 BPG, 1.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.2 TOPG on 43.2% from the field and 62.3% from the line
Best Season
Grizzlies(2020) - 16.1 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 3.4 BPG, 2.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 2.7 TOPG on 47.6% from the field and 62.2% from the line
Career Highs
Points: 45
Rebounds: 29
Assists: 7
Steals: 6
Blocks: 10
Achievements
Championships: 0
Player of the Game: 53
Player of the Week: 0
Player of the Month: 0
Double Doubles: 632
Triple Doubles: 1
Career Leaderboard Rankings
Rebounds - 10th
Blocks - 7th
Awards
2013 - All-Star Rookie Game Participant
2013 - All-Rookie Second Team
2017 - All-Defensive Second Team
2020 - All-Star Game Participant
2020 - All-Star Game MVP
2020 - Defensive Player of the Year
2020 - All-Defensive Team
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Arguments For Induction
- Gobert played in one All-Star Game in his career where he was named All-Star Game MVP as well. He also was named to one All-Defensive Second Team and one All-Defensive First team, the first team in a season where he won Defensive Player of the Year. Several awards, just not a ton.
- As said, Gobert was an elite rebounder and defender. First his defense. As said above he showed his dominance defensively by winning a DPOTY in 2020. He averaged 4 stocks per game, 3 blocks and 1 steal, over the course of his career. He had 10 seasons in a row where he averaged over 3 blocks per game in the middle of of his career, and had 11 such seasons. He also regularly showed up on the best defenders list in the prime of his career, proving it wasn't just flashy blocks and steals that made him look good, he was actually a great fundamental defender. He is currently 7th All Time in blocks as well, tough to get so high in a stat and not be a Hall of Famer, right?
- And his rebounding was just as elite. His career average of 12.3 doesn't seem incredibly impressive but remember he played 17 seasons and had four seasons at the end of his career where he just wasn't all that great anymore. But he had 9 seasons, including 8 in a row, where he averaged over 13.2 rebounds per game. Five of those seasons in a row he averaged 13.5 or more, including 2 over 14 a game. A guy with his limitations you need to really excel at what he does well, and Gobert was among the best all time, finishing 10th in rebounds as well.
- While not an amazing offensive player, he proved on many occasions he wasn't a total liability there. He averaged 11 points and nearly 2 assists on his career, numbers that aren't amazing but point to a guy who could do quite a bit for ou. He even had a few seasons over 16 points a game, and spent most of his prime in the 12 to 13.5 range. He also shot 43.2% for his career, which sounds awful if you know modern basketball, but is not bad for a defensive center in FBB. Just not a bad offensive guy, not one to hurt you anyway.
- Gobert has two stats top 10 All Time, normally to me that is a lock for Hall of Fame. His offense leaves a lot to be desired, but when you are as good as Gobert was in two key categories, the two most important categories for a big, its hard to say no. He doesn't compare well to Drummond, given the lack of awards, but hes the next step below and Drummond to me was EASILY a Hall of Famer. He didn't kill you anywhere, but was a stud where he was good. The guy carried defenses, and to me that is Hall of Fame Worthy.
Arguments Against Induction
- He really does fall short awards wise, despite how spread out they are. He was great defensively, but only has two defensive awards to his name? That just isn't okay. Plus of course no player of the weeks or months, and only 53 player of of the games to his name. I know FBB is PG biased, but there should be something there, no?
- No titles. There is some that say guys with substandard free throw percentages can hold a team back from that, is 62% too low and did Gobert hold those amazing Grizzly teams back with his turnovers and free throw shooting? Oh yeah, he averaged 2.2 turnovers a game. That is a major issue for a guy who doesn't score all that well. He even had seasons over 2.5 a game, including one where he averaged 3.8 per contest. Yuck.
- His offensive game really was putrid. I know FBB hurts bigs FG% that just should be shooting but for whatever do, but it still happens and he still only shot 43% from the field. Why is my defensive monster center taking 10 shots a game when he clearly isn't skilled there? And he had a sub 1 to 1 assist to turnover ratio with 1.9 assists and 2.2 turnovers per game on his career. He couldn't even average more assists than turnovers to at least be somewhat useful offensively. There just wasn't any skill here, his points came on put backs and dunks, that it.
- As good as he was defensively and on the boards, a guy with Gobert's flaws in his case should go the way of Scott Pollard, who has actual awards and better defensive ability than Gobert. No title, no crazy awards to stand on, and a lack of true statistical dominance, even in the areas he was great in. Top 10 All-Time stats are great, but with the limitations Gobert possessed, you'd like to see top 5 stats from those areas, and Gobert misses that mark. Its tough to see a place where Gobert should be a Hall of Famer, given his case. Your call.
Vote carefully, and remember to throw out arguments regardless of which side you're on. This should be a discussion that eventually gets the league to the proper decision on him. Your vote can also be retracted after it's been cast if you feel like switching to the other side based on the arguments that have been made. To be inducted, a player needs 70% and to be considered in a later class they need 50%. Vote carefully.
***BONUS - Don't forget that everyone who votes gets $25 and the person that makes the best argument or contributes to the discussion the best will be awarded an extra $25***
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