This season, Rudy Gobert is 2nd in the NBA, averaging 2.8 blocks.
When the NBA released the second fan returns of All-Star Voting 2021 presented by AT&T last week, two players were conspicuously absent from the Top 10 at their respective positions.
Both of them are part of leading contenders. They both have their All-Star credentials, so it would be incorrect to see either of them as a long shot or an afterthought. Both are experiencing seasons that are as good as, if not better than, their previous ones.
Despite their prominence, Rudy Gobert and Ben Simmons were missing from the top 10 players in their respective positions – frontcourt in the Western Conference and backcourt in the Eastern Conference – after two weeks of vote counting. Surprisingly, Simmons’ ranking fell from the 10th spot after the first week to a lower position in the updated totals.
This strongly emphasizes a point: Offense is more attractive, while defense is seen as less appealing.
Gobert and Simmons are distinguished defenders in the NBA, recognized for their significant roles on the defensive end of the floor, a term frequently used amongst basketball coaches. They are also key offensive players, with Gobert making significant contributions to the Utah Jazz and Simmons to the Philadelphia 76ers.
However, their true strength lies in defense, and unfortunately, they cannot receive more All-Star balloting affection compared to players like Andrew Wiggins, Christian Wood, Collin Sexton, Russell Westbrook (2020-21 version), or at least 16 other players in their positions.
It’s almost like an updated version of the old baseball saying from 60 or 70 years ago, “Home run hitters drive Cadillacs, singles hitters drive Fords.” Or MLB’s 1999 variation (now considered embarrassing, in the wake of steroids scandals), “Chicks dig the long ball” bit.
In the current NBA scene, fans undoubtedly love 3-pointers, which are being scored from all corners and by everyone. It’s not like the automotive world where NBA contract holders can choose any car they desire. One fact is unquestionable: Scoring is what boosts ratings and attracts attention.
Reflect on this: Last week, the 10 players who were leading in their positions as penciled-in starters – with three in each frontcourt, two in each backcourt, and five from each conference – eight were among the Top 10 in scoring average per game. All 10 players were ranked in the Top 16, with LeBron James, who received the most votes, holding the 16th position with an average of 25.5 points per game.
The second returns for #NBAAllStar Voting presented by AT&T!
VOTE NOW on https://t.co/LJPDRHEugp, the NBA App or on Twitter using #NBAAllStar #FirstNameLastName.
️: https://t.co/CXy9KEYXBe pic.twitter.com/Gv5wGSY55I
— NBA (@NBA) February 11, 2021
From a certain perspective, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. All-Star Games are essentially about scoring, and scoring is the most reliable way to fame in this league. Besides, people have their preferences when they vote.
Despite many people considering All-Star invitations as rewards for outstanding half-seasons, victories, or a growing track record of basketball success, Gobert and Simmons who certainly meet these criteria, surprisingly, cannot break into the Top 10s.
They must need more than just Simmons’ single 3-point field goal between them.
And given how much they share, maybe Simmons shouldn’t have gotten so, er, offensive about Gobert’s defense Monday night after scoring a career-high 42 against Utah (“I loved it when I saw Rudy was guarding me. … I felt like it was a little bit of a disrespect putting him on me.”). The Jazz, who went with that matchup when Sixers center Joel Embiid did not play, still won the game, after all.
Here are some statistical categories where the two defensive virtuosos excel:
Simmons, a two-time All-Star as well as an All-Defensive Team selection and steals champ in 2019-20, ranked fourth in steals per game (1.7) through weekend action. He was first in deflections per game (4.1) and second in total deflections (98). The 6-foot-11 point guard also was second in loose balls recovered per game (1.5) and overall (36).
Then there’s Gobert, the NBA’s Kia Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019 and, finally, a 2020 All-Star. He ranked first in defensive rebounds per game (9.8) and third overall (13.4). Second in blocks at 2.8 per game. His defensive rating (98.7) topped all NBA regulars and he ranked fourth in net rating (14.2).
The “Stifle Tower” was second in contested 2-point shots per game (11.6), per NBA.com stats, and third in contested shots overall (14.5 twos and threes). And among centers or forward/centers defending at least 10 shots per game, Gobert ranked first (18.1) and third in defended field-goal percentage, with opponents shooting 41.9% with the Jazz big man focused on them.
All of which helps to explain what we’re doing here. We already have the Kia Race To The MVP Ladder here, as well as the Kia Rookie Ladder to track the season-long jockeying for recognition among the league’s most valuable players and top newcomers. It seems appropriate that if we truly value the other half of the game, as we’re instructed constantly by coaches and many players, we have a regular round-up of some of the NBA’s best at thwarting all that marvelous scoring.
The task of acknowledging or overlooking excellent defenders like Gobert and Simmons as All-Stars will be left to the conference coaches when they vote for All-Star reserves. Though analytics and its most passionate advocates admit their limitations in extracting numbers that truly represent the defensive influence of individuals in a team sport, we will reference but not completely rely on statistics.
We aim to determine the success of both bigs and perimeter players, a challenge that NBA Defensive Player of the Year voters face. We will be looking at different factors, ranging from one-on-one lockdowns to win-loss records, and many things in between – including standout plays or specific box score figures.
We aim to prioritize current productivity over reputation, though not exclusively or consistently. Also, we’ll be considering weekly nominees from our readers, who might have witnessed an impressive display of defensive prowess that we may have overlooked.
There probably will be tweaks to the process and the product as we go, the way a pilot episode roughs out rather than immediately nails the eventual sitcom (remember “The Seinfeld Chronicles?”).
Temporarily setting aside the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo (the current Kia Defensive Player of the Year), Kawhi Leonard (2-time Defensive Player of the Year), Draymond Green (2017 Defensive Player of the Year), Bam Adebayo, Patrick Beverley, Marcus Smart, Jrue Holiday, and numerous others who might emerge in the coming weeks, we present the initial Top 5 for the 2020-21 Defensive Player Ladder:
(All stats through Monday, Feb. 15)
1. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Understanding Gobert’s defensive influence is not easy. Honestly, he excels at everything he does. This is evident in the statistics mentioned earlier. His presence on the court gives his four Utah teammates a sense of security, knowing that he is there to rectify their errors. He also discourages opponents from taking shots or making drives, reminding them that he stands between them, the ball, and the basket. Also, he is currently leading the league in dunks this season, punishing others in a way he seldom lets happen to him.
when you think you have rudy beat: no you don't#NBAAllStar | @rudygoberty27 pic.twitter.com/BoyWSgeQ4o
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) February 3, 2021
2. Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
It wasn’t just Monday that Simmons dissed Gobert as a defensive frat brother. Early in the NBA shutdown last March, he took a drive-by swipe at the Jazz center while immersed in some video gaming. Hey, just like people bring different definitions to the word “valuable” when casting votes or forming opinions about MVP candidates, “defender” can be just as nebulous. The 6-foot-10 Simmons has the skills, height and inclination to tackle any defensive assignment, making nights miserable for individual scorers compared to Gobert making them long for entire teams.
Defense ⟶ Offense@BenSimmons25 x #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/6PtYyVwkln
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 13, 2021
3. Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
Indiana’s center led the league two seasons ago in blocked shots and blocks per game, and he’s right back there at the top this season with 90 total and a career-best 3.46 per game. That’s the third-highest average in the past 13 seasons, trailing only Hassan Whiteside’s 3.68 in 2015-16 and Serge Ibaka’s 3.65 in 2011-12. Turner and fellow Pacers big Domantas Sabonis have learned to play in tandem, proving naysayers wrong and enabling Sabonis to put up All-Star worthy numbers while Turner handles dirtier work.
️️
MYLES
SHOULD
BE
DPOY@Original_Turner | #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/tenuS8PmbT— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) February 16, 2021
4. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
He might slip off this list for a bit as he nurses his calf/Achilles back to health. So think of this as planting a flag before he goes for Davis, based on his body of work so far in 2020-21 and for the Lakers’ rank as the top team overall in defensive rating (105.1 points allowed per 100 possessions). There’s as big a gap in that category between them and No. 2 Utah (107.4) as there is from Utah to No. 9 San Antonio (109.7). Davis’ ability to guard all five spots if needed, while protecting the rim most nights, explains his second-place finish in DPOY voting last season — as well as why the Lakers will miss him so much as he recuperates for a few weeks from his calf injury/Achilles scare.
That Anthony Davis swat. That LeBron James finish. #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/XlzrHAVOhI
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 5, 2021
5. Lugentz Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder
Dort is here in the inaugural Ladder as a rep for all those players who have made and can make defense their calling card, as they work on the rest of their games. On the night last month when Dort stole the ball six times from Chicago, he also scored 21 points with eight rebounds. On Valentine’s Day against the Bucks, Dort had 19 points, seven boards and two steals. And as a 3-and-D guy, he has hit at least one from the arc in 21 of his 25 appearances. OKC has contested the most shots per game (64.7), grabbed the second-most clutch time steals (12) and rank eighth in recovering 3.4 loose ball defensively. This guy sets the tone for that.
ALWAYS BATTLING
ALWAYS ONWARD@ThunderUp | @luthebeast pic.twitter.com/0ETJjjllaV— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 11, 2021
* * *
Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.
