Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo May Not Be DPOY, But Rudy Gobert Isn’t Either
By Eric Fritts
Miami Heat: Even Outside Of Bam, Does Gobert Have Great ‘Overall Impact’?
Let’s be clear, Gobert is a very talented individual but his ability to be schemed against speaks to how much he functions within that team dynamic. Granted, the Jazz defense is designed around him and doesn’t work without him.
They force the offense to make bad decisions, knowing they can depend on Rudy Gobert to be that last great barrier, so it works to his advantage. It takes a very special player to anchor a defense like that, but basketball is a dynamic sport and players need to be malleable.
It seems Gobert’s skill centers around how the team functions and works when spread out over an 82-game season, but when things slow down in the playoffs, what he provides doesn’t really hold up to the same level.
Related Story. Heat’s Two ’25 Under 25ers’ In Current Playoff Core. light
The impact just isn’t the same.
Defense is a team skill but some schemes can give us individual moments as well, which is also important. The NBA has many skilled isolation scorers, so being a skilled isolation defender then has value as well—again, such as the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo (sensing a theme here?).
Teams might choose to fight or hedge certain offensive actions because they want their lockdown guy marking that iso scorer, such as the Miami Heat with any of their many elite defenders, especially Bam though. Now think about it, if your Defensive Player Of The Year isn’t taking any of those assignments, is he what you think of when you think of that award?
Maybe. For me though, probably not.