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Does Gobert Get Exposed on the Perimeter in the Playoffs? Here are all the field goal attempts by perimeter players isolating on Gobert in the 2024 playoffs



Does Gobert Get Exposed on the Perimeter in the Playoffs? Here are all the field goal attempts by perimeter players isolating on Gobert in the 2024 playoffs



by JaderMcDanersStan

30 Comments

  1. Majestic-Net-7799

    Rudy’s defense wasnt the problem. Not even against the Mavs. His D was good all playoffs.

    His lack of offense is.

  2. JaderMcDanersStan

    CREDIT to u/WolvesClips and u/PitlessBall on twitter for compiling many of the clips that I merged together in this video.

    So does he get “exposed” by smaller players on the perimeter? You can decide for yourself. Humans naturally have confirmation bias and often generalize a few lowlights to create narratives which discounts all the other possessions. Looking at the whole sample provides a better picture.

    Note:

    1. IT’S **NOT** A HIGHLIGHT REEL. It’s showing all shot attempts (by perimeter players who iso-ed him) which includes lowlights and sometimes Gobert getting beat & the opponent missing. You’d see that variation for almost every defender if we showed *all* their iso D plays because no defender is perfect every play. I want to see the whole picture.
    2. There were many possessions where Gobert defended a perimeter player well, which caused that player to pass out ([like here](https://x.com/WolvesClips/status/1786899355804328243)), but it’s hard to find all of those and the video would get too long (contrary to popular belief). So I just included that clip and the rest is shot attempts. Ironically, Gobert did this to Luka just a few possessions before the Luka stepback but unfortunately no one remembers those good defensive possessions or it is too subtle for people to recognize.
    3. Pnr defense ([like this on Luka](https://x.com/WolvesClips/status/1793467254774104455)) also not included (may be another video). Just isolation D on perimeter players who attempted a shot. If there’s something that’s not isolation D, let me know.

    Overall my takeaway was there are certainly some possessions where Gobert gets outright beat, but most of the isolated possessions end with forcing the offensive player into a tough, low % shot and that, more often than not, leads to a stop. This could be by sticking with the player the whole way and forcing the tough shot himself or leading the player into a direction where there’s help D, so it becomes a tough shot.

    I REPEAT, IT’S **NOT** A HIGHLIGHT REEL. So if you’re wondering “why is Gobert getting beat included?” it’s because the video isn’t trying to show something good or bad, just every attempt. This video is actually missing a lot of highlights – all the times his perimeter defense made a player frantically pass out and not even attempt a shot.

  3. Friendly-Thought-973

    I hate DFG because alot of these are good looks that the offensive player just misses. It’s not very telling in small sample sizes.

    But yes, Gobert isn’t even close to the bottom of the league in terms of centers on the perimeter.

  4. Big_MAC113

    Honesty the Gobert hate is annoying on so many levels. Especially rookies and scrubs talking shit about him on pods. I love Lively. But sit your ass down little bro lol. Gobert with no bag still averages a double double with consistently good defense. Makes me wanna go to a game this season with some Gobert merch and a sign. And I live in ATL lol.

  5. Honestly don’t see why people hate on this man so much. He puts so much effort on defense and tries his hardest on the perimeter when they iso him.

    Shaq is a hater.

  6. COMMENTASIPLEASE

    I love the Gobert cycle of this sub loving him in the off season and regular season, then turning on him during the playoffs, then acting stupid and loving him again a few months into the off season.

  7. raylan_givens6

    the number of NBA players who get exposed in the playoffs is a long list

    suddenly all these guys think they’re MJ in the post season for some reason

  8. AirShoto

    The ones they made were incredibly tough too.

  9. MoooonRiverrrr

    This is so annoying. I don’t understand what people hate about this guy so much

  10. Lummypix

    They get a pretty low effort solid look on almost every shot lol. Just because they aren’t falling doesn’t mean it was good d. I feel like this exactly shows why he gets played off the court in a lot of series.

  11. xxxIAmTheSenatexxx

    I hate when people try to diminish his defensive ability by saying “well he gets targeted on the perimeter in the playoffs!”

    You mean teams try to get the best rim protector in the league *away* from the rim?? Shocker!

    And his perimeter defense isn’t even bad, he just doesn’t have a Rudy Gobert to funnel the ball handler to

  12. TakeMeDrunkImHome22

    Rudy Gobert is a fantastic rim protector, Possibly one of if not the greatest ever, hes so good that players dont even try layups as often as they otherwise would.

    However, I do think he is definitely overrated and overhated. What he does is really amazing but my problem with him is how useless he seems on offense. I believe it eats into his usefulness as a whole.

    There is also something to be said about how he is consistently on teams that underperform or have these meltdowns in the playoffs. It could be partly to do with his game or it could not I don’t know yet.

  13. Agreed_fact

    Perimeter players with a good first step (and KD) getting the Gobert switch only to drive inside where he becomes 10x more effective will never not amaze me. Brad Beal had the right idea, create space for open jumpers – unfortunately he couldn’t make the open jumpers he created.

  14. The Lively slander this coming season if the Mavs didn’t perform well would be astronomical lol.

  15. AdolCristian

    Gobert is the most unfairly hated player in the league, it makes no sense everyone act like he isn’t the all time great defender that he is.

    No, he doesn’t get exposed in the playoffs.

    And no, he isn’t a offensive liability, he is super efficient screen setter, rim runner, lob target and glass cleaner, it’s the paradise for anyone who like to play pick and roll.

    People talk about Rudy adding a post game but I think what would elevate his game is a short roll pass, if he could just receive the ball around the free throw line and pass to an open cutter (that Minnesota does not lack, the have size and athleticism at the wings), it would make things so much better.

    Draymond is a great offensive piece in the Warriors system, Rudy could fill a similar role if he had a better court vision.

  16. airemy_lin

    I think it’s hilarious how everyone hates this dude.

    Usually it’s either fans hate him and players love or at least respect him and vice versa.

    Rudy is legit hated by everyone.

  17. Aggravating-Swing836

    I mean doesn’t help NBA switches on everything now.

  18. VeniceRapture

    This sub should get its own DPOY award too for how much help defense it plays whenever Gobert is brought up

  19. Frontier21

    He looks awkward. I’m going to ignore this sequence and continue the hate. /s

  20. # This needs a repost from a user named “PSLGobert”

  21. Gobert4MVP

    Rudy should have more DPOYS if we’re being honest

  22. Luka’s game winner and game 5 Jokic ruined his rep.

  23. Digitooth

    Who did Gobert like piss in Adam Silvers cheerios or something? Why does he have a target on his back this week

  24. Valuable-Baked

    Luka put sunlight on perimeter Gobert

  25. breeding247

    The Rudy hate needs to stop, dirty player or not he’s a good defender.

  26. DrFartgoreShartsmith

    Rudy hate is hilarious. Cant tell you how many comment replies I got telling me my bloodline isn’t shit and my life is horrible because I simply think Theo Pinson’s opinion of Gobert is outlandish. People on r/NBA a little unhinged, I appreciate this video as vindication

  27. sanfranciscotolondon

    lol at how sheepish this sub is. check the comments on the luka shot over gobert and now this. 🐑

  28. BonoBeats

    A lot of these are just open looks that are missed .

  29. CocoDreamboat

    Look as a recovering Jazz fan I hate Gobert as the next person, but the conversation around him is completely wrong. The issue has never been his defense. I don’t know if he’s worth 4 DPOYs but he deserved at least some of those. No he isn’t the best 1-on-1 defender in the league, but he’s the best rim protector and the best team defense anchor in the league.

    The real issue is his offense which allows opponents to use different lineups that then create issues on defense. Team will play 5 out which generally means smaller. Against most big men that would give the big an advantage on offense. But because Gobert has no offense outside of screening (which he’s superb at), it actually creates a disadvantage because now the other team just switches everything and outside of defending against lobs can largely play 5 on 4.

    So because Gobert can’t punish the defense when they go small, they now have a smaller, faster team on the other end of the floor. They will be able to penetrate into the lane somewhere, draw in Gobert, and then kick it to someone open. Gobert was a bit unlucky during the Jazz years that the perimeter defense, particularly from guards, was abysmal. Conley was hurt, or Mitchell was hurt or disinterested, or the other guards were just bad. Defense collapsed easily, Gobert had to abandon a shooter, easy buckets. Gobert gets the blame because he’s the one who rotates over, and the Jazz were horrific at defensive rotations, or were coached to stay home.

    The Terance Mann game for example, Gobert was on him intentionally since the Jazz wanted to make him be the one to beat them. Gobert would help off him and nobody would rotate, and he has a buffet of open looks. Is that Gobert’s fault? I’d argue it was a mix of coaching and him being the one that rotates. If he just stayed on Mann he would’ve had a quiet night but the Jazz would’ve been giving up layups left and right. The blueprint for this had actually been created years earlier by Houston. Harden would get past Rubio or whoever easily, Gobert would help, Capela would get an easy lob. Teams saw that and said “let’s just put a shooter in the corner instead of a big in the dunker spot” and it worked because Gobert can’t back down someone six inches shorter than him in the paint on the other end of the floor.

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