Dwight vs Gobert, is anyone taking Gobert defensively? Prime vs Prime

[rawimpact]

No one can be that dumb right?

[Im Still Ballin]

Gobert was bigger and more disciplined. Howard had a bad habit of goal-tending and swatting shots out of bounds. It hurt his ability to lower the opponent's shooting percentages. I remember reading he goal tended like 1/3 block attempts or something.

The advanced statistics, play-by-play data, and player tracking numbers say Rudy is the better defender. Check RAPM, on-court and on-off DRtg, and one-number metrics.

The only area where Dwight has an advantage is playoff career opponent-adjusted on-court DRtg. But I imagine shooting variance has a big part to play, and Rudy's 2024 mark was higher than any of Dwight's.

Rudy's more consistent and, therefore, is on average the better defender. However, Dwight's volatility aside, his best may be just as good if not better. He was more athletic, sporting a 40" vertical, superior speed, and quickness. Could reach 12'6".

[Xiao Yao You]

Gobert was bigger and more disciplined. Howard had a bad habit of goal-tending and swatting shots out of bounds. It hurt his ability to lower the opponent's shooting percentages. I remember reading he goal tended like 1/3 block attempts or something.

The advanced statistics, play-by-play data, and player tracking numbers say Rudy is the better defender. Check RAPM, on-court and on-off DRtg, and one-number metrics.

The only area where Dwight has an advantage is playoff career opponent-adjusted on-court DRtg. But I imagine shooting variance has a big part to play, and Rudy's 2024 mark was higher than any of Dwight's.

Rudy's more consistent and, therefore, is on average the better defender. However, Dwight's volatility aside, his best may be just as good if not better. He was more athletic, sporting a 40" vertical, superior speed, and quickness. Could reach 12'6".

Trolls arent going to like your take. They hate facts. Gobert was taller and longer not bigger. Gobert also played a much tougher schedule in the west than howard did beating up on the east

[SouBeachTalents]

Dwight was easily the better defender and by a greater margin the better player, not close really.

[Xiao Yao You]

Toldvya. Trills coming in strong as always. 🤣

What are howards numbers in space,m still mostly a drop big in his era i imagine

[Xiao Yao You]

Pesky facts and this is from 2018 long before gobert peaked

https://www.slcdunk.com/2018/8/30/17798890/rudy-gobert-better-than-as-good-as-prime-dwight-howard-utah-jazz-orlando-magic-dpoy-wizards

[Xiao Yao You]

The year Howard finished second in MVP voting (2011), he racked up 14.4 Win Shares. Gobert had 14.3 in almost 200 fewer minutes in 2016-17. Let’s look at a few more numbers from those two campaigns, shall we?

[Xiao Yao You]

Howard averaged 14.8 rebounds per 75 possessions that season (close to per 36 minutes, but this way we can account for pace). In 2016-17, Gobert averaged 14.9 rebounds per 75 possessions. If we want to take it beyond just those seasons, Howard’s Rebounding Percentage through five seasons is identical to Gobert’s through five (which is all he’s played).

[Xiao Yao You]

Howard’s 2009 run to the Finals. Orlando beat the Philadelphia 76ers in Round 1, a team that had a whopping 18 fewer wins than the Magic in the regular season. Then, the Magic squeaked by the Boston Celtics, who were without Kevin Garnett, in seven games. Boston’s Net Rating was 10.7 points better with Garnett on the floor that regular season. And finally, Orlando then beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, before LeBron James had been humbled by Dirk Nowitzki in 2011 (a career-altering series for LeBron, in my opinion). Cleveland’s leading scorers in that series after LeBron? Mo Williams, Delonte West, 33-year-old Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao. To no one’s surprise, Orlando then suffered the gentlemen’s sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers.

[Xiao Yao You]

I could stop there, but let’s compare that to what the Utah Jazz have had to face the last two seasons. Simple Rating System takes a team’s strength of schedule and adds it to point differential. The 2009 Magic had a 6.48 SRS. In 2017, Utah was eliminated by the Warriors, a team that had an 11.35 SRS (fourth all time). The next year, the Jazz were eliminated by a Houston Rockets squad that had an 8.21 SRS (27th all time).

[Xiao Yao You]

Moving on to the “defensive accolades” portion of the argument. Yes, following his fifth season, Gobert won his first Defensive Player of the Year. Putting aside Gobert running away with Defensive Real Plus-Minus in each of the last two seasons, Dwight’s first DPOY also came in Year 5.

[Xiao Yao You]

Here’s Gobert in Years 2 through 5: 14.2 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals per 75 possessions, .644 True Shooting Percentage, 5 Box Plus-Minus, .211 Win Shares per 48 Minutes.

[Xiao Yao You]

Among players with at least 4,000 minutes over the last four years, Rudy ranks 11th in Box Plus-Minus and ninth in Win Shares per 48 Minutes. Because he doesn’t play the way the typical NBA fan wants him to (or is used to), he’s almost never put in top-10 or top-15 conversations. But that’s exactly the kind of impact he has. Make a direct swap of 2017 Gobert and 2011 Dwight and there’s a good chance the former would’ve been in the conversation Magic B.I.G3 szn ⬆️ needs him to be in to consider this rational comparison.

[Xiao Yao You]

I can only imagine what gobertvwould have done in the east with 4 shooters around him like hoqard had

[SouBeachTalents]

:roll:

It's amazing he can't perceive how crazy he comes across.

[Xiao Yao You]

Trolls cant respond to facts

[Proctor]

Scorer: Dwight
Offensive arsenal: Dwight
Screening: Dwight
Passing: Dwight
Offensive rebounding: Dwight
Defensive rebounding: Dwight
Steals: Dwight

Really can't think of anything Gobert ever did better than him. Past prime Dwight stacks up pretty favorably with peak Rudy as well.

[RRR3]

Scorer: Dwight
Offensive arsenal: Dwight
Screening: Dwight
Passing: Dwight
Offensive rebounding: Dwight
Defensive rebounding: Dwight
Steals: Dwight

Really can't think of anything Gobert ever did better than him. Past prime Dwight stacks up pretty favorably with peak Rudy as well.
Rudy was definitely better at free throws.

[warriorfan]

:roll:

It's amazing he can't perceive how crazy he comes across.

:roll: :roll: :roll:

not gonna lie he makes be burst out laughing a decent amount

dude is totally insane

he just literally pulled a 10x post. I can’t even lmao

[ArbitraryWater]

Dwight is twice the defender tbh

[Xiao Yao You]

Scorer: Dwight
Offensive arsenal: Dwight
Screening: Dwight
Passing: Dwight
Offensive rebounding: Dwight
Defensive rebounding: Dwight
Steals: Dwight

Really can't think of anything Gobert ever did better than him. Past prime Dwight stacks up pretty favorably with peak Rudy as well.

Gobert vs whiteside/monroe/garza would be a better comparison. Come on troll. We expect more from you :facepalm

[Xiao Yao You]

Dwight is twice the defender tbh

The facts tell a different story but who cares right?

[ArbitraryWater]

The facts tell a different story but who cares right?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2yBy-EqnU&ab_channel=NBA

[Meticode]

Dwight Howard for me personally is the better overall defender. He covers more holes and in his prime he was way better offensively than Gobert ever has been minus free throw shooting..

[MrFonzworth]

Xiao catching bodies it:applause:

[Hoon]

He’s not fun to watch like Dwight was, but his rim protection and impact in the paint are crazy.

[Xiao Yao You]

Draymond Green: The matchup for me is LeBron James versus Julius Randle because the way Bron plays today isn’t the way he played with this new Laker team. So he’s going to put Julius in a lot of actions. I know early in the year that was kind of the knock on the Timberwolves was that could they get Julius to guard, I think he picked it up on that side of the ball but now Bron is going to try to expose Julius on the defensive end.

The trolls will blame gobert regardless. If he cant guard 5 guys by himself the trolls will have a heyday :facepalm

[warriorfan]

Draymond Green: The matchup for me is LeBron James versus Julius Randle because the way Bron plays today isn’t the way he played with this new Laker team. So he’s going to put Julius in a lot of actions. I know early in the year that was kind of the knock on the Timberwolves was that could they get Julius to guard, I think he picked it up on that side of the ball but now Bron is going to try to expose Julius on the defensive end.

The trolls will blame gobert regardless. If he cant guard 5 guys by himself the trolls will have a heyday :facepalm

https://media1.tenor.com/m/RUJokzj0C2gAAAAC/speak-english-pulp-fiction.gif

https://images.steamusercontent.com/ugc/1048723023217977036/FBC61BCC009895F5E08823EFFA0142E3594CB56D/?imw=5000&imh=5000&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=false

[999Guy]

Would honestly prefer Rudy pre-space and pace. Howard is better in Rudy’s era, Tudy is better in Howard’s era for sure IMO. Purely defensively.

[Xiao Yao You]

Would honestly prefer Rudy pre-space and pace. Howard is better in Rudy’s era, Tudy is better in Howard’s era for sure IMO. Purely defensively.

Howard could guard in space? Would have been nice to see rudy with 4 shooters around him like howard had in orlando. Also playing in the weak conference would have been a boon for his career

[warriorfan]

During Dwight’s prime, Phil Jackson said he would draft Dwight over anyone in the league.

Wonder what he would have said about prime Rudy :lol

[Xiao Yao You]

During Dwight’s prime, Phil Jackson said he would draft Dwight over anyone in the league.

Wonder what he would have said about prime Rudy :lol
Phil also gave carmelo another max contract. Not the guy i want making the personnel decisions

[warriorfan]

Phil also gave carmelo another max contract. Not the guy i want making the personnel decisions

That was jackson after he went senile the jackson we are talking about was still winning back to back championships

[999Guy]

Howard could guard in space? Would have been nice to see rudy with 4 shooters around him like howard had in orlando. Also playing in the weak conference would have been a boon for his career

He was way more nimble than Gobert, with better hands. Pre-2012 back injury Dwight would be fine today against all the shooting.


But I do think Gobert in late 00s and early 10s spacing would be a serious problem.

[RRR3]

He was way more nimble than Gobert, with better hands. Pre-2012 back injury Dwight would be fine today against all the shooting.


But I do think Gobert in late 00s and early 10s spacing would be a serious problem.
On defense yes. But before the pace and space era Rudy would be used wrong on offense so his numbers would pretty horrid. like 10 PPG on way lower efficiency.

[Xiao Yao You]

Cant quit me!

[ImKobe]

Gobert would've been a more impactful defender in Dwight's era for sure.