Timberwolves’ Chris Finch calls out disrespect for Rudy Gobert after DPOY snub

On Tuesday night, the NBA announced that Victor Wembanyama won what many assume would be the first of many Defensive Player of the Year awards in his up-and-coming career. Wembanyama was instrumental in leading the San Antonio Spurs back to the playoffs — with the Spurs posting the third-best defense in the NBA this past regular season. But on Monday night, Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert showed that he should have been considered more for the award than he was.

Gobert always seems to rise to the occasion every time he comes up against Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, and his value couldn’t have been any clearer to the casual fan than on Monday when he slowed down the three-time MVP in the Timberwolves’ 119-114 victory.

Jokic still did stuff the stat sheet (24 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists), but Gobert frustrated him to an 8-20 night from the field. The Timberwolves continue to show that they have one of the best matchups against the Nuggets because of Gobert’s presence, and head coach Chris Finch couldn’t be any more complimentary of his starting center — blasting everyone who’s shown so much disrespect towards Gobert over the years.

“It’s a joke that he wasn’t a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year… I thought it was incredibly disrespectful… It’s just laughable and small-minded and petty all the crap that people decide to give Rudy,” Finch said in his postgame presser, via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.

Indeed, Gobert didn’t even finish in the top-three of the DPOY voting; the Timberwolves big man finished fourth behind Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, and Ausar Thompson.

Perhaps this is just another case of voter’s fatigue, as he has won the DPOY award four times in his storied career. Be that as it may, Gobert is letting his game do the talking anyway, and the Nuggets have to be very wary of him moving forward in their first-round matchup.

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