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Anthony Davis and Rudy Gobert are going head-to-head for the second time this season on Saturday. The LA Lakers are in Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves in the marquee showdown for tonight’s schedule. LA lost 118-111 to Minnesota in the first meeting between the two teams.
How Davis and Gobert impact their respective teams, particularly on the defensive end will be key in this game. AD and the Frenchman are two of the best in anchoring defenses throughout their careers. They are two of the top contenders for the Defensive Player of the Year award yet again.
Davis, however, hasn’t won the said award. Gobert, meanwhile, already has three on his resume. With roughly two months of basketball over, a head-to-head comparison between the two stars’ defensive performance can already be evaluated.
Anthony Davis may be ahead of Rudy Gobert in the DPOY race
Four categories have a major impact in naming the winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award. Rim percentage allowed, contested shots per game, rebounds and blocks are important metrics in the DPOY race.
Before Saturday’s game between the LA Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves, here’s how Anthony Davis and Rudy Gobert stack up against each other:
Based on the four categories, it looks like AD is a few steps ahead of Gobert. One thing going for the Frenchman is the Minnesota Timberwolves rank in defensive rating. The Timberwolves (108.1) lead the NBA in that category while the LA Lakers are 9th (112.8).
It’s no secret that Rudy Gobert anchors the Timberwolves defense so how his team is doing on that end will also be taken into account. Gobert leads all players in NBA defensive rating with 103.6 while AD is fifth with 107.4.
The season is still long and anything can change over that span. If both remain healthy, they will unquestionably be two of the top contenders for the award.
Anthony Davis dominated Rudy Gobert in the first quarter of Saturday’s game between the LA Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Davis ran rings around Rudy Gobert in the first quarter of tonight’s game between the LA Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves. AD had 17 points on 8-9 shots to go with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Davis got everything going on early but the Lakers only led 31-29 after the first quarter.
AD made a living within eight feet of the basket. Despite Gobert’s size, length and defensive anticipation, the Lakers big man just had his way against the Frenchman.
Minnesota can live with Anthony Davis’ explosion as long as the rest of the Lakers are contained. Gobert may still have something to say before the game is over.
