Jazz star Rudy Gobert is runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year
Jazz • Center is runner-up to Green for Defensive Player of the Year, finishes third in voting for Most Improved.
1 of 14Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) throws down a dunk during game 5 of the the Jazz versu
Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) throws down a dunk during game 5 of the the Jazz versus Clippers NBA playoff game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Tuesday April 25, 2017.
Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) throws down a dunk during game 5 of the the Jazz versuSteve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) holds the ball up as LA Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Jazz C Rudy Gobert speaks at the Jazz practice facility, Thursday, April 27, 2017.Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Jazz C Rudy Gobert speaks at the Jazz practice facility, Thursday, April 27, 2017.Steve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) blocks the path of Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis AntetoSteve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) slams down a lob pass from Boris Diaw during NBA game agaRick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) is congratulated by Rudy Gobert (27) after Hayward put Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Omri Casspi (18) fouls Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) duChris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Omri Casspi (18) fouls Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) duChris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) and Utah Jazz centChris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) dunks past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Kris Dunn (3) duChris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) shoots past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Omri Casspi (Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) dives for the ball during the Jazz versus Clippers NBASteve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) slams the ball during the Jazz versus Clippers NBA pla
Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) throws down a dunk during game 5 of the the Jazz versus Clippers NBA playoff game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Tuesday April 25, 2017.Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) holds the ball up as LA Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) chases Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) during game 5 of the the Jazz versus Clippers NBA playoff game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Tuesday April 25, 2017.Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Jazz C Rudy Gobert speaks at the Jazz practice facility, Thursday, April 27, 2017.Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune
Jazz C Rudy Gobert speaks at the Jazz practice facility, Thursday, April 27, 2017.Steve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) blocks the path of Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during NBA game at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City Wednesday February 1, 2017.Steve Griffin / The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) slams down a lob pass from Boris Diaw during NBA game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City Wednesday February 1, 2017.Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) is congratulated by Rudy Gobert (27) after Hayward put the Jazz ahead with a 3 point shot, in NBA action Utah Jazz vs. LA Clippers, in Salt Lake City, Monday, March 13, 2017.Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Omri Casspi (18) fouls Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) during the game at Vivint Smart Home Arena Friday, April 7, 2017.Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Omri Casspi (18) fouls Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) during the game at Vivint Smart Home Arena Friday, April 7, 2017.Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) and Utah Jazz center Boris Diaw (33) walk off of the court during the game at Vivint Smart Home Arena Friday, April 7, 2017.Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) dunks past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Kris Dunn (3) during the game at Vivint Smart Home Arena Friday, April 7, 2017.Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) shoots past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Omri Casspi (18) during the game at Vivint Smart Home Arena Friday, April 7, 2017.Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) dives for the ball during the Jazz versus Clippers NBA playoff game at Viviint Smart Home arena in Salt Lake City Sunday April 23, 2017.Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) slams the ball during the Jazz versus Clippers NBA playoff game at Viviint Smart Home arena in Salt Lake City Sunday April 23, 2017.
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Monday's inaugural NBA awards show went as expected for Rudy Gobert as the Utah Jazz center, a finalist for two individual awards, came up empty on both.
The NBA's Most Improved Player award went to Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who went from a project taken in the 2013 draft to arguably one of the top 10 players in the league. Gobert finished a distant third behind Antetokounmpo and Denver's Nikola Jokic.
The Defensive Player of the Year award went to Golden State's Draymond Green, the versatile power forward who was a critical piece to the Warriors' championship run. Gobert finished second ahead of San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard, but Green ran away with the award, finishing with almost 200 more points than Gobert.
Jazz coach Quin Snyder finished sixth in voting for Coach of the Year. The award went to Houston's Mike D'Antoni, who guided the Rockets to a third-place finish in the Western Conference. Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey finished third in Executive of the Year voting.
Monday's show capped the season for Gobert, who broke through in his fourth season as a pro by averaging 14.0 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots per game.
Gobert led the league in defensive plus-minus, defensive rating and defensive win shares. He led the league in blocked shots. He allowed opponents to shoot 42 percent with him as the primary defender. He was first in blocks percentage.
Gobert turned 25 on Monday, and began the day by making the NBA's first team all-defense, his first such league honor. By making all-defense, he earned bonuses factored into the contract extension he agreed to last October that kicks in on Friday.
