ESPN does its NBA Rank annually during the offseason in which they name who they believe will be the top 100 players for the upcoming year. The 2025 list continued today (September 24) with players #50-11. Two Timberwolves are included in that 40-player group. One of those is Rudy Gobert who came in at #49.
Rudy Gobert 15 spots from last year's rankings
Now 33 years old, it seems as if ESPN believes that Gobert will show a slight decline in the 2025-26 season. That is evidenced by his 15-spot drop from last year’s list when The Stifle Tower came in at #34.
Last season, which was his 12th in the NBA, was also one of Gobert’s least productive season in the league. He reached a scoring average in double figures for the ninth-straight year, but his 12 points per game gave him his lowest average since 2015-16. The 7-foot-1 center averaged 1.4 blocks, the third-lowest mark of his career. Gobert’s 18.3 PER was also his lowest mark since 2015-16.
Certainly, Gobert still remains as one of the best rim protectors in the league. It just may not be at the level he once was, and a level that saw him earn four Defensive Player of the Year awards. Gobert also is an excellent rebounder on both sides of the floor, and he is nearing 10,000 career boards.
Centers listed above Gobert
ESPN will reveal its top 10 players tomorrow, and just two centers will be part of that group. Of course, one of those players is three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. The other is 21-year-old Victor Wembanyama.
Other centers who came in ahead of Gobert are Joel Embiid (#47), Jarrett Allen (#45), Ivica Zubac (#36), Domantas Sabonis (#34), Karl-Anthony Towns (#27), Alperen Sengun (#25), Chet Holmgren (#24), Bam Adebayo (#21), and Anthony Davis (#14).
Now, a few of those could be starting at power forward. Davis got his wish of shifting over to power forward after being traded to the Mavericks. The Knicks may start Mitchell Robinson alongside Towns. Bam Adebayo could shift to the four if Erik Spoelstra starts Kel’el Ware. Holmgren will likely be paired with Isaiah Hartenstein when both are healthy.
Should Gobert be ahead of Embiid? Honestly, with the 76ers center, it is pretty much impossible to know where to rank him. Certainly, Gobert is the more important player if Embiid appears in just 29 contests, which is what he has averaged over the last two seasons.