Rudy Gobert has an elite skill that only Victor Wembanyama can match

At 33 years old, Rudy Gobert is still having a Defensive Player of the Year caliber season. As long as Victor Wembanyama plays 65-plus games, the Minnesota Timberwolves center won't earn a record-breaking fifth DPOY. Nevertheless, Gobert's rim deterrence and overall defensive impact are only matched by Wemby. 

According to Cleaning the Glass, Minnesota's defense is 11 points per 100 possessions, better with Gobert on the court. Of players to play 500-plus minutes this season, only two have a more significant on/off swing than Gobert: Wemby (13.5) and Derrick White (11.2). 

Firstly, this highlights that Wembanyama is in his own class (because my goodness). Additionally, White is an incredibly valuable defender with a rare blend of versatility and point-of-attack excellence, and this stat highlights this. Regardless, he doesn't play the same role as Wemby and Gobert as a defensive anchor who changes the thought process of opposing teams. 

It's clear that Gobert and Wembanyama are immensely valuable to their team's defense. And while both teams have solid all-around defense, neither team would be close to elite without its anchor. 

Gobert's defensive excellence is only matched by Wembanyama

According to Cleaning the Glass, opposing teams are attacking the rim 6.2 percent less with Gobert on the court compared to 5.1 percent with Wemby on the court.

I'm not going to overreact to this stat and say that this makes Gobert a better defender than Wemby. The Alien is averaging 3.1 blocks compared to Gobert's 1.7 BPG. Furthermore, opponents are shooting 3.9 points worse when defended by Wemby compared to Rudy. And let's be honest, Wembanyama jumps off the screen as the best defender in the world.

Nevertheless, these stats highlight that Gobert isn't that far behind Wemby, and to me, he's the second-best defender in the NBA. 

In addition to Gobert's elite rim protection, his versatility and isolation defense are underrated. Out of 31 players who have defended more than 150 pure isolation possessions this season, Gobert is holding opponents to the lowest points per chance.

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of elite defenders in the league, including Chet Holmgren, Scottie Barnes, Derrick White, Bam Adebayo, and the Thompson twins. However, Gobert's ability to anchor a defense, alter opponents' mindsets, and switch on to the perimeter is only matched by Wemby. 

Frankly, being able to challenge Wemby's defensive excellence is a massive accomplishment. Considering Gobert's importance to the Timberwolves' defense and immense all-around impact, he should finish second in DPOY voting or, at the very least, third. 

Gobert's defensive dominance is even more impressive when considering how long he's sustained his success.