Kia MVP Ladder: No denying Rudy Gobert’s value to Jazz

Rudy Gobert continues to be a dominant defensive drive for the No. 3-seeded Jazz.

Respectfully Patrick Beverley, we disagree.

Whereas it’s pure for aggressive juices to flood out compliments for an opponent, Beverley’s postgame ideas on Rudy Gobert certainly elicited some stomach laughs within the visiting locker room Wednesday on the heels of Utah’s 136-104 win at Minnesota.

“If I’m defensive participant of the yr, I’m all the time guarding the perfect participant, it doesn’t matter what. I’m not roaming,” Beverley said of Gobert, the reigning Kia NBA Defensive Participant of the 12 months. “It’s no discredit to Royce O’Neale or any of the opposite gamers on their workforce. But when I’m defensive participant of the yr, I’m not guarding Royce O’Neale. I’m guarding Mike Conley. I’m guarding Donovan Mitchell. I’m guarding [Bojan] Bogdanovic. You’ve obtained Rudy Gobert on the market guarding [Jarred] Vanderbilt. And each time, I hear he’s defensive participant of the yr. So, uh, no matter.”

Regardless, what’s indeniable is Gobert’s impression for Utah, which captured its season-high sixth-consecutive win Thursday by downing Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers 118-96 behind the large man’s 21 rebounds, two blocks and 17 factors. With Gobert pacing the Jazz on the glass, they outrebounded the Sixers 52-34, together with 16-6 on the offensive finish, as they completed with an 18-7 edge in second-chance factors.

The efficiency marked Gobert’s fifth recreation this season with 20 rebounds or extra, to not point out his 19^th double-double.

“Folks like to take photographs at me for no cause,” Gobert mentioned Thursday in his postgame on-court interview. “It’s humorous as a result of I by no means take photographs at anybody. However I simply do my job, are available in each night time. Whenever you’re the perfect on the earth at one thing, individuals develop into insecure. I’m simply gonna hold going, hold taking part in for my workforce and hold getting wins.

“I all the time keep targeted on the sport, keep targeted on my workforce. Individuals are gonna hold taking photographs at me. I’m simply gonna hold being nice, hold getting higher each night time and have enjoyable.”

📹| “I all the time keep targeted on the sport, keep targeted on my workforce.” -Rudy & Hassan with @sportsiren 🎙#walkoffinterview | @lhmauto pic.twitter.com/ecMj9NjDfP

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 10, 2021

Get together on, Gobert. You’ve earned it, in addition to the No. 6 spot on this week’s version of Kia Race to the MVP Ladder after serving to Utah steamroll opponents by 20 factors or extra in 4 of the workforce’s final six wins. Gobert’s teammate, Donovan Mitchell, additionally rejoins the MVP dialog after logging his sixth consecutive outing with three or extra made 3-pointers, together with Embiid, who was averaging 34.3 factors in Philadelphia’s three victories headed into Thursday’s loss to the Jazz.

The highest of the ladder, in the meantime, stays unchanged.

And now, the High 5 this week within the 2021-22 Kia Race to the MVP Ladder:

1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Last week’s ranking: No. 1

Season stats: 27.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 6.3 apg

In the event you’re tracking Curry’s quest to topple Corridor of Famer Ray Allen because the NBA’s all-time chief in 3-pointers made, you’ll be able to try our tracker proper here because the Golden State star preps to face his brother, Seth, and the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday (8:30 ET, ABC). The matchup towards the 76ers represents the beginning of a five-game highway journey for the Warriors, and Curry has linked on at the very least one 3-pointer now in 149 consecutive video games, good for the NBA’s longest energetic streak. If Curry extends that streak eight extra video games, he’ll surpass his personal NBA report of 157 straight video games with at the very least one made 3-pointer.

2. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

Last week’s ranking: No. 2

Season stats: 28.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 5.4 apg

Anticipate one other thrilling matchup on Friday (7:30 ET, ESPN) when Durant and the Nets face Trae Younger, No. 7 on this week’s version of Kia Race to the MVP Ladder, and the Atlanta Hawks for Sport 3 of the membership’s present four-game highway journey. Durant nonetheless leads the league in scoring regardless of the face he ranks No. 8 in discipline aim makes an attempt per recreation (19.6). Durant can also be a significant cause that Brooklyn owns a report of 9-3 in clutch video games (contests separated by 5 factors or fewer within the final 5 minutes), good for fourth-best within the NBA.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last week’s ranking: No. 3

Season stats: 27.0 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 5.7 apg

It’s straightforward to get caught up in Antetokounmpo’s contributions on offense, however he heads into Friday’s recreation at Houston simply two blocks away from shifting previous Alton Lister (804) for the most blocks in Bucks history. By the way in which, Antetokounmpo can also be averaging profession highs in rebounding, assists and blocks along with rating among the many NBA’s high 10 in scoring (No. 3), rebounds (No. 6) and blocks (No. 10). Already simply the second participant in league annals to common 25-plus factors, 10-plus rebounds and 5-plus assists in three separate seasons, he’s effectively on the way in which to changing into the primary participant to perform that feat in 4 separate seasons.

4. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Last week’s ranking: No. 4

Season stats: 26.1 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 7.2 apg

Jokic and Antetokounmpo are the only players in the NBA averaging 25-plus factors, 10-plus rebounds and at the very least 5 assists per recreation. However for Jokic, the Nuggets’ losses are beginning to pile up, thus jeopardizing “The Joker’s” standing among the many high of the Kia Race to the MVP Ladder. Jokic stays right here as a result of he’s producing arguably a greater clip than his 2020-21 MVP marketing campaign. He has triple-doubles in his final three video games and passed Hall of Famer Larry Bird for eighth in NBA historical past on Monday after which tied James Harden for seventh on Thursday when he obtained profession triple-double No. 62 in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

5. Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns

Last week’s ranking: No. 5

Season stats: 14.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 10.1 apg

Cease specializing in his uncooked numbers and take note of the way in which Paul impacts profitable. He racked up a game-high 21 factors Monday in a win towards the Spurs, scoring 10 of these factors within the fourth quarter en path to his twelfth double-double of the season (to not point out his third in Phoenix’s final 4 video games). Paul leads the NBA in assists and is No. 3 in steals, serving because the catalyst for the Suns rating No. 1 within the league in offensive effectivity (136.1) in clutch time, No. 2 in defensive score (82.7) and No. 1 in web score (53.5).

The Subsequent 5:

6. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz (Final week: No. 10)

7. Trae Younger, Atlanta Hawks (Final week: No. 9)

8. Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls (Final week:No. 8)

9. DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls (Final week: No. 7)

10. Jimmy Butler, Miami Warmth (Final week: No. 6)

And 5 extra (listed alphabetically): LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets; Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks; Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers; James Harden, Brooklyn Nets; Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz.

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Michael C. Wright is a senior author for NBA.com. You possibly can e-mail him here, discover his archive here and comply with him on Twitter.

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