The basketball world is abuzz with Team USA’s gold medal victory over France in the men’s and women’s Olympic tournaments.
The decision by France to bench Rudy Gobert in the middle of the competition sparked heated debate.
Gobert had demonstrated that he wasn’t making the most of his minutes on the floor, eventually becoming a liability to his club. Guerschon Yabusele, a power forward, was far more effective in scoring.
This might be viewed as a gradual decline for Gobert, and Mavs superstar Luka Doncic may have contributed to the problem during the NBA season.
Rudy Gobert’s decline can be traced back to Luka Doncic. Gobert, a legendary NBA defender, has recently been criticized in the media for failing to maintain his starting position in the 2024 Olympics.
“To be taken out of the lineup or any other team in the Olympics as an NBA player, not named Team USA is kind of crazy,” Green told the media.
Gobert has not enjoyed a nice stretch of basketball in recent months.
Gobert’s season came to an end against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 Western Conference Finals. Doncic notoriously mocked Gobert in Game 2 after he hit a cold-blooded game-winning shot in his face.
This has been an ongoing feud since 2022, when Doncic called Gobert out after he threw the basketball at him.
Doncic has had the final laugh since then, frying Gobert in the 2022 NBA Playoffs while he was with the Utah Jazz and again in the 2024 Western Conference Finals while he was with Minnesota.
Basketball fans are perplexed when they see a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year being embarrassed by the same player during the regular season or playoffs.
Gobert has fallen victim to some of the best guards who are simply quicker than him, particularly on the perimeter. Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, and Devin Booker have all exposed Gobert when the game begins outside the 3-point line.
Gobert in the Olympics has suddenly become unplayable. Gobert scored zero points in three minutes and 41 seconds against Canada in the quarterfinals. He did not score again in the semi-finals against Germany, and he only played just over five minutes on the court. Gobert scored two points in the gold medal game against the United States.
Mavs fans’ dislike for Gobert escalated during the Olympics, when it appeared that Gobert smacked Dwight Powell in the face with the basketball during a game. Gobert was already unpopular among Mavs fans, and this further exacerbated the situation.
Mavericks fans can’t wait to see Gobert and the Timberwolves again on Christmas Day 2024.
Maybe this is simply a terrible run for Gobert, but it’s not a good look right now for one of the best defenders of all time. Only time will tell whether Gobert can maintain his elite defensive standing in the upcoming NBA season. In either case, Doncic and the Mavs will be looking forward to Christmas.
Draymond Green, a forward with the Golden State Warriors, spoke on the topic.
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