NBA: Ranking the top 10 players at the one-month mark of the season

4. Rudy Gobert – Utah Jazz

The Jazz took everyone by surprise last season, finishing with the best record in the West at 52-20. Although they lost in shocking fashion to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Playoffs, everyone knew they’d be back next season looking for vengeance.

This season they look extremely strong again as they currently stand at 8-5 and Rudy Gobert has been the biggest reason why. Gobert is currently averaging 15.0 PPG, 1.8 BPG, and a league-leading 15.5 RPG. He’s also hitting 71.8% from the field and he’s been a monster defensively.

According to NBA Defensive Stats, Gobert is the best defender in the league out of players that have played at least 8 games and defend at least 6 field-goals attempts a game. His 7-foot-1 frame and 7-foot-9 wingspan make him a nightmare to go up against. This and his defensive instincts are the main reasons why he’s a three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner and is easily the favorite to win it this season as well.

The Jazz will need to learn from last year’s mistakes if they are to go all the way, but having Gobert play at this level will certainly give them a real edge against anyone they come up against.