Mike Conley believes Rudy Gobert's impact is similar to LeBron James, Stephen Curry despite All-Star Game snub
Throughout his NBA career, Mike Conley has had the chance to play alongside some high-level defensive centers. He recently compared the impact of one of his current teammates with a pair of all-time greats.
After having what many considered a down year last season, Rudy Gobert has bounced back in a big way for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Along with averaging a double-double, he's the focal point of what has been the NBA's top defense. Nevertheless, Gobert did not find himself on an All-Star team this year.
While talking with Sportskeeda's Mark Medina, Mike Conley shared his thoughts on Gobert being an All-Star snub. He feels the three-time DPOY is overlooked because he's not a flashy offensive player. However, Conley feels Gobert's impact on the game is up there with the likes of LeBron James and Steph Curry.
“I think he’s not treated like a superstar because he doesn’t do the superstar things, offensively, that LeBron [James] and Steph [Curry] do. But he has the same impact on a game. People gameplan for him like they gameplan for others," Conley said.
"You gameplan differently for Steph as you do for somebody else. But with Rudy, you do have to gameplan for his gravity offensively. If he goes to the offensive glass, they’re bringing two or three people."
This season, Gobert is averaging 13.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.
Mike Conley has seen a situation like this play out before
Mike Conley likely feels strongly about Rudy Gobert's All-Star case because he has seen something like this happen in the past. Earlier in his career, he played with another All-Star-level big man who didn't always get the recognition he deserved.
Before winding up the Minnesota Timberwolves, Conley spent most of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies. One of his top teammates during his tenure there was Marc Gasol. Like Gobert, he was a defensive anchor or impacted the game in a lot of ways.
Despite putting up good numbers, Gasol only made three All-Star teams during his time with the Grizzlies. He added one Defensive Player of the Year award to his resumé in 2013.
Luckily for Gasol, he got to show his value on a bigger stage later. During the 2019 season, the Grizzlies traded him to the Toronto Raptors, where he helped anchor the defense along with helping facilitate the offense. Led by Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors won the championship that year.
Mike Conley feels Gobert was snubbed as an All-Star but is still getting the recognition he deserves. At this moment, the Timberwolves center is the frontrunner to take home his fourth DPOY trophy.