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Given how the modern-day NBA is structured, it has become increasingly difficult for players who are elite on the defensive end but have obvious offensive limitations to receive the respect they deserve. Rudy Gobert’s reputation and legacy continue to take hits for that very reason, despite the French center being a four-time DPOY.
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However, Charlie Villanueva believes one of the most underappreciated aspects of Gobert’s game is his ability to remain involved in the offense in pick-and-roll situations. Moreover, Villanueva even went so far as to suggest that Gobert could eventually be viewed as a better-than-two-time DPOY Dennis Rodman, and made it clear that anyone who disagrees is disrespecting the Minnesota Timberwolves big man.
Charlie wants disrespect toward Rudy to stop
Gobert may not have the same offensive flair as other modern-day centers like Nikola Jokic, who can seemingly drop 30 points without much effort. Still, the Frenchman has averaged double-digit points for a decade, including a four-year stretch in which he averaged more than 15.0 points per game in three of those campaigns.
Rodman, meanwhile, averaged double-digit scoring only once during his 14-year NBA career, when he posted a career high of 11.6 points per game. Rudy has also reached a career-high of 35 points in the regular season, while his playoff career high stands at 27 points, set during the Timberwolves’ 2025 playoff run. On the other hand, Dennis’ regular-season career high was 34 points, while he scored a career-high 23 points in the playoffs.
That’s why Villanueva emphasized that it has become too convenient for people to dismiss Gobert for the voids in his game.
“You good? You’re wilding right now. This conversation just shifted. Who is a better offensive player, Rudy Gobert or Dennis Rodman? You bugging! What is this man talking about?” Villanueva questioned co-host Raymond Felton. “Ya’ll gotta stop disrespecting Rudy, fam. That’s what it is. Enough of the disrespect. He’s solid, fam.”
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Gobert deserves more respect than he does
The modern-day NBA features seven-foot giants like Victor Wembanyama, who can bring the ball up the floor, shoot fadeaways and even knock down three-pointers effortlessly. Gobert’s offensive game is almost the opposite. Most of Rudy’s offense comes within roughly five feet of the rim and is built around a handful of repeatable actions rather than individual shot creation.
Put simply, Gobert does not have a reliable face-up game, extensive post moves, or a jumper that forces defenders to guard him away from the basket. That is a trade-off. He may be one of the least influential offensive players on most possessions, but his ability to attack the rim and be quick in transition is what makes him a high-value player.
That efficiency has allowed Rudy to maintain an elite true shooting percentage for years despite carrying a relatively modest scoring load. It is a low-usage, high-efficiency offensive profile, and Villanueva believes that part of Gobert’s game deserves recognition rather than being overlooked.
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This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 10:11 AM.