Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels named to NBA’s All-Defensive teams
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The NBA announced on Tuesday that Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and forward Jaden McDaniels have been named to the league’s All-Defensive teams.
Gobert won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year this season for the fourth time in his career. He was named First Team All-Defense for the seventh time in his career. Gobert had the top defensive rating in the NBA this season as the Timberwolves had the top defensive rating in the league this year.
For the first time in his career, #Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels has landed on the NBA’s All-Defensive 2nd team pic.twitter.com/8djw9AmGeQ
— Pierre Noujaim (@TheNoujFOX9) May 21, 2024
Gobert started 76 regular season games and averaged 14 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.13 blocks per game. He was second in the NBA in rebounding.
McDaniels was selected Second Team All-Defense, the first such honor of his career. McDaniels is the only player from the 2020 draft class to get at least 200 blocks and 200 steals. In games McDaniels played in this year, the Timberwolves averaged eight steals per game and forced 14.1 turnovers.
It’s the first time in franchise history the Timberwolves had have multiple players named to the All-Defensive Team in the same season.
"That was the most important for me is to see him get his first all-defensive team. He wants to be first team, I think he’s a top five defender in this league. Now he gets to show the world who he is every night," Gobert said of McDaniels.
The Timberwolves, led by their defense, are in the Western Conference Finals and host the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 Wednesday night at Target Center.
