Cropped photo courtesy of Jan Fante

Alan Jensen from Pleasant View, Utah casts his vote for French import Rudy Gobert:

I have seen the stat that only three players in the NBA have achieved a season with 1000 points, 1000 rebounds, and 200 blocks since the 2000-2001 season. It’s happened twice by Dwight Howard, twice by Tim Duncan, and now this year by Rudy Gobert. Yet, Stu and yourself did not select him for any of your awards. Rudy is a clear choice for Defensive Player of the Year and a very strong candidate for Most Improved Player. Rudy has improved tremendously over the past season. He is accomplishing feats this year that many of us thought would take two or more seasons to attain. His field goal percentage will beat the team record by 15%. He has raised his free throw percentage by 10%. I know that he does not play for one of the high profile teams, but you two should reconsider your choices.

Alan, you make a convincing argument, and I respect your position on Utah’s Rudy Gobert. In fact, Rudy was one of my top three contenders for 2017 Defensive Player of the Year, along with Kawhi Leonard and my first choice, Draymond Green. Gobert has indeed made significant strides this season, and he’s been a tremendous asset to the Jazz on defense, consistently frustrating his opponents around the rim and bringing down their field-goal percentages. But Green is a more versatile defender who has the ability to shut down his opponents in multiple positions, and he ranked among the top three players in all defensive categories. Furthermore, Green’s tenacious leadership at the defensive end of the court enabled Golden State to finish the regular season as the No. 1 defensive team in the league.

I look forward to watching Gobert and Green face off in the Western Conference Semifinals!