EXTENSION: Gobert signs 5yr/$205M w/ UTA | DAL "significant interest" if available

[Mavs2019]

I think Gobert is a outstanding player, but also a player with a lot of offensive flaws in today's NBA. If he could shoot like KP, I would be all over him being a top 10 player. I personally don't think a team can win a title with Gobert as their #1 or #2 best player. All kidding aside I would rather have Drummond at 7-10 million a year opposed to Gobert at max money, but that's just me. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Nobody should take them personal.

Honestly there are probably 5-6 players in the whole league that can win the title as a #1 option (LeBron, Durant, Steph, Kawhi, hopefully Luka). Then there are 7-8 players that can single-handidly carry almost any team to the play-offs (Giannis, CP3, Lillard, Jokic, Westbrook, Harden, Davis). You can argue whether Gobert or Mitchell belongs in that 2nd tier, or if it´s a combination of both. Then there are some borderline cases (think KAT, Booker, DeRozan or Beal) that can probably do it, under the right circumstances (strong cast/weaker opposition).

That does not mean some players are not stars, but I think the group of players that is truly championship material is so small. Think about the last 20 years:

Kobe
Shaq
Wade
Duncan
Dirk
KG (and Pierce)
LeBron
Steph
Durant
Kawhi

How many true outliers are there? The 2004 Pistons are about the only team that won the title without a top 30 player of all-time.


So if Gobert can carry a team to 42-50 wins by himself as the #1 player (even if the contribution is mainly one side of the floor) that is a pretty elusive club of current players already.