The end of the regular season in the NBA is always a good time to reflect on the past six months and recognize the performances put forth by various players during the season. One good measuring stick is the end-of-year surveys, and The Athletic just came out with theirs. The results have sparked buzz throughout the league. One of the noteworthy results is that NBA players voted Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton as the most overrated player.
Advertisement
Former Kings star DeMarcus Cousins adamantly disagrees with that selection. He reasons that Rudy Gobert is still in the league. Over the past few seasons, Gobert has been the recipient of that title. However, this year, out of 90 votes, 14.4% believe Haliburton is the most overrated player in the league. He did have a dip in production this past season, which could be the reason for this belief.
Haliburton’s stats decreased across the board. He averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. Despite still putting up good tracking stats, he didn’t earn an All-Star nomination. Narratives began to swirl regarding his talents, but Cousins believes this is where the line should be drawn.
Cousins joined FanDuel TV’s Run It Back and shared his opinion on the list of overrated players. He doesn’t believe Haliburton deserves that title, but states the Timberwolves’ defensive anchor is the one deserving.
“It’s Rudy, man,” Cousins confessed. “You can’t be a four-time Defensive Player of the Year and get played off the floor.”
Rudy Gobert is the most overrated player in the NBA, not Tyrese Haliburton, says Boogie Cousins
“You can’t be a 4x DPOY and get played off the floor.”@boogiecousins | @MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/Cu5yiuvkrF
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 23, 2025
Cousins didn’t only disagree with Haliburton as the most overrated player. Hawks star Trae Young was third on the list, while Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was 10th. Cousins claimed that was his “biggest issue” regarding the list.
The four-time All-Star has been extremely critical of Gobert in recent years. He still shares that sentiment, stating that as a defensive player, it is unacceptable to be unable to play due to being a liability on defense. This occurred during the Timberwolves’ Western Conference Finals matchup against the Mavericks last season.
Coincidentally, Cousins spoke on Gobert’s defensive flaws a few moments prior as well. In Game 2 of the Lakers and Timberwolves first-round series, LA hunted Gobert. As a result, LeBron James and Luka Doncic were able to get anywhere on the court once they had Gobert on a switch.
Gobert is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, yet he couldn’t prevent the Lakers’ guards from scoring. It doesn’t add up for Boogie.
“There’s no such thing as a bad matchup for a 4x Defensive Player of the Year,” Cousins said. “That means he’s a generational defender; best defender of this past decade … It doesn’t add up.”
There is still plenty of time for Gobert to redeem himself. He will have the opportunity to showcase his defensive ability in Game 3, which will take place on Friday, April 25, at 9:30 PM ET on ESPN.
