NBA 2018-19: The top 10 international players 

#4 Rudy Gobert

Oklahoma City Thunder v Utah Jazz - Game Six

The Stifle Tower is one of the biggest success stories from the 2013 NBA draft class. After spending much of his rookie and sophomore seasons in reduced roles, Gobert has emerged as a big factor in the Jazz's return to playoff contention in the last 2 seasons.

Nobody protects the paint quite like Gobert, who contested a league-high 10.2 shots at the rim per game in 2016-17. Though Draymond Green won NBA Defensive Player of the Year, it was Gobert who led the league in defensive real plus-minus, finishing with the best mark by any player over the past three seasons.

Gobert's impact was so pronounced on the Jazz's fortunes that the franchise emerged from 10th in the Conference at 19-28 to win 29 of their last 35 games in 2017-18. The reigning DPOY winner looks set to be the best defensive big man in the game for years to come.