A day after he was selected second-team All-NBA, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert was named a finalist for two more awards from the league.
The fourth-year center is among three finalists for both the Defensive Player of the Year and the Most Improved Player, the NBA announced Friday.
Joining him as finalists for DPOY are Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard. Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic are the other two finalists for MIP.
Gobert finished first in the league in blocks per game (2.64), second in field goal percentage (.661) and fourth in rebounds per game (12.8). Those numbers were significant increases over his 2015-2016 totals, and he upped his scoring average from 9.1 to 14 points per contest.
The winners will be announced at a special awards show on June 26. MVP, Coach of the Year, Sixth Man Award and Rookie of the Year will also be announced that night.