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The Rudy Gobert Era Begins Tonight

Feb 13, 2015; New York, NY, USA; World Team center Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz (27) dunks the basketball against the U.S. Team during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

After investing some three-and-a-half years into Enes Kanter, the Utah Jazz shipped him off to Oklahoma City after the young Turk made public his wishes to be traded before the 2014-15 NBA trade deadline after blowing a kiss to media at his last practice for Utah. Fans and media have been calling Rudy Gobert the future, so the Jazz conceded defeat when it came to Kanter, ushering in the Rudy Gobert era in Jazzland.

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Kanter had kept his starting job in Utah after missing four early January games with a turned ankle, despite speculation that Rudy Gobert might pilfer it from him after a breakout span of games in which he started for the hobbled Kanter.

"Under Jerry Sloan, a Jazz player couldn’t lose their starting spot due to injury. It remains to be seen if the same policy — seemingly a franchise-wide one in years past — is still in place under new management and coaching that come from an entirely different tree.It’s going to be hard to keep Gobert on the bench with recent results, both by the eyeball test and the numbers. That’s brutal for Kanter, trying to earn his first veteran contract.–The J Notes, Enes Kanter Trade Bait With Emergence Of Gobert? January 2015"

Rudy Gobert averaged 10 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks — and maybe most importantly — only 3 personal fouls in 34 minutes per game while starting in place of the injured Kanter. Utah went 2-2 over the four games.

"Some of these facets take years to master. For instance, teammate Derrick Favors struggled for a long time with how to balance having a defensive impact on the game while also staying on the floor. It wasn’t until there was a third of last NBA season remaining that he managed to do so, a feat Gobert seems to have pulled off in a summer.–The J Notes, Rudy Gobert Fundamentally Sound, January 2015"

It would seem that Enes Kanter and the Utah Jazz saw the writing on the wall when it came to the franchise’s future starting front-court. making what would have been a difficult decision for head coach Quin Snyder for him by capitulating to the unhappy Kanter’s demand.

Rudy Gobert changes everything in the paint for Utah, players routinely admitting that even if he didn’t get the ball, Gobert makes them change their mind once they enter the restricted area on a drive and spot one of the lengthiest human beings ever conceived waiting for them there.

Gobert holds another huge advantage over Kanter in that he can pass the ball, posting 31 more assists than Enes in 166 fewer minutes in 2014-15. Sharing the ball is key to the Snyder system on offense, the monumental Frenchman posting nearly twice the assist percentage the Turk has this season.

Gobert holds another huge advantage over Kanter in that he can pass the ball, posting 31 more assists than Enes in 166 fewer minutes

Once Kanter gets the ball he tends to keep it, attempting to create a shot, playing the role of black hole on offense. While he’s become quite proficient at scoring, Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors alleviated concerns about a Jazz offense that many feared would stall out if the new center started in favor of the now-departed Enes.

Minimum 40 minutes played together this season, two of the Jazz’s best three defensive rating lineups include Rudy Gobert, and the best one does not include Enes Kanter.

Minimum 50 minutes played together this season, the Jazz’s best net rating lineup is Trey Burke, Gordon Hayward, Joe Ingles and Rudy Gobert, posting an offensive rating of 116.2 and a defensive rating of 97.6 for a net +18.7. This five-man lineup represents the fourth-most used five-man lineup by Quin Snyder, sharing the floor for 91 minutes and often finishing close games together.

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About a week ago, PnB’s Jared Barker was somewhat prophetic concerning Rudy Gobert and Enes Kanter:

"The affinity so many in the press have for Rudy Gobert definitely works in his favor moving forward. The fact Rudy was featured so prominently is leading people from around the NBA to ask the question: is Enes Kanter starting on borrowed time?  If this happens we are about to enter into The Age of Rudy Gobert.–Jared Barker, The J Notes"

The Rudy Gobert era begins in earnest tonight in Salt Lake City, with the Portland Trail Blazers in town. The Utah Jazz will see the Oklahoma City Thunder one more time this season, March 28, 2015 in Salt Lake City.

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