Utah Jazz: Four Players That Have to Break Out in 16-17
Rudy Gobert
Much like the aforementioned players have already had “mini break-outs,” Rudy Gobert garnered national attention in his sophomore season following the trade of Enes Kanter as a defensive and rebounding powerhouse.
However, although Gobert still was the league’s best rim protector last season, in many ways he failed to elevate himself to the heightened expectations that were thrust upon him after his phenomenal finish in 2014-15.
Without a doubt, some of this can be attributed to injury, but health aside, there is still a lot of room for Gobert to improve. His defense remained elite last season, but the Stifle Tower needs to find a way to contribute more on the other end of the court.
With his incredible seven-foot, eight and a half-inch wingspan and nine-foot, seven-inch standing reach, Rudy should almost be able to average double figures in points on putbacks alone. However in the past two seasons he has averaged just 9.1 and 8.4 points respectively.
For the most part, Rudy is already close to where he needs to be defensively, but the Jazz will need him to increase his offensive dominance, passing, and overall focus, including defense, if he is truly to be the team’s anchor in the post.
As Gobert enters his fourth season in a Jazz uniform, he will need to play at an All-NBA Defensive team level night in and night out without taking a single play off, while also improving his offense dramatically in order for this Utah squad to take shape as a contender in the Western Conference.
Next: Dante Exum