Utah Jazz Notes: Insanity in Denver, Joel Bolomboy to SLC Stars

Dec 21, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) reacts after missing a basket in the final seconds of the game with teammate center Rudy Gobert (27) against the Sacramento Kings at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Utah Jazz 94-93. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 21, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) reacts after missing a basket in the final seconds of the game with teammate center Rudy Gobert (27) against the Sacramento Kings at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Utah Jazz 94-93. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Utah Jazz Rudy Gobert Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets
Jan 24, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) attempts to shoot the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) defends in the first quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Denver Post Columnist Shoots on Rudy Gobert

So about that All-Star nod for Rudy Gobert…

In a piece for the Denver Post on Thursday, columnist Mark Kiszla suggests that Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (not Gobert) should represent the West in the All-Star Game. He didn’t stop there, however. Kiszla went on to throw shots at Gobert while suggesting that if Jokic doesn’t make it, the voting is rigged.

From the Denver Post —

"I can see clearly now: There was only one all-star center playing in this game. That all-star is Jokic, not Rudy Gobert, the big stiff from Utah.   Any NBA coach who believes Gobert is a better center than Jokic might have his heart in the right place. But his head is stuck … somewhere dark and in need of enlightenment."

Kiszla cites Gobert’s head-to-head performance (in his fourth game in five nights) against Jokic on Tuesday and the Nuggets center’s strong January performance as support for his thesis. Meanwhile, Gobert ranks in the Top 5 league-wide in no less than 12 statistical categories if you bother to go beyond basic, traditional stats.

He also crushes Jokic in D-Rating (99.8 to an abysmal 109.4) and Net Rating (7.3 to 3.5). And as far as productive months go, Gobert had a pretty good December when he registered the highest monthly field goal percentage (77.8 percent) the NBA has seen in over 30 years.

If you’re “in need of enlightenment,” check out Kiszla’s column here —

Next: Bolomboy Reassigned