Rudy Gobert Emerging as a Leader for the Utah Jazz

Rudy Gobert’s recent play combined with the fiery comments directed at his teammates have made it clear that he’s beginning to emerge as a leader for the Utah Jazz.

When Rudy Gobert called out some of his teammates last week, it sparked a memory for me. 20 years ago, Karl Malone angrily called center Greg Ostertag, a “fat ass.”

Malone was upset because Ostertag came into training camp out of shape. This had to have been especially frustrating for him given that the Mailman always showed up to fall camp ready.

When Ostertag learned of Malone’s criticism, the center was asked to respond. Tag gave the following response in a Deseret News article by Loren Jorgensen, saying, “He’s (Malone) the most dedicated athlete in any sport. He comes into camp in monster shape. If we started playing games on the first day of camp, he’d be ready.”

When Malone called out Ostertag, he was showing leadership to the team. Whether you agree or disagree with Malone’s approach, the message was received loud and clear.

Fast forward to the present day where many fans and media members have asked, who is the leader of this Jazz team? Gordon Hayward has always been the default answer. However, I cannot remember Hayward ever calling out his teammates or questioning their competitiveness in public. That very well might have been one of the reasons Rudy spoke out.

Personally, I was pleasantly surprised by Gobert’s chiding. I found myself saying, “it’s about FREAKING time.”

The Jazz have not been playing good basketball in the month of March. Coincidentally, the Jazz struggled to play well in March last season (and we all know how that wound up). Now is the time for players to be focused and for the effort to be elevated. Some might say this is the time when the team needs its leader to step up and lead.

Is Gobert ready to lead this team?

The improvements Gobert has made as a complete player this season are truly amazing. Rudy is averaging 12.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and just under one steal per game. In other words, he’s a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.

His offensive improvements this season are equally impressive. Rudy is averaging 13.8 points, 5.9 free throw attempts while converting on 65.8 percent of them and logging 1.2 assists per game. There is a strong case to be made for Rudy to win the Most Improved Player in the league as well. However, maybe his growth as a team leader is what should be receiving the most praise.

In his recent comments, Rudy was ticked off. He wanted his team to know it. He was pleading for his teammates to get focused and step up, something that he has been doing all season long.

Just in case you were wondering exactly what Rudy was talking about, consider the following bit of Jazz trivia:

Per Elias Sports Bureau; In Monday’s game against the Pelicans Rudy Gobert became the first player in Utah Jazz history (3,060 games) to score 20 points, grab 19 rebounds, and block 5 shots. WOW!

In other words, the Frenchman is doing everything he can to carry his team to the regular season finish line. His outburst the other day after the demoralizing loss to the Clippers was refreshing. It seemed to light the right fire under his team.

My advice to Gobert is the following –  Grow Rudy. Grow into the team leader I believe you to be, even if it’s a thankless job at times.

Quoting from an L.A. Times interview with Steve Springer in May 1998, Karl Malone said, “Do I feel like the whole state of Utah is resting on my shoulders? Hell yes.”

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• Former Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gay is a free agent still and it shouldn’t surprise anyone

Rudy and the Jazz are about to enter the world of NBA playoff basketball. The pressure to achieve is beyond measure. Wins build expectations. Losses are magnetized 100%. Teams ride on the shoulders of their leaders. Rudy, I know you are up to the challenge.