What Hope Do the Utah Jazz Have for a Rudy Gobert Return This Series?

Rudy Gobert’s injury has been the most disheartening part of the playoffs for the Utah Jazz. After missing the first two games of the first round, what hope is there of him returning for the series?

All throughout the regular season, the Utah Jazz were decimated by injuries. But during the onslaught of health struggles, changing rotations and constantly tweaked starting lineups, one thing remained constant – the presence of Rudy Gobert as the team’s anchor.

Rudy Gobert missed just one game for the Utah Jazz all season due to some right leg soreness, but other than that he, along with Joe Ingles, has without a doubt been Utah’s most durable player. However, it took only 11 seconds into Gobert’s first-ever playoff game for the unthinkable to happen. Gobert and LA’s Luc Mbah a Moute collided knees while Rudy set a screen and the big man went down. He had to be helped off the court and wouldn’t return.

All season long, Gobert has essentially carried this Jazz team on his back and has been the leading force both from a defensive and overall intensity standpoint. Gordon Hayward may be the team’s All-Star, but Rudy Gobert is without a doubt its heart and soul.

Thus, after being one of the few to remain healthy all season long, seeing him go down in the playoffs – the goal that he had worked oh so hard to reach – was the most disheartening scene this Jazz team could have imagined.

However, in Game 1, the Jazz rallied. There was no question that Gobert’s sudden and unexpected absence motivated Utah to new heights while momentarily disorienting the Clippers who no longer had to think about dealing with a guy who seconds before had been a primary part of their game plan.

Utah’s win without Gobert spurred a lot of crazy ideas among players and fans alike. Some began claiming that the Jazz could perhaps be better without Gobert. To be fair, there is something to be said about believing that his absence allowed the Jazz to go small and better stretch the floor, but in truth, Utah has done that with four wings and Gobert in the middle all season long and it’s not like Favors’ range this year has been all that much better than Rudy’s to be brutally honest.

LA’s Raymond Felton went as far as to say that due to the fact that the Jazz collectively elevated their game with Gobert sidelined, he “almost want him to come back and play” (Be careful what you wish for, Raymond).

But in Game 2, it became all too clear just how much the Jazz missed Rudy. The Clippers were better prepared for his absence and feasted down low with 60 points in the paint compared to Utah’s 38. On several occasions the lane was left wide open for an easy jam, alley-oop or lay-up.

Sure, Gobert doesn’t stop everything in the paint, but if you don’t think that he could have prevented at least eight of those 60 points in the paint (the amount by which Utah lost Game 2), you haven’t been paying any attention at all to the Stifle Tower and his Jazz team this season.

Therefore, with Gobert’s injury greatly impacting Utah on both ends of the floor, the question looming in every Jazz fan’s mind is none other than, “When will we see Rudy again?”

I wish I could tell you that I had my crystal ball in front of me and that the answer to the question was at the end of this piece (and that the answer was this Friday at 8:00 pm MT for Game 3). But, the sad truth is, that isn’t an answer that I have. In fact, according to what has been reported by Quin Snyder and others close to the Jazz, it appears that no one in the public sphere knows that information for certain.

However, enough has been released that we can at least begin to speculate. First and foremost, the best news that came following the injury was the fact that there was no structural damage. A hyper-extension and bone bruise is a frustrating setback, to be sure, but it pales in comparison to an ACL tear or anything of the sort.

Furthermore, just two days after Game 1 in which Gobert went down with the injury, he was seen getting shots up during team practice. It wasn’t much and obviously can’t be compared to the cutting, screen setting, running and jumping of an actual game, but the fact that he was on his feet, after the last Jazz fans had seen of him was him attempting to crawl his way back on defense, was an incredible sight to behold.

https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/854062379398606848

Every report has indicated that Rudy is in high spirits. That obviously could simply be attributed to his simple good-natured attitude, but it’s also difficult to see a fierce competitor like Rudy taking things so well if he knew his hopes of returning for the playoffs were minuscule.

And although no official time frame has been announced on Rudy’s return, according to the Deseret News’ Jody Genessy, Quin Snyder has alluded to a one to two-week recovery on several occasions. Of course, not only is that unofficial and could perhaps be nothing more than pure guesswork on Quin’s part, but a statement such as “one to two weeks” leaves a lot of grey area.

As Snyder pointed out in that aforementioned Deseret News article, having a guy sidelined for two weeks leaves optimism that he could be back earlier, such as in 12 days, whereas it could also end up being on the opposite end of the scale.

But, for the sake of speculation, let’s assume that Gobert’s absence will indeed be either a one or two-week loss. The injury took place on Saturday the 15th, meaning that a week-long recovery would have him still out for Friday’s Game 3, but back in action for Sunday’s Game 4. Considering the presumed severity of the injury when it initially happened, I seriously doubt any Jazz fan would complain about a return at that point.

However, if it ends up being exactly a two-week recovery, the Jazz wouldn’t have Rudy back until April 29th, the day before a potential Game 7. In some ways I love the idea of Gobert making his epic return in a “do or die Game 7” and serving up an incredible and heroic performance for the ages to push the Jazz into the second round.

Yet, after Game 2’s barrage in the paint, a part of me is worried that the Jazz may not make it to a Game 7 if Gobert is indeed sidelined that long.

The fact of the matter is, no matter how you look at it, the Jazz are a better team with Rudy Gobert. Of course, ideally he would be able to come back fully healthy, but even a close-to-healthy Rudy Gobert would add much of the length and daunting physical presence that Utah will need to slow the Clippers in the paint.

Could the Jazz win the series without him? Sure. They showed that in Game 1 and were closer than one would have supposed possible despite the many errors in Game 2. If Utah’s Triple H Trio of Hayward, Hill and Hood can get going, or if Favors and/or Johnson can maintain their play and even turn it up yet another notch, the Jazz could very well still find a way to sneak past the Clippers.

But having Gobert in action would no doubt be preferred and dramatically increase their chances. Fortunately, beyond what I’ve already mentioned, it seems there are also a handful of other encouraging signs that could point to Gobert’s return coming sooner than later.

During halftime of the game in which Gobert was injured, he was reportedly walking around the locker room with no crutches or brace. Furthermore, Jody Genessy tweeted out yesterday that he saw Gobert walking in Beverly Hills with no noticeable limp.

From the tweets below, you can see a handful of additional quotes from reliable sources that seem to indicate there is high reason for optimism that Gobert will indeed return. Although it likely won’t be for Friday’s Game 3, it seems that a return for the series is indeed a very real possibility.

My two cents? I’m buying the optimistic hype. I don’t think we’ll see Rudy on Friday, but perhaps by Game 4 and certainly as soon as Utah faces an elimination game, I think that Gobert and the Jazz will find a way to get him back on the court.

Even if he’s not at 100 percent, just imagine the emotional lift that Rudy’s return would give the Jazz. I can hardly imagine the atmosphere that would exist in Vivint Smart Home Arena once Gobert’s name was announced as he returned to action after this latest absence. Perhaps he won’t be at his greatest effectiveness, but the pure emotion and excitement that would surround the team and its fans would create a daunting scenario for the visiting Clippers.

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So while there’s still no official report on when Rudy will return, hope is certainly far from lost. There’s plenty of reason to be optimistic that the Stifle Tower will be in action and able to contribute in this first round series against the Clippers.

And whether he returns on Utah’s home court, in a possible elimination game in Games 5 or 6, or as the last-hope hero in a potential Game 7 showdown, you can bet that his return to action will release absolute hysteria among the Utah faithful.

Rudy Gobert is one of the main reasons why the Utah Jazz have gotten as far as they have. As such, there’s nothing Jazz fans want more than to see him out there as soon as possible, propelling the team to new heights when it matters most.

Get well soon, Rudy. We’re all pulling for you.