Utah Jazz: Top 10 story lines to watch for in 2017-18

Can Rudy Gobert win Defensive Player of the Year?

Ask any Utah Jazz fan who should have been the Defensive Player of the Year last season and they’ll resoundingly answer with Rudy Gobert. The big man certainly had the pedigree to back up that argument, but ultimately the voters pinned him as the runner-up behind Draymond Green.

However, Rudy definitely rose into the national spotlight with his exceptional defense that became impossible to ignore. The fact of the matter is that he and Draymond are two very different players with unique defensive skills, but Rudy’s ability to shrink the paint, protect the rim, alter shots and get into the head of every single opposing offensive player is very much unmatched.

And given his rise to acclaim last season combined with the fact that he’ll now be tasked with being the face of his team following the departure of Gordon Hayward, he should have a lot more attention across the country focused on him. If he’s able to have as much of a defensive impact (and ideally more) than last season while helping the Jazz to exceed their relatively mediocre expectations, he should put himself in a position to finally take home the coveted prize.

It’s going to be a tall task for a guy on a small market team to earn such a recognition, but Rudy’s bound to have a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed last season and seeing him channel that to produce what could very well be the best defensive season of any player in the league will be absolutely fascinating to watch.