The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Awards Predictions for the 2017-18 season

By John Keeffer

OAKLAND, CA - MAY 04: The Maurice Podoloff Trophy trophy during the 2014-15 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award presentation at Oakland Convention Center on May 04, 2015 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - MAY 04: The Maurice Podoloff Trophy trophy during the 2014-15 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award presentation at Oakland Convention Center on May 04, 2015 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Utah Jazz Rudy Gobert Golden State Warriors
OAKLAND, CA – MAY 4: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz dunks the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors during Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Most Valuable Player/Defensive Player of the Year – Rudy Gobert

Might as well save space and time for this one as it is pretty obvious that Rudy Gobert should take home both awards for the Utah Jazz.

As I mentioned at the beginning, Rudy Gobert is going to be the front runner for Defensive Player of the Year. Just like Draymond Green this last season, voter fatigue always sets in for NBA award voters, and the player who comes in second the last few years tends to break through. I can absolutely recognize that Draymond Green is a dominant defensive player, but a real argument can be made that Rudy Gobert should have won this award last season.

With that in mind, Gobert hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, but has only gotten better. He will likely build on last season’s dominant performance with an even greater one. My prediction is he will be the Defensive Player of the Year for the Jazz, and the NBA.

The good folks at Bleacher Report recently ran an article detailing their darkhorse candidates for the league’s Most Valuable Player award. Number five on that list was our own Rudy Gobert.

It is definitely a stretch, but if Rudy Gobert can lead this Jazz team to having a top three defense, while also finishing with 48 wins or more, it will be impossible for the league not to recognize the impact of The Stifle Tower.

The more likely scenario is the Jazz finishing in the 42-46 win range, but Gobert is likely going to be the one leading us there. He is the vocal and emotional leader of this Jazz team, and it will be hard for others not to give it their all when he is always going 110 percent. He is the definite MVP of this team, and should lead them to the playoffs.

Next: Utah Jazz: Trey Burke agrees to, then backs out of deal with OKC

Honorable Mentions: Derrick Favors and Rodney Hood. If either one of these players are the MVP of this team, then things either went really badly, or amazing well. If Gobert plays at the level he played last season, and one of these two is more valuable than him, then the Jazz could be a 50-win team.

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