Utah Jazz report card: Player grades at quarter-season

Overall GPA: 3.15 (B) 

Rudy Gobert only played in one of Utah’s last 10 games as he was injured in the second half against the Miami Heat. Gobert averaged 14 points and 13.5 rebounds in those two games. The Jazz have struggled to find an identity without their star center and have gone 5-4 in his absence.

How then can I drop Gobert from a B-plus to a B?

Even when Gobert was playing, Utah was not the dominant defensive juggernaut that many believed they would be. The Jazz have actually seemed to find a sense of offensive rhythm as of late and have greatly improved on that end of the floor by featuring smaller lineups.

It isn’t time to turn on Gobert as he is still the heart of this Jazz team, however, his injury has given Coach Quin Snyder an opportunity to experiment with his depth.