Utah Jazz-Charlotte Hornets: Gobert, Howard battle for paint supremacy
By Ryan Aston
Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz look to get revenge against Dwight Howard and the Charlotte Hornets.
When the Utah Jazz met the Charlotte Hornets last month, Rudy Gobert was still on the shelf. Without their defensive anchor, the game’s result mirrored that of others the Jazz have played sans the Stifle Tower this season. Sure, the offense scuffled for most of the night, but Jazz D also found itself in a scramble when the game was on the line.
On Friday, in their first game post-trade deadline, Utah aims to get revenge against the Hornets. And this time Gobert will be there to lock things down. If he can do so, the Jazz may be on their way to an eighth consecutive win.
Standing in his path will be Dwight Howard, who logged 32 big minutes for Charlotte in the teams’ last meeting. The Hornets were plus-14 when he was on the court.
With Kemba Walker and Donovan Mitchell each getting buckets at a breakneck pace for their respective squads, Gobert’s ability to negate Howard’s impact in the paint could be the X-factor in the contest.
In terms of wins and losses, Gobert’s Jazz have drawn even with Howard’s teams over the years. The big men are 4-4 against one another. However, Howard has fared better overall where individual performance is concerned.
In eight games against Gobert, Howard is averaging 11.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a night. It’s a relatively meager line for Howard historically, but Gobert’s output has been noticeably curbed. Over that same span, the Jazz center has put up just 5.5 points, 5.5 boards and 1.9 blocks per contest.
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Having said that, Gobert was a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor and averaged four blocks per game in their two showdowns last season. If he can keep the hot streak going, it should go a long way toward ensuring a Jazz win.
One thing is certain — the Jazz have been a different team with Gobert back in the fold. Since his latest return from injury, Utah has the NBA’s best net rating (10.5) and No. 2 defense (allowing 100.6 points per 100 possessions).
So, while the high-scoring guards will do their thing, the Gobert effect will be key for Utah’s ability to keep things rolling.