Rudy Gobert
Ask many a Jazz fan, and they’ll tell you the same thing. Rudy Gobert has been snubbed from the All-Star Game two years in a row. While fans were happy at the time to see Gordon Hayward qualify for the 2017 All-Star Game, many felt that Gobert’s impact on the team made him more deserving of a spot than the former Jazz star.
Others were even more disgruntled that then LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan qualified for the All-Star Game over Gobert. Considering that Gobert surpassed Jordan in terms of All-NBA honors that season, I think that frustration at his All-Star snub is absolutely warranted.
But as long as Gobert remains healthy in 2018-19 and the Utah Jazz reach the heights that they’re predicted to this upcoming year, it’s going to be nigh impossible to leave him out. His defensive prowess in a mere 56 games last season was enough to earn him Defensive Player of the Year. If he can come closer to playing 80 or more games, something he’s done twice in his five-year career, that season-long impact simply won’t be able to be ignored.
Not only that, but if the Jazz are a top-four team in the West and Gobert continues to be their defensive anchor and heart and soul of the team, it will be an absolute travesty to not have him suiting up with the All-Stars. Of all current Jazz players, I’d say that Rudy Gobert has the best shot.