Utah Jazz need to keep feeding Rudy Gobert

Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert has only taken 10 or more shot in a game seven times this year. In those games, the numbers he’s putting up are staggering.

Any basketball fan worth their salt knows what Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert can do on the defensive end. What they may not know is how valuable he can be offensively. While he isn’t a threat from anywhere outside of the paint, Gobert can dominate and average close to 20 points per game if he wants to, and (perhaps more importantly) if his teammates establish him as one of their top options.

In short, the 2018 Defensive Player of the Year needs more touches on the offensive end. Because in the seven games he’s put up 10 or more shots, dominant is exactly that he’s been

As far as I’m concerned, only one person should be taking more shots than Gobert: Donovan Mitchell. Maybe, maybe Joe Ingles when he’s got it rolling. Ricky Rubio definitely shouldn’t be getting more shots. Derrick Favors is being used properly — as the fifth scoring option in the starting unit. In that role, Favors is very efficient and solid.

Back to the seven games in which Gobert has taken 10-plus shot attempts. In those games, Gobert has averaged a monstrous 20.4 points, 14.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. He’s also shooting over 70 percent from the field.

Now, to the more important numbers about those seven games: the Jazz are 5-2 in them. It’s a small sample size, but for a team that’s currently one game below .500, it’s something they should #TakeNote of.

On the season, Gobert is averaging a career-high 15.5 points per game, despite getting only 8.6 shots per game. He’s converting at a higher rate than ever and he could really open some eyes if he gets more scoring opportunities. He’s also a better free-throw shooter than the 58.7 percent he’s shooting this season, so if he gets that percentage up, as he should, his scoring will grow.

And the Jazz will reap the benefits.