Utah Jazz: Rudy Gobert could be a long shot for All-NBA honors

Despite a career season and his world-class defensive efforts, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert may be facing long odds for All-NBA honors.

While Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert may be a no-brainer franchise cornerstone now, that wasn’t always the case. In fact, his big breakout really didn’t come until the 2016-17 season when he put up 14 points, 13 boards and 2.6 blocks per contest and led the Jazz to a 50-win campaign. Despite those efforts, Gobert wasn’t an All-Star that season.

Instead, it was DeAndre Jordan who got the spot many had earmarked for the Stifle Tower (also: then teammate Gordon Hayward got in as a wing player). Crazy, right? Still, Gobert received a nice measure of vindication when he was an All-NBA Second Team selection which, in the eyes of many, is actually the bigger honor.

Fast-forward to March of 2019 and, once again, Gobert is having a monster season — maybe his best overall since he entered the league. And just like that breakout year, he got stiffed on the All-Star nod…once again.

Unfortunately, there’s a good chance he comes up empty-handed on the consolation prize, too.

While a large contingent of the Jazzland masses are likely expecting another round of All-NBA honors for Gobert, that particular field will be a tough cookie to crack.

Talk on the subject of All-NBA big men on the basketball blogosphere these days mostly revolves around Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. The running theory is that they will pick up the first and second-team nods, while Gobert will be forced to duke it out with Karl-Anthony Towns for the third-team spot.

However, I think Gobert has a lot more to contend with than KAT. Specifically, soon-to-be former New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis could throw a wrench in the works for Gobert.

The running theory re: Davis is that his situation in NOLA and the ensuing missed games and monitored minutes have taken him out of the All-NBA running. However, Davis remains firmly on the Association’s shortlist of MVP-type players. And despite his strange situation, I’d say that All-NBA resume remains firmly intact.

For the year, Davis is averaging 26 points, 12 boards, four assists and 2.4 blocks per contest. His squad is also 8.4 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the floor. As good as Gobert has been this season –and he’s been great — those numbers will definitely edge out his 16-13-2-2 line and 4.2 net on/off swing in the eyes of many voters.

And about Davis’ “limited action” taking him out of the running, he’s still played 56 games so far this season — the same number of games Gobert accrued last season when voters overwhelmingly chose him as the 2018 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

His situation may preclude him from being an All-NBA First Team center for a third consecutive year, but I’d be shocked if this notion that he’s on the outs entirely becomes a real thing. And I wouldn’t bank on him getting in as a four-man and leaving that center spot free, either.

Per Basketball Reference’s positional estimates, AD has played 97 percent of his minutes at the center spot in 2018-19.

Now, do I think Gobert is a top-15 player league-wide and one worthy of that All-NBA distinction? Absolutely! But given the fact that Jokic and Embiid are shoe-ins and he’ll be competing with not just Towns, but also Davis for votes, it’s hard to say I’d put money on the All-NBA voters thinking like I do.

If you’re a Jazz fan, or just a hoops fan that can see beyond highlight dunks and 3-point bombs, that’s a pretty disappointing proposition. In the end, though, it may just end up being reality.

One day, Rudy is going to get his; he’s simply too good not to. I just don’t know that this is that day.