Rudy Gobert
In case anyone had questions about Rudy Gobert’s basketball prowess, he silenced those doubts in a big way with a monster game against Team USA in the quarter-finals. After USA center Myles Turner insinuated that Gobert’s Defensive Player of the Year Award was less than deserved, Gobert showed out by rendering Turner ineffective as his missteps led to him playing just 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Gobert finished with 21 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks in a dominant victory.
That game was easily Gobert’s finest, and he had a couple forgettable outings, most notably France’s upset loss to Argentina wherein former NBA-er Luis Scola gave the Stifle Tower problems, but for the most part he was the consistent defensive force that Jazz fans have come to know and love throughout the tournament.
Not only was he second in FIBA play in blocks per game at 1.9, but Rudy constantly protected the rim and battened down the hatches in the paint, keeping even the highly-dangerous drivers of Team USA at bay. His 63 percent field goal percentage and 9.1 rebounds per game, fourth-best among FIBA participants, were additional reassuring signs.
In short, Rudy remained the anchor Jazz fans have come to know him to be, which is likewise a good sign for him meeting and exceeding expectations in the upcoming season. If there were any negatives to be gleaned from Gobert’s play, they’re likely, first, that Gobert didn’t show much of an added offensive repertoire and, second, that he had a couple games such as versus Argentina and during stretches against the US where he was rendered ineffective against a smaller lineup.
This has been one of the biggest issues the Jazz have faced with Gobert is when teams, such as the Houston Rockets, have gone small in the playoffs, he’s sometimes struggled to maintain his normal effectiveness.
That said, I believe Gobert will continue to get better in that regard and that much of the narrative of him being played off the floor is overblown. Especially in FIBA play, there’s likely an argument that he was under-utilized compared to what he could have been capable of doing. Nevertheless, unfavorable matchups that pull Gobert out of the paint will assuredly be something to keep an eye on next season as the Jazz will need the Stifle Tower at his best in all circumstances in order to reach their illustrious expectations.