At the beginning of this article, we set out to answer a simple question: is Rudy Gobert the best center in Utah Jazz history? A deep dive into the franchise’s history led us to answer with a resounding yes.
In fact, it’s a two man race, with Mark Eaton being the only other center in the team’s history worth consideration for the honor. Defensively, the two all-time greats are remarkably comparable. Each sports a career Defensive Rating of 100, although it’s worth noting that Gobert’s career, of course, is ongoing. Gobert has certainly never sniffed a blocks per game average in the vicinity of 5.6 per game, but again, raw counting stats do not necessarily reflect a player’s entire value.
Modern NBA centers are less inclined to block shots than their predecessors in the 80s and 90s, opting instead to stifle field goal attempts and collect the rebound after. Gobert is almost inarguably the league’s master of this technique, however, it’s on the offensive side of the ball that he earns his placement over Eaton.
The current Utah Jazz star doesn’t necessarily wow opponents with an endless bag of post moves like Al Jefferson, and he certainly doesn’t space the floor like Mehmet Okur. However, he’s managed to post a positive Offensive Box Plus/Minus (OBPM) in every season of his career besides his first by functioning as an elite screener and a solid pick-and-roll finisher. His career 66.2 True Shooting % (TS%) attests to a player who boosts the offensive attack of any lineup he’s present in.
The Utah Jazz will enter the 2021-22 season with fantasies of the Larry O’Brien trophy, and deservingly so. However, hopefully they can find some moments for somber appreciation of the fact that they’re watching the best center in the franchise’s history, as well.