Utah Jazz: Rudy Gobert debuts a dozen-minute double-double

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert revealed a recipe for one insta-double-double.

In their season-opening 107-86 win over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, the Utah Jazz entered halftime with a 54-42 advantage. They owned the post from the opening tip. And they primarily had Rudy Gobert to thank for that.

Within his first 12 minutes on the floor, the 7-foot-1, 260-pound Frenchman had already collected a double-double.

Gobert repeatedly asserted his reign down low when corralling boards — even against his teammates at times — while looking in sync with the Jazz backcourt in his pick-and-roll finishes and cleanups around the rim.

An emphatic early statement from the Utah Jazz big man

Although the ninth-year Utah Jazz giant and three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year did not get credit for a block in the first-half box score, he altered numerous shots in typical Rudy Gobert fashion. All in all, the 29-year-old appeared aggressive and in his midseason form right out of the gates.

Gobert finished the first half against the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder with 13 points and 13 rebounds after shooting 5-for-6 from the field and 3-for-4 from the charity stripe.

By the end of the third quarter, he had grabbed 20 boards for the night. Then by the time Gobert exited the game for the last time — with 7:54 to play in the fourth and Utah holding a comfortable 89-72 lead — he had totaled 16 points, 21 rebounds, and one block to along with only one foul and one turnover in 29 minutes.

That’s an encouraging individual start, indeed.

Perhaps some credit for his immediate crispness in the season opener belongs to a busy summer with the silver-winning Team France at the Tokyo Olympics. There, Gobert seemed to unveil a slightly more refined offensive repertoire, including a bit more trust in his shot beyond a few feet from the basket.

Whatever the explanation, one thing is clear: Rudy Gobert isn’t messing around this year in seeking a third straight All-Star nod and the franchise’s first Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. Last season, his scoring average dropped a smidge to 14.3 points, but he matched his career-high with 13.5 rebounds per game as the Jazz secured the best record in the league (52-20).