1. Evaluating Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert against the Thunder
Stats for Rudy Gobert:
- 29 minutes
- 16 points
- 6-for-9 from the field, 4-for-6 from the foul line
- 21 rebounds
- Zero assists
- Zero steals
- One block
- One turnover
- One foul
Within his first 12 minutes on the floor against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert had already collected a double-double. And the two-time All-Star’s 21 rebounds for the night eclipsed the franchise’s record for a season opener, which Carlos Boozer had set with 19 boards of his own back in 2006.
ALSO READ: Rudy Gobert debuts a dozen-minute double-double
Defensively, the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year was as potent as usual, frequently acting as a roadblock for driving guards and as a natural deterrent to the Thunder’s entry passes into the post.
As for his offense, well, the 7-foot-1, 260-pound Gobert looked about as poised as ever, even from the charity stripe. The 29-year-old’s comments to media after the game seemed to reflect that:
“I’m feeling more and more comfortable. I’ve been putting in a lot of work, and it’s exciting to know that I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I can do offensively.”
https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/1451021164940169222
That must be frightening for opposing defenders to hear.
Player grade: 97 (A+)
The Utah Jazz will return to action at 8 p.m. MT Friday at the Sacramento Kings, a group the Jazz should not be overlooking.