2 studs and 1 dud from Utah Jazz win over shorthanded Nuggets

Utah Jazz stud: Rudy Gay

Bojan Bogdanovic was the best player on the Utah Jazz last night. Nobody could dispute that. However, Rudy Gay’s performance may have been more significant.

It wasn’t the first game this season wherein Gay functioned as a small ball center, but it was the first game where he had to. Moreover, it was the most heavily he was featured in that role all season. To say that he delivered would be an understatement.

Gay finished this game with 18 points on 6/9 shooting from the field and 4/7 shooting from downtown. He also contributed 7 rebounds to the Jazzmen’s cause.

That rebounding total counts. An inability to control the glass is a major deterrent towards running small ball lineups. There’s a reason Gay is known as Big Truck, and he let the Nuggets know it last night.

Meanwhile, all the benefits associated with small ball were there for the Jazz. Whether Nikola Jokic, JaMychal Green or Bol Bol were at the center spot for the Nuggets, they were unable to close out Gay from the three-point line.

They capitalized on that five-out spacing throughout this contest. Eric Paschall saw 13 minutes in his return, although they were largely ineffective (3 points, 1/2 shooting from the field). Nonetheless, it was significant that several of them came at the center spot.

Again, the Jazz will not lean on small ball this heavily, either throughout the season or in the playoffs. Rudy Gobert’s interior presence ultimately does more for this offense (not to mention the defense) than any small ball option can.

It’s just very encouraging that the squad can count on Gay to fill that role when necessary. Injuries forced him into it last night, but throughout the playoffs, it’s possible that matchups will.