The Utah Jazz are off to a shaky start and just lost Rudy Gobert for the foreseeable future; can they survive in the West?
Sixteen games into the 2017-18 NBA season and the Utah Jazz are sitting in the 10th slot of the Western Conference with a 6-10 record and a -2.6 net rating.
After losing Gordon Hayward and George Hill this past offseason, everyone knew that the Jazz would have a tougher time this season. But things have probably gone a bit rougher than previously expected.
Hayward’s and Hill’s departures left huge holes in the team’s offensive philosophy. Even though the additions of Ricky Rubio and rookie Donovan Mitchell have helped, the void is still there.
Now, though, things are even worse. Rudy Gobert was shut down for at least a month earlier this week with a knee injury. For a team that had little-to-no room for error just got dealt a huge blow.
Despite Gobert not being an offensive mastermind, his absence will be felt on both ends of the floor. Question is, can the Utah Jazz solve their offensive issues with or without Rudy Gobert?