Utah Jazz: Is it possible to survive without Rudy Gobert?

Gobert’s Absence 

Since Rudy Gobert went down, the Utah Jazz inserted Favors at center and has played a combination of Thabo Sefolosha and Jonas Jerebko as a small-ball four. In the small three-game sample without Gobert, the Jazz are scoring 104.3 points per game. With him, they were only scoring 97 points per game. Now, remember its only three games and the Jazz have played three bad defensive teams in Brooklyn, Minnesota and New York.

However, the increased space on the floor has certainly helped. In the three games without Gobert, the Jazz are making 14 3’s a game. With him, they were only making about 10 per game. This is not a shot at Gobert; they need him on offense. It is to show the importance of extra shooting on the floor for the Jazz. Utah has several players who can be catch and shoot guys.  Thabo Sefolosha, Joe Ingles, Alec Burks, Jonas Jerebko and Rodney Hood are all above average shooters from downtown.

When Gobert gets back, they need to move Favors to the bench. Start Jerebko at the four. A lineup of Rubio, Mitchell, Ingles, Jerebko, and Gobert won’t be great offensively, but it will be reliable and competent defensively. That is for when Gobert gets back, now the Jazz have to figure out how they will survive Gobert’s 4-6-week absence.

At best Gobert will be back Saturday, December 9th at Milwaukee. That means at least 10 more games without him. Besides a home game against the Bulls, there are no other cupcakes on the schedule. So where will the Jazz miss Gobert the most on offense?

Gobert is at his best in the pick and roll. He has a rare combination of long arms and a high vertical. His great hands allow him to catch tough lobs and throw him down. Gobert ranks in the 94th percentile as the roll man, and his score frequency is a ridiculous 75%. He has excellent chemistry with Ingles, and his chemistry with Rubio was coming along. That’s what makes this injury such a setback.

Here Gobert goes to set a high screen for Rubio. Rubio goes the opposite way of the screen and takes three hard dribbles into the paint and feeds Gobert with a nice bounce pass. A simple play, but one that takes chemistry.

Now Rubio’s new dance partner is Favors. Favors can’t dance like Gobert. He ranks only in the 29th percentile as a pick and roll man. The problem is, his hands arent as good, and he is not the leaper that Gobert is. Favors prefers cuts, offensive rebounds, and midrange jumpers. Another reason Rubio’s assists are down.

Rubio is only averaging four assists since Favors became the starter. So even though the Jazz are scoring a little more since Gobert went down and they are making more threes, they still miss Gobert’s pick and presence.

They will miss him more on defense. Let’s talk about that.