Utah Jazz: 4 takeaways from a strange 7-game road trip

Utah Jazz takeaway: The Rudy Gobert disrespect is out of control

Rudy Gobert had a lot of good moments on the trip, but he also had a lot of bad ones. During the six-game road trip, Rudy only averaged eight points a game while shooting under 40 percent from the field and 38 percent from the free-throw line. These numbers are well below what we’re accustomed to from him, and you can tell by watching he wasn’t happy with his output. Defensively, other than his poor performance against Jarrett Allen, Rudy was his usual self – averaging 3.5 blocks and 13.5 rebounds per game.

A lot of us are getting a kick out of this Shaq versus Gobert Twitter feud, but this has led to Twitter Basketball Know-it-alls going after Rudy for getting paid the max in the offseason.  People, including some Jazz fans, are taking the usual shots at Rudy for his lack of offensive game and are appalled that someone who currently averages 11 points a game can earn max money. Some of the things I read on Twitter:

“If I was 7 foot two I could do what he does”

“He should be in the G League with his skills”

 “Worse contract since John Wall”

Seems like there’s a lot of dumb basketball people out there. If you don’t understand how Rudy Gobert impacts the basketball game, then I’m sorry – you just don’t understand basketball. So what that he can’t pass the ball like Nikola Jokic, or score like Karl-Anthony Towns? So what that he can’t shoot 30 percent from the above the break three like Joel Embiid. Do you know what he can do? Defend the rim, dominate the paint, screen guys open, and shut down interior scoring.  And he’s the best in the NBA at doing all those.

The Jazz have a defensive rating of 103 when Rudy is on the floor, and a 117 when he’s off the floor. They outscore opponents by seven points per 100 possessions when Gobert is on the floor. When Rudy is on the floor, teams can no longer attack the rim unless they drive unimpeded from the perimeter. He deters every shot within 8 feet of the rim and gobbles up all the rebounds.

Don’t believe me? Ask Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, who missed a game-winning layup this year because Rudy forced him away from the rim. Ask Dejounte Murray, who came into the game against Utah averaging 16 points per game and attacking the rim with impunity and then ended going 1-13. Ask Blake Griffin, who went 4-12 inside against the Frenchman and had to resort to chucking 3-pointers. And while you’re at it, go look up Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis’s numbers when they play against Rudy. Still don’t think he’s not elite?

He may not be the best center in the game and there is a valid argument against paying him the max money. But he’s not a max-level player, he’s pretty darn close. Rudy is the best defender in the planet – plain and simple. People need to stop with this fixation with surface level stats. You can impact the outcome of the game in ways other than scoring, and Rudy does a bunch of those at an all-NBA level.

Gobert will never be an offensive dynamo, but whoever said he needed to be? He’s the best of what he does – no one else can do when he does, and the Jazz would not be in a position to win 50 games without him.