Rudy Gobert: Future DPOY

[Mr-Al]

Hate to dive too far into the Gobert v. Len thing, but naturally, this thread has attracted Suns fans. This summer, I would've traded Len for Gobert without thinking twice. Now I'm not so sure. I still think Gobert's a beast, but I'm of the opinion that Len is basically of the same caliber - a notch below defensively, a notch above offensively. Gobert's wingspan is a big difference. Can Gobert switch onto guards and forwards on the perimeter? I've seen Alex do so quite impressively. People say Alex is nimble. I think Gobert is also very nimble. We'll see!

Three things though. First, fwiw, Alex is a year younger than Rudy. Again, fwiw.

Second, shooting. As has been mentioned, no one passes to him, so he doesn't get a lot of touches. But among the shots he does take - a healthy number of them are jump shots. It's not consistent yet, but it will be. Hence the lower FG%. I don't think it means Gobert is a better shooter, and those implying such are not making an informed comparison. Earlier this year, Hornacek ran a set play for a Len 3. Will Gobert ever have that in his arsenal? Maybe. Len will.

Third, Alex's play has improved dramatically since being inserted into the starting lineup. If you compare their stats over the last ten, rebounding and blocks are remarkably similar on a per-minute basis.

None of this is to say that Gobert's elite rim protection isn't legit. Alex's isn't all that great at challenging drivers - he's better than the numbers suggest (see #3), but he may never be elite. But he also steps out to get blocks out of the paint, and since Alex has been inserted in the starting lineup, Suns' opponents' post-up FG% is lowest in the league. He's good defending post players. But I don't think he'll ever match the monstrous Gobert.

MAN, that 2013 draft class might have sucked overall, but three legit starting centers came out of it - these two and Adams. I remain skeptical of Noel, but he could join the list, too.

^^^A very objective and levelheaded response

[pooch7]

I love it when fans who don't watch a certain player come into a conversation as if they know what they're talking about. Let me guess, you saw him when he played your team and therefore your opinion is legitimate. Admittedly, I like to use hyperboyle a bit, but Gobert is the real deal, and there's a reason he's getting the attention he is. Hide and watch.

I love it when Real GM posters think they know what I do with my time. I've been watching him a fair amount after Fiba, and he could be a fine player, but he's still raw. I've seen you mention him in just about every thread on the GB recently, let him grow and become a good player. When that happens, you can brag about him all you want. But as of right now, he's doing alright on a bad team.

Sent from my SM-G900P using RealGM Forums mobile app

How many Jazz games have you watched in the last month?

I'm sorry, I don't count the amount of games I watch, all I'm saying is that your man crush for Rudy Gobert is a little excessive.

[Amish Mafioso]

I love it when Real GM posters think they know what I do with my time. I've been watching him a fair amount after Fiba, and he could be a fine player, but he's still raw. I've seen you mention him in just about every thread on the GB recently, let him grow and become a good player. When that happens, you can brag about him all you want. But as of right now, he's doing alright on a bad team.

Sent from my SM-G900P using RealGM Forums mobile app

How many Jazz games have you watched in the last month?

I'm sorry, I don't count the amount of games I watch, all I'm saying is that your man crush for Rudy Gobert is a little excessive.

Rudy has broken out over the last month or so. If you're comments are based on watching him before that, your opinion is misinformed. He has developed at an alarming rate this season and has become an elite rim protector. I've already admitted that I like to use hyperbole, but Rudy has arrived and is the real deal. That's not an exaggeration. He has already earned a starting spot and it's not even a question. Rudy's breakout will soon be the talk of the league and the only reason he's still under the radar at this point is because Utah is a team most fans don't watch unless their team plays them. Just the same, I don't expect you to take my word for it. Rudy's defensive dominance will speak for itself, and even though nobody cares much about Utah this year, the truth has a way making itself known.

[Insomniaac]

I wanted to try to trade for him so badly last year when he was barely getting any play. Obviously the chance for that has long since passed. He's gonna be awesome IMO

[ReKon]

Gobert s floor is being used as a prop for the dunk contest

His ceiling is probably a 3 time DPOY winner who can hold his own in the offensive end.

The Len vs Gobert argument is interesting.What s more interesting is how improved both guys are from their rookie seasons.What both fanbases need to do is enjoy the fact they have their starting Center for a long time on their team right now.No need to argue who s gonna be better down the stretch

[HawaiianJazzFan]

Kanter was inserted into the starting lineup but Snyder couldn't keep Gobert off the floor tonight. Whomever said, Gobert wasn't going to be able to play because he was a terrible FT shooter couldn't be more wrong.

Gobert tonight:
16 pts, 11 boards, 4 asts, 3 blks, 2 stls
and he was 8/11 from the FT line and is shooting it just under 70% for the season.

[JMac1]

Last three games since this thread got hot:


Len
13pts and 10rebs tonight
14 and 13 against Memphis on Sunday
4 and 12 against SAS

Rudy
16pts and 11rebs tonight
4 and 5 against Hou
4 and 7 against OKC

I'm tracking all of his games now..Ha

[CPThree]

How good is he already?

Averaging 3.1 blocks over the past month - more than anyone in the NBA. And he's doing it in just 26 minutes.

His defensive numbers are ridiculous. 1st in defensive efficiency, Top 5 in nearly all individual metrics.

The kid is the real deal. Without exaggeration, I really think he will be one of the all time great defensive players in this league.

His physical attributes are obvious, but his mental attributes are possibly his greatest strength. He's the most intelligent young big I've seen. His game IQ is staggering. It's really hard to believe he's a rookie. It gets tossed around a lot, but he truly does play like he's a 10 year veteran.

Some quotes:

"That was the toughest (game I've played) this season. That guy Gobert. Wow, insane. He just didn't let up. Like a shadow. Honestly, I'm glad it's over and we move on to the next one"
Dwight Howard after Gobert held him to just 8 points

"Gobert was a machine. Serge said in the locker room that he couldn't believe some of the blocks that kid made...and that's coming from the best in the league at it. He's a wall inside."
Scott Brooks after Gobert's 7 block game against OKC

[JMac1]

How good is he already?

Averaging 3.1 blocks over the past month - more than anyone in the NBA. And he's doing it in just 26 minutes.

His defensive numbers are ridiculous. 1st in defensive efficiency, Top 5 in nearly all individual metrics.

The kid is the real deal. Without exaggeration, I really think he will be one of the all time great defensive players in this league.

His physical attributes are obvious, but his mental attributes are possibly his greatest strength. He's the most intelligent young big I've seen. His game IQ is staggering. It's really hard to believe he's a rookie. It gets tossed around a lot, but he truly does play like he's a 10 year veteran.

Some quotes:

"That was the toughest (game I've played) this season. That guy Gobert. Wow, insane. He just didn't let up. Like a shadow. Honestly, I'm glad it's over and we move on to the next one"
Dwight Howard after Gobert held him to just 8 points

"Gobert was a machine. Serge said in the locker room that he couldn't believe some of the blocks that kid made...and that's coming from the best in the league at it. He's a wall inside."
Scott Brooks after Gobert's 7 block game against OKC

Copy and paste from an identical thread...Wow!

[JMac1]

Gobert s floor is being used as a prop for the dunk contest

His ceiling is probably a 3 time DPOY winner who can hold his own in the offensive end.

The Len vs Gobert argument is interesting.What s more interesting is how improved both guys are from their rookie seasons.What both fanbases need to do is enjoy the fact they have their starting Center for a long time on their team right now.No need to argue who s gonna be better down the stretch

[dautjazz]

Last three games since this thread got hot:


Len
13pts and 10rebs tonight
14 and 13 against Memphis on Sunday
4 and 12 against SAS

Rudy
16pts and 11rebs tonight
4 and 5 against Hou
4 and 7 against OKC

I'm tracking all of his games now..Ha

You're forgetting blocks, that's what Gobert really is beasting at. I believe he just slid past Pau Gasol for 4th in bpg.

[HawaiianJazzFan]

Last three games since this thread got hot:


Len
13pts and 10rebs tonight
14 and 13 against Memphis on Sunday
4 and 12 against SAS

Rudy
16pts and 11rebs tonight
4 and 5 against Hou
4 and 7 against OKC

I'm tracking all of his games now..Ha

Well, I've been watching Len a lot more recently and the dude is legit for real. He moves so well for such a big guy. These two are going to be special if they can stay healthy. It will be fun to watch them play each other in the coming years.

[Zion Wembanyama]

I wish he was paired beside Davis in Nawlins.

[jazzfan1971]

Kanter and Gobert had nearly identical minutes tonight. You guys should check out the difference in +/- on them.

[Catchall]

Kanter and Gobert had nearly identical minutes tonight. You guys should check out the difference in +/- on them.

I don't think you can blame Kanter for the way the Ws when 'shock and awe' from the 3-pt line in the 3rd quarter. Gobert changes the game the minute he's on the floor, but you can't pin that +/- differential on Kanter. The Warriors just went ballistic.

[dautjazz]

+/- is one of the most worthless stats in an individual game. Kanter was great, Warriors were just unconscious in the 3rd. I'm sure both Gobert and Favors played in the 3rd, nobody could do a damn thing to stop GS, and most of the damage that quarter was beyond the arc.

[HawaiianJazzFan]

+/- is one of the most worthless stats in an individual game. Kanter was great, Warriors were just unconscious in the 3rd. I'm sure both Gobert and Favors played in the 3rd, nobody could do a damn thing to stop GS, and most of the damage that quarter was beyond the arc.

Kanter was great offensively, but he seriously lost who he was defending like at least every other possession. His defense was the direct cause of 3 dunks tonight. Draymond Green was killing him while Kanter was in the game. He also lost Josh Smith a ton when he was guarding him in Houston.

[Amish Mafioso]

Last three games since this thread got hot:


Len
13pts and 10rebs tonight
14 and 13 against Memphis on Sunday
4 and 12 against SAS

Rudy
16pts and 11rebs tonight
4 and 5 against Hou
4 and 7 against OKC

I'm tracking all of his games now..Ha

You should probably track blocks, steals and assists as well, unless you're intentional trying to tell half the story.

[dautjazz]

+/- is one of the most worthless stats in an individual game. Kanter was great, Warriors were just unconscious in the 3rd. I'm sure both Gobert and Favors played in the 3rd, nobody could do a damn thing to stop GS, and most of the damage that quarter was beyond the arc.

Kanter was great offensively, but he seriously lost who he was defending like at least every other possession. His defense was the direct cause of 3 dunks tonight. Draymond Green was killing him while Kanter was in the game. He also lost Josh Smith a ton when he was guarding him in Houston.

Regardless, we lost this game because of the threes, there was no team that could of stopped that on slaught. There is a saying, great offense always beats a great defense, and in the case of an ELITE perimeter shooting team like GS, it's damn true. They were setting some GREAT screens, impossible to go over, and there were making every shot they put up, You have to be so damn careful covering the three, four point plays are so damn common now a days. While I recognize that Kanter's defense is a huge problem, we lost game in that 3rd, and at some key moments on stretches where we were catching up (2nd half) or extending leads (1st half), we had extremely careless turnovers. Either way, we are a team that was supposed to be one of the worst teams in the league coming n, and we've been competing with some of the elite the last 15 or so games. Nothing to get down about, these are growing pains you must deal with when with a young team. I think we're going to at a minimum to be a playoff teams for years to come, but I think we have a core that could make us contenders for a while. If I healthy I wouldn't be surprised at all if we make the playoffs next season.

[Stoked]

Last three games since this thread got hot:


Len
13pts and 10rebs tonight
14 and 13 against Memphis on Sunday
4 and 12 against SAS

Rudy
16pts and 11rebs tonight
4 and 5 against Hou
4 and 7 against OKC

I'm tracking all of his games now..Ha

You should probably track blocks, steals and assists as well, unless you're intentional trying to tell half the story.

Exactly. Gobert is averaging 3.3 apg, 2 spg and 1.3 fouls over the last 3. The assists and steals are a new development for Gobert. Time will tell if he can maintain it.

Len is averaging 1apg, 1.3 spg and 4.3 fouls over the last 3 games. Len gets to the FT line on a much more consistent basis.