Utah Jazz: 5 goals for Rudy Gobert in 2017-18
1. Carry the Utah Jazz to the 2018 NBA Playoffs
An appearance in the postseason is the expectation for the Utah Jazz each season.
Only 17 times in the 44 years of the existence of the franchise has Utah failed to qualify for the playoffs. The 51 victories the Jazz totaled a year ago marked the15th time in franchise history the team has posted 50 or more wins.
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For the success to continue in 2017-18, Rudy Gobert is going to have to perform as a franchise player, carrying the team statistically and setting the example for his teammates on both ends of the floor.
Gobert is much more than an elite pick-and-roll finisher, as he scores 1.38 points each time he rolls to the rim off the play, the most of any player scoring 3.5 points per game or more off the play last season.
The 7’1″ center is the most impactful defensive player in the league, routinely turning back opponents’ offerings to the rim. If he doesn’t swat their shot away, he is one of the most efficient at collecting the ball once it ricochets off the rim.
The combination of skills Gobert possesses has made any of the 26 teams that passed on him in the NBA Draft, the exact reason he wears 27, regret not selecting him prior to 27th in 2013. The slight has propelled him to his success.
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The Western Conference has realigned the star power throughout the NBA, with Utah entering the season with some major questions. If Gobert turns out to be the answer for a majority of these questions, the Jazz will once again advance into the postseason.