Utah Jazz: 3 goals for Rudy Gobert in 2018-19
By Mason McFee
3. Average 15 points per game
This may seem like it’s setting the bar a little low for the Stifle Tower, but it’s actually feasible.
Two seasons ago, Gobert averaged 14.0 points per game, a career high. This was before Donovan Mitchell was on the team and George Hill was the starting point guard. While it wasn’t too long ago in terms of time, the team has undergone a massive facelift since then. It’s time for Gobert to become more of a featured option.
Making Gobert the featured option goes against Quin Snyder’s egalitarian offense, but it makes sense. Mitchell has already shown he’s more than capable of creating his own shot and taking over games, while guys like Joe Ingles, Derrick Favors and Ricky Rubio know their roles and are content playing them. Gobert isn’t the type of player to demand touches or create problems in the locker room, but it may behoove Snyder to consider giving him more looks.
Gobert has averaged 5.9 field goal attempts per game for his career and averaged 7.9 last season. If he were to get closer to 10 field goal attempts a game and force defenses to send help defense down low, then opposing teams would like be leaving one of Ingles, Mitchell and/or Rubio open.
Not a bad offensive plan.