Utah Jazz: 3 goals for Rudy Gobert in 2018-19
By Mason McFee
2. Shoot at least 70 percent from the free throw line
Rudy Gobert has never shot above 70 percent from the charity stripe in any season in his young career. That’s not a knock against Utah’s star center, but it would deter teams from fouling the center if he became more reliable from the game’s few opportunities to get uncontested shots from the line.
Gobert is a career 62.9 percent shooter from the line, but shot 68.2 percent from the line this past season and 65.3 percent the season prior. This is a huge improvement from his 49.2 percent mark from his rookie season, but like any other player, even someone of Gobert’s caliber has room to improve.
It may seem silly to say that a player hitting seven out of 10 free throws is a huge difference from hitting six out of 10, but the Jazz lost eight games last season that were decided by five points or less. Those losses aren’t being pinned on Gobert, but rather that the 3-8 seeds in the Western Conference last season were only three games apart.
Every game matters, and a few extra points from Gobert could really help Utah out in the standings next season.