Utah Jazz: Rudy Gobert’s All-Star case is clear as day

Having traditionally been snubbed out, the Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert is making a compelling case for the All-Star Game that even casual fans can recognize.

Rudy Gobert has accomplished quite a bit as a member of the Utah Jazz. He’s a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time selection to both the All-Defensive First team and an All-NBA team.

Yet somehow, the All-Star Game has continuously avoided the Stifle Tower since his unexpected rise from late first-round pick to one of the league’s best defensive anchors.

It’s a statement of fact that has irked many around Salt Lake. He’s certainly been worthy with elite individual numbers on a Jazz team routinely among the top eight in the west, but some can’t seem to appreciate the more nuanced ways in which Gobert provides elite-level value at both ends of the court.

To make his case, it’s best to start with the not so subtle areas of dominance that have placed Gobert in prime position to finally earn that coveted All-Star nod.

The seventh-year veteran is averaging 15.7 points and 2.0 blocks per game along with career-highs in rebounds per game at 14.5 and field goal percentage at 68.9. He is the only player to clear those marks across the entire NBA.

As impressive as those numbers are, Gobert is not of the same ilk as a Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic or Karl-Anthony Towns. His game can’t fully be appreciated in the box scores. It requires the eye test to fully understand more than most.

Gobert currently contests the most shots in the NBA at 19.7 a night, holding opponents who challenge him to a measly 39.8 field goal percentage. Of the top-five players in contested shots within six feet of the bucket, his defensive field goal percentage is the only one below 50.0.

It’s why the offensive rating for opposing teams dips 7.8 points when Gobert is on the court. His all-encompassing size is an incredible deterrent for the drives certain players may otherwise be willing to attempt under different circumstances.

At the offensive end, Utah will hardly ever dump the ball down to its towering center, but there’s a reason its production jumps 11.2 points with Gobert on the court.

He ranks sixth around the league in possessions as the roll man with 4.0 a game. Of those in the top-10, Gobert’s 1.19 points per possession would rank second behind only Thomas Bryant.

His 3.7 offensive rebounds per game translate to 3.4 points off putbacks per game, which rank fifth and third in the NBA, respectively.

Then there are the shots he generates for others, not with the pass but with the less-heralded screen. Gobert is tops in the league with 7.7 screen assists per game, and while they don’t contribute to triple-doubles, they might be just as valuable towards freeing up Utah’s shooters.

The Western Conference has long been stacked with incredible talent. It’s why few have been willing to do anything resembling a deep dive on the advanced numbers that highlight Gobert’s impact. Because visible style was easier to measure than metric-driven substance.

Whether it’s VORP or Box Plus/Minus or total win shares or per 48 minutes, Gobert routinely ranks among the same grouping of superstars. You might scoff at the less traditional way in which he arrived there, but that doesn’t make his presence any less real.

This is to say nothing of his presence on a Jazz team winners of 14 of their last 15 games to vault up to the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference.

In the absence of the Splash Brothers along with Kevin Durant’s move east, several All-Star spots normally locked up before the season are now up for the taking.

If the NBA is going to continue to recognize Gobert’s efforts with end-of-season awards and accolades, one of those open spots is long overdue for a player at the top of his field, imposing his will like few others.